Press release | PestAware

The British Pest Control Association (BPCA) is urging the public to be mindful of the link between pests and litter as part of a week-long event to raise awareness of the issue of species such as rats and mice in public spaces.

Pest Awareness Week, which runs until Sunday 3 March, aims to highlight the threat of poor pest management practice such as litter and waste can play in society and the knock-on effect to public health. 

This year, the weekend of Pest Awareness Week corresponds with the Great British Spring Clean (taking place 2 to 4 March), run by Keep Britain Tidy, which calls on people to head out into their local communities to clean up litter before the temperature begins to increase.

Dr Mark Lambert from the Animal and Plant Health Agency said,

“Our research points to environmental factors including accumulation of household litter and poor management of waste as being key drivers of commensal rodent abundance. Accumulation of litter provides harbourage (protection from predators) and nest sites for rodents, as well as potential food sources." 

“It is likely that targeted litter prevention schemes can help reduce commensal rodent abundance."

BPCA members are supporting both Pest Awareness Week and the Great British Spring Clean event by taking part in a range of community-led activities to raise awareness of the fact that litter strewn environments provide the perfect blend of food and shelter for rodents.

"The inextricable link between litter and pests is clear. More rubbish, particularly food stuffs, supports the emergence of pests, particularly rodent infestations. It’s not just an environmental matter, but a public health issue. Rats in particular carry many diseases which can be easily spread to humans through their urine, including Toxoplasmosis and Weil’s Disease.

Dee Ward-Thompson, BPCA Technical Manager

Keep Britain Tidy Chief Executive, Allison Ogden-Newton added: “Pests likes rats and urban foxes feed on the litter and rubbish we leave behind – without the litter problem these pests would be less of an issue.

 “So, our message is simple – keep it clean, don’t feed the rats.”

 The issue of pest control is increasingly on the radar within both urban and rural environments, particularly in light of a recent report which has revealed the presence of a new generation of rats carrying a genetic mutation, making them resistant to conventional poison.

In addition to the clean-up, BPCA has also re-released it’s A to Z of Pests, an end user reference tool for identifying pest species as well as a supporting PestAware blog. PestAware is packed with professional advice from leading experts in the pest control industry and is designed to help customers tackle their domestic or commercial pest problems.

This is a press release by British Pest Control Association (BPCA)

You may reproduce this article in print or online, however, you should link back to this article as the source. 

The British Pest Control Association is the leading UK trade association representing organisations with a professional interest in the eradication of public health pests.

We are a not-for-profit organisation which acts in the interests of members and on behalf of the pest management industry in the UK.

The Association places great importance on promoting the highest standards of professionalism within the industry and all organisations must prove their competence before membership is accepted.

We highlight the risks of inadequate control, offers guidance in searching for a pest control contractor, provide general pest advice and guidance documentation.

BPCA is happy to provide comments and interviews for the press. Contact media@bpca.org.uk or call 01332 225 115 to arrange an interview.

Source: PestAware