March 2022

How Beaver have improved sustainability in Pest Control operations

Case Study

How Beaver have improved sustainability in Pest Control operations

Author – Julia Pittman
Company – Beaver Pest Control
Title – Head of Sales

We are growing quickly so improving sustainability while continually training new staff and maintaining service levels is a challenge. In the last 3 years we have increased our staffing numbers from 28 to 60 and increased our turnover from £1.8M to £3.6M. We have always had a green ethos and regularly look for new ways to improve sustainability and reduce carbon emissions:

Using Footmen and zoning to reduce carbon emissions.

Regional – We are still a regional company covering London and the South East. As our portfolio grows our areas become denser which reduces travel time and driving miles. Our company strategy is to stay regional and continue to increase route density which will make us more sustainable.

Lightfoot – After a successful trial our entire fleet is now fitted with Lightfoot. Lightfoot encourages better driving through the monitoring of engine revs and a reward system for elite driving. We have been amazed by the response of our team. Technician’s who were previously considered poor drivers, are now top of the elite drivers scoreboard. The system is predicted to reduce fuel costs by 20%.

Green zone – Our first Green Zone was SW17, our home. We now have a Central London Green Zone where pest control is carried out by seven foot technicians covering SW1,W1, WC, SE1 and The City. All travel is either by foot or using public transport. Equipment and materials are stored at our Central London stores reducing the need for our vehicles to enter Central London. We are now in the process of expanding the Green Zone to W2, W8,W14 and SW5.

Increasing sustainability through technology

New system – All reporting is now electronic, with reports e-mailed automatically to the customer two hours after the visit is completed. This new system has reduced the need for hard copy reports, paper, printing, and has improved efficiency. For large group customers report are e-mailed direct to site and also to head office. This gives head office complete visibility over any pest issues on site without the need for site visits.

Whatsapp – As well as e-mailed reports we use secure Whatsapp’s group for our larger group customers. The group is used for site pictures so that facilities managers can see what is going on without the need for a site visit.

This system has really improved communication between site and remote FM’s.

Motion sensor cameras – Motion sensor cameras are available to monitor activity on site. Activity is e-mailed back to the Beaver office by the system for analysis.

Bio-acoustic systems – We use bio-acoustic systems as bird deterrents. These systems operate 24/7 and deter birds from nesting and landing on the buildings permanently. The system just requires a 3 monthly visit by a technician to check operations and adjust any of the computer generated distress calls.

Advice

Beewise – Our team sit on special interest groups for the British Pest Control Association. The aim of the Beewise SIG is to provide education and advice which protects bees from unnecessary treatment.

To find out more about Beaver Pest Control please contact Julia Pittman, Julia@beaverpest.co.uk, 07943152502

Busy Beavers walking the talk for The British Heart Foundation

Commercial

On the 12th May 2018 two of our Beavers set out to walk from Staines to Henley, a gruelling 50km.

It was a grey and rainy day but Rafal Brymer (Head of the Bird Division) and Marcin Stolarek (Bird team) marched through it. They completed the 50k walk in 9 hours and 55 minutes beating their target time of 10 hours by 5 minutes.

The trek took them through Windsor and Cookham before arriving in Henley and hugs the river Thames for much of the way. Although it’s quite a flat route it does include a couple of hills and the challenge to walk a mammoth 50kms (31 miles) can never be underestimated.

In total our busy Beavers walked 53.13 km, an average of 5.3 kms an hour. This added up to a massive 58084 steps for Rafal and 78000 for Marcin.

They raised £250 for the British Heart Foundation and we are very proud of them.

Drain fly or fruit fly problems ?

Commercial, Residential

Do you have problems with drain flies or fruit flies?

Preventing these pests is all about hygiene practices, identifying the breeding sites and removing them. Fruit flies and drain flies aren’t particularly attracted to UV light either like other types of flies so EFK (electronic fly killers) are less effective in dealing with these types of fly.
The only long-term solution for these flies is to remove the breeding sites through thorough cleaning.

How we can help you.

Beaver Pest Control has a dedicated environmental fly prevention team. If you keep getting problems with these pests we can carry out a full audit for you, locate the breeding sites and our specialist team can deep clean these areas for you. The audit will help support due diligence and can be shown to EHO’s.

Preventing Drain flies also known as filter flies.

These tiny flies are very often found hovering by drains and stagnant water. The first job is to remove the breeding ground as they breed in the organic matter found in drains, grease, food and general sludge. Keeping drains free of this material will prevent drain flies breeding. It is important to remove stagnant and still water from anywhere where it is pooling.

Preventing Fruit Flies

Fruit flies and drain flies are often confused with each other as they are similar sizes. Fruit flies have red eyes though.
As with drain flies, fruit flies can easily be dealt with by removing the breeding grounds. In this case it will be fermenting fruit, juice or wine.
Moisture, decaying or fermenting fruit or debris and warmth and typical breeding sites.

Try checking these places:

1. The bottom of refuse bins.
2. The area where empty bottles of juice or fizzy cans are stored prior to recycling.
3. Under food preparation areas or the gaps in-between worktops.
4. Standing water under fridges or ice machines.
5. In between or under damaged floor tiles.
6. Do not leave damp mop heads facing down in the bucket in a warm store. Turn the mops upside down and make sure there is enough air for them to dry out properly.
7. Fruit left out which is starting to ferment.

Once you have found the breeding site, it is just a matter of cleaning it thoroughly. Stagnant / still water, warmth and organic matter are all these insects need to breed.
Remove the environment and you will remove the problem.

Need our help? Call 0208 355 3443 to talk to our customer service team.

Beaver 24/7: Digital Rodent Monitoring

Commercial

About Beaver 24/7

Beaver 24/7 is a brand new digital remote monitoring service offered by Beaver Pest Control to detect rodents quickly and efficiently. Remote monitoring uses traps connected via a network to produce alerts of rodent activity on a particular site. Expert pest professionals cannot be replaced as rodents may avoid traps and other pest problems would remain undetected, However, the technology from automated monitoring systems is invaluable for providing an alert system that works all day, 365 days a year. Together, the result is a faster response to potential infestations.

Data provided by the monitors serve as an indication to areas of significant activity across your site. When paired with a live capture trap, technician response time can be reduced enabling swift and humane rodent control. Check out our case study for more information.

Our Service

Electronic control of traps available 24/7 online through the portal either via desktop or app
In addition to your regular technical visits, Beaver 24/7 will help you comply to your required auditing standards
Trend mapping of site to locate problems areas for more efficient and long-lasting solutions
Ability to detect false-positive catches to limit unnecessary callouts resulting in potential savings
Non-toxic digital trapping provides intergrated and sustainable pest control solutions

Contact us today to see if Beaver 24/7 can help you maintain a pest-free environment in your workplace! Digital remote monitoring is an innovative approach to pest control that lets us sort any ingress before it becomes an infestation.

Using CCTV to support our techs!

Commercial, Residential

CCTV

CCTV has been around a long time, but there are always new ways to use the technology in different industries. At Beaver, we recently have invested in a monitoring camera to aid surveyors and the Wildlife Team. The camera is 100% wire-free and it operates on 4G-LTE and 3G networks. It can be used both, in and outdoors allowing us to monitor sites 24/7.

The camera doesn’t require a power connection as it operates from a rechargeable battery that lasts for 2/3 weeks. It has also a Solar Panel connectivity option to support long term settings. The camera is controlled via mobile app with a live view option and it can be rotated in any direction offering 360˚ views. Once the motion sensor is triggered, a short video is captured and the user is notified via the mobile app.

The camera will allow our wildlife team work more efficiently eliminating unnecessary journeys. Plus, having a live view of the site will allow our team to attend and deal with trapped animals, whether target or non-target, without any delays. Over the past few weeks one of our Surveyors; Marius, with the help of one of our trained technicians; George H, have been testing it on number of fox jobs with a great success.

We also used it in a loft to detect active bird species following resident complaints. This is a great use of technology to support our teams.

Read more about our fox control and bird control systems.

Humane Rodent Control

Commercial, Residential

In the UK there are four species of rodents which can be commonly found within homes and gardens: the House Mouse, Wood Mouse, Yellow-Necked Mouse and Brown Rat. Though they can cause problems within dwellings, there are a number of humane rodent control methods we can use to keep your home safe.

What do they look like?

House Mice are small rodents (between 7-9cm) and can be found in dwellings any time of the year. They often range from light to dark brown shades and can be distinguished by their almost hairless tail. By comparison the Wood Mouse (also known as a Field Mouse) is slightly larger at 8-10cm. These are the mice most commonly found across the UK. They can be distinguished by their sandy brown fur, white or grey underside, very large ears and long tail. Wood Mice are not usually found in buildings, except during winter.

Yellow-Necked Mice are restricted to rural areas in central and southern Wales and England. They are much bigger than other species of mice, ranging from 9-12cm. Despite looking similar to Wood Mice, Yellow-Neck Mice can be distinguished by a distinctive band of yellow/orange fur around the neck area, forming a bib on the chest.

Lastly, the Brown Rat (also known as the common or sewer rat) can grow between 15-27cm. Greyish-brown in colour, they have a large, slanted head with relatively small ears and an almost hairless tail.

Humane Rodent Control

Within homes and gardens rodents are attracted to food sources and shelter. Mice and rats will eat almost anything, therefore bird seed, pet food, rubbish piles, bins and compost heaps attract these rodents. However, there are ways you can humanely deter rodents from accessing your property:

Reduce access to food sources by clearing away crumbs, putting away pet food at night, sealing food (particularly foods like cereal, bread, pasta and dried pet foods) and ensuring bins/food containers are rodent-proof.
Block holes with either a strong, quick-hardening sealant or mouse mesh. Caulk, rubber and plastic fillers won’t work as rodents can easily chew through them.
Rodents are deterred by smells such as peppermint and eucalyptus, therefore by soaking cotton balls in these oils and placing them at key points (under cupboards, along work surfaces, along beams) it will help to discourage rats and mice. Remember to keep replacing the oils.
If you feed wildlife, ensure that the food is gone by the evening as rats and mice tend to be most active at night.
Remove harbourage that can provide shelter to rodents such as overgrown grass or bushes, wood piles or general clutter.
As rats and mice are neophobic (a deep fear of new things or changes), move garden furniture or other objects around your garden; new obstacles will confuse and alarm rodents used to a ‘static habitat’.

What if I continue to have rodent problems?

Sometimes, despite taking all the right precautions, people continue to have problems with mice and rats. However there a plenty of non-toxic solutions that can be opted for in lieu of traditional baiting. At Beaver Pest Control, we practice Integrated Pest Management (IPM). This is a sustainable approach to managing pests by combining biological, cultural, physical and chemical tools in a way that minimises economic, health, and environmental risks.

Proofing and Exclusion

The most effective use of a technician’s time is to provide proofing to close off entry points which stops pests from entering the premises. Quite often the access holes for mice and rats are hidden behind kitchen and bathroom units, but with the necessary expertise and tools, our specialist technicians can get to those difficult to reach holes.

Remote Rodent Monitoring

Remote monitoring services such as Beaver 24/7 detect rodents quickly and efficiently by using traps connected to a network to produce alerts when there is activity. As the system rely on sensors supplemented by UV tracking dust and hotspot maps, it does not require the use of toxic baiting. This reduces potential harm to non-target species.

Mechanical Trapping

Good quality break-back traps are often considered a humane form of rodent control as it kills the pest instantly, rather than prolonging any suffering. To minimise the risk to non-target animals, where possible, livestock and pets are excluded from the trapping area and the traps are set in natural or artificial tunnels.

For further advice regarding rodents in the UK, prevention, treatments and regulations surrounding rodent control, please click here: RSPCA Living with Rats & Mice

Case Study

How Beaver have improved sustainability in Pest Control operations

Using Footmen and zoning to reduce carbon emissions.

Increasing sustainability through technology

Advice

Do you have problems with drain flies or fruit flies?

How we can help you.

Preventing Drain flies also known as filter flies.

Preventing Fruit Flies

Try checking these places:

About Beaver 24/7

Our Service

CCTV

What do they look like?

Humane Rodent Control

What if I continue to have rodent problems?

CIS Details

Policy

Address

CONTACT Information