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Knowledge Base » Food Hygiene » Pest Control

Pest Control
4th January 2022 by Evie Lee
Last updated on 21st April 2023
 In this article
 What is pest control?
 What is classed as a pest?
 What are the different methods used in controlling pests? 
 Why is physical pest control preferable to chemical poisons?
 Who can carry out pest control?
 How to control pests
 How much do the council charge for pest control?
 The laws around pest control

The Pest Control industry has expanded over the past five years.
Food-related businesses are required by law to maintain certain
hygiene standards, so the rise in the number of food-related
businesses operating in the United Kingdom over the last few years
has increased demand for pest control services.

The pest control industry is currently worth £653m to the UK economy;

however, industry profitability is expected to have fallen in 2020-21 as
a result of COVID business closures.

What is pest control?

When people hear the terms “pest management” or “pest control”,
they are typically thinking about the eradication of rats, mice, insects
etc. Actually, pest management is involved with the safety of our
health, our foods and the protection of our property. It is vital to have a
system of control for pests for the safety of the overall public.

Almost 20% of the world’s food supply is consumed by rodents, and

rodents are prime carriers for other dangerous pests such as fleas,
ticks and mites. Rodents also carry diseases that are transmittable to
humans and other animals.

Cockroaches have allergens that many people, approximately 7–8%

of the general public, are allergic to and are considered to be among
the filthiest insects in existence. Without pest management control
practices, food hygiene, food regulation and health regulations would
not be properly achieved.

What is classed as a pest?

According to the UK Government a pest is any organism that spreads
disease, causes destruction or is otherwise a nuisance. Vermin is the
general term applied to animal and bird species regarded as pests,
and especially to those associated with diseases.
In the UK there are around 80–90 listed pests that fall into three
categories:
 Insects.
 Rodents.
 Birds and others.
Some of the most common are:
 Insects
– Ants – The most common species of ant is the black garden ant.
A highly organised and social insect, a colony will nest and include
worker ants which are attracted to sweet food. Ants may cause
contamination to food and preparation areas.
– Bedbugs – Bedbugs are small, oval, brownish insects that live
on the blood of animals or humans. Adult bedbugs have flat
bodies about the size of an apple seed. After feeding, however,
their bodies swell and are a reddish colour. Bedbugs may enter
your home undetected through luggage, clothing, used beds,
sofas and other items. Their flattened bodies make it possible for
them to fit into tiny spaces, about the width of a credit card.
Bedbugs do not have nests like ants or bees, but tend to live in
groups in hiding places. Bedbugs live solely on blood. Having
them in your home is not a sign of dirtiness; you are as likely to
find them in immaculate homes and hotel rooms as in filthy ones.
– Cockroaches – There are two types of cockroach found in the
UK, the Oriental cockroach and the German cockroach.
Cockroaches will feed on almost anything, from food to faecal
matter. They are commonly found in kitchens and heating
systems. They prefer warm moist conditions and they reproduce
rapidly; a German cockroach can produce up to 240 eggs per
month. They can spread bacteria and usually indicate that food
preparation areas are not clean. Germs can be spread from the
body of a cockroach or from their droppings. They can carry
dysentery, gastroenteritis, typhoid and food poisoning organisms.
Contamination occurs when the cockroaches come into contact
with food.
– Fleas – Fleas are external parasites, living off the blood of
 mammals and birds, and include cat/dog fleas, human fleas and
rat fleas. Beside the problems posed by the flea itself, they can
also act as a vector for disease, for example, they can transmit a
variety of viral and bacterial diseases to humans and other
animals. Cat/dog fleas are not thought to transmit any serious
illness to humans but they can cause severe irritation.
– Wasps and bees – Wasp nests are normally built in sheltered
spots, with easy access to outside. They can be found in areas
such as wall cavities, roof spaces and under eaves. They can
grow to around the size of a football as the summer progresses.
Only female wasps sting, but they can do so repeatedly.
Honeybees live in colonies often greater than 30,000 in roof and
wall cavities, and hollow trees. They swarm in early summer. They
have a barbed sting and die once this is used but will sting when
provoked. Untreated infestations can cause contamination of food,
harm to mortar and building fabric, and threats of stings. Some
people may experience anaphylactic shock on being stung and will
require prompt treatment.
– Flies – Whether they are blue bottle or fruit flies, these pests
carry a wide variety of diseases such as food poisoning and
dysentery.
– Moths – The two moths most commonly found in UK homes
doing damage to natural fibres are the common clothes moth
(Tineola bisselliella) and the case-bearing clothes moth (Tinea
pellionella). It is the immature larvae, rather than the adult moths,
that cause the damage to natural fibres such as woollen clothing,
upholstery and carpets. Females lay eggs within natural fibres,
which hatch between 4 and 10 days in summer months and up to
three weeks in colder weather.
 Rodents
– Mice – House mice are active all year, nesting in quiet, warm
places such as lofts, or cavity walls. They constantly gnaw,
damaging furnishings, and chew packaging to access food. Mice
are known to spread disease such as hantavirus, salmonella, and
lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCMV).
– Rats – Brown rats are the most common in the UK. Signs of
infestation include droppings, smear marks and teeth marks on
 electrical cables which can be a fire hazard. Rats also are known
to spread diseases including leptospirosis or Weil’s
disease, salmonella, listeria, Toxoplasma gondii and hantavirus.
 Birds and others
– Pigeons – For some people, pigeons serve as entertainment
that can be bought with a few stale crusts of bread. For others,
pigeons are nothing more than “rats with wings” that carry
pathogens that spread harmful diseases. These include E. coli,
encephalitis, histoplasmosis, candidiasis and salmonella. Bird mite
infestations are rare but are likely to occur during late spring to
early summer. Problems can arise from mites from abandoned
birds’ nests finding their way into buildings and feeding upon
humans once the bird host is no longer a source of food.
– Squirrels – Grey squirrels were introduced in this country during
the nineteenth century; they now occupy most of the mainland of
England and Wales. They are resident in woodland as well as
urban parks and gardens. The main threat from squirrels is that
they enter roof spaces and chew woodwork, strip insulation from
wiring and water pipes, and drown in open water tanks causing
contamination.
– Foxes – Foxes are increasingly seen in urban and suburban
areas as well as rural areas. The fox is primarily carnivorous and
they are highly effective scavengers, finding waste in towns and
cities plentiful. The law prevents the use of poisons or illegal traps
or snares to control foxes, and it is illegal to shoot them in urban
areas. Foxes can carry toxocariasis, a parasitic roundworm which
can be passed to humans. Infection is extremely rare and only
affects around two people per million in the UK each year. Fox
faeces may contain bacteria which can cause sickness in humans,
so faeces should not be directly handled.
– Bats – Bats may only be handled by those licensed to do so.
They cause no direct harm though their droppings may cause
problems with smell and insect infestations. European Bat
Lyssavirus (EBL) is a rabies-like virus which infects insectivorous
bats in Europe. It is very rare; only six confirmed cases have been
identified in the UK. Anyone exposed to EBL and given prompt
 treatment, immunisation and immunoglobin, will not develop the
infection.

What are the different methods used in controlling

pests? 
There are many types of pest control that work in a variety of ways,
depending on the kind of infestation you are experiencing.

These include:
 Physical Pest Control Methods – Physical pest control relies on
the use of equipment and pest proofing. Most physical pest control
methods should be carried out by an experienced and qualified
pest controller. Some physical methods exterminate pests or
remove them; other methods focus more on prevention. Examples
of physical pest control include:
– Pest proofing which involves keeping pests out of your home,
business or garden by creating a barrier to entry. It can also
include eliminating their nests. By taking away a pest’s breeding
ground, it can stop infestations from developing. It will also stop
any current infestation from getting worse.
 – Traps and bait stations are the most common of all the physical
pest control methods. Traps are a great method for capturing
small animals like rodents and insects. If you want traps to work
effectively, they have to be checked regularly and any pests
removed.
– Temperature Control. Extremes of temperature, both hot and
cold, can control pests. For example, heat treatment will kill
bedbug adults, eggs and larvae at certain temperatures. At the
other end of the scale, placing grown produce in cold storage
containers slows down or eliminates the growth of insects.
– The most natural types of pest control would involve going down
the biological route. This type of pest control doesn’t use any sort
of pesticides or chemicals. Instead it uses nature to fight off pest
infestations. The usual way of practising this type of pest control is
to introduce natural predators into the environment.
 Chemical Pest Control Methods – The most well-known way of
controlling pests is by using pesticides and rodenticides. Chemical
types of pest control have been seen as reliable, and tackle a
large portion of the pest population. Pesticides are usually used in
certain circumstances where no other method will work. Examples
of chemical pest control include:
– Poison baits are mainly used in conjunction with some physical
methods of controlling pests, such as traps. Many poisons used in
pest control are in the form of gel or in pellets. Poisons are
intended to be eaten by the pest, and whatever isn’t eaten gets
taken back to the nest to cull the population at source.
– Insecticides. These chemicals specifically target and kill insects.
They come in the form of sprays and granules, and should, ideally,
be handled with care. The granule form of insecticides is aimed at
treating garden pests such as slugs and snails. The spray form
can help control aphids, and sprays are also still used on non-
organic crops.
– Rodenticides are a very lethal type of pesticide. They are
incredibly strong and are used in the treatment of rodents. They
should be handled by a qualified pest technician. A lot of pest
controllers don’t use rodenticides any longer because of the
danger level involved to wildlife.
Why is physical pest control preferable to chemical
poisons?
Physical and biological types of pest control are better for the
environment. Using physical or biological techniques to control pests
means you won’t be exposed to potentially damaging chemicals; the
toxicity can be harmful.

Also, more and more insects are developing a resistance to

pesticides. However, it can be difficult to get rid of all pests in a natural
way. You should always weigh up the pros and cons of each
treatment.

Who can carry out pest control?

Whilst as individuals we can deal with the odd ants’ nest in the garden
or a few flies in the house in summer, usually pest control is carried
out by qualified, licensed pest controllers particularly in commercial
premises. These may be local council pest controllers or one of the
878 professional commercial pest control service companies operating
in the UK.
Pest controllers should be qualified and licensed, and it is a legal
requirement in the UK that anyone who uses professional pesticides
has a Specified Certificate in the Use of Pesticides. Other
qualifications for pest controllers include the Foundation Certificate in
Pest Management and the RSPH Level 2 Award in Pest Management.

How to control pests

All business owners have a responsibility to ensure the health and
safety of their staff and customers. Unfortunately, as we have seen
previously, while office buildings, food service premises, hospitality
locations, healthcare establishments and other working environments
are usually only designed to be inhabited by humans, they can
become the permanent base for a variety of common pest species.

Businesses have a duty of care to maintain a clean, safe and pest-free

environment at all times. As such, they are expected to invest in
professional commercial pest control services to ensure the early
detection, prevention and control of pests on their premises.

Food law requires the implementation of Hazard Analysis and Critical

Control Point (HACCP) principles. These include regular monitoring
for signs of pests and situations that may lead to or increase the risk
of pest infestations; taking pest control action to remove the source of
infestation; and keeping records of pest incidences and the measures
used to prevent, monitor and control infestations.

How much do the council charge for pest control?

Every council varies in the pest control service it provides and charges
also vary. For example, Belfast City Council provides a free control
service for most pests. Many councils have outsourced their pest
control operations to industry operators and have stopped providing
free or subsidised services.
There are some councils that provide their services free to council
tenants. Other councils may simply provide advice free and control for
a fee. Some councils only provide their services to domestic
properties, not to commercial premises. It is best to check on your
local council’s website to find out what pest control services they
provide and how much they charge.

The laws around pest control

The law probably doesn’t cross your mind when you think of pest
control. However, there is a lot of legislation surrounding the control of
pests in the UK and concerning what you can and cannot do.

Pest control has been written in UK law for over 70 years. The

Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949 allows local authorities and
licensed businesses to carry out pest control where there is a
significant risk of damage being caused by pests such as rats. It also
enables action to be taken when there is a risk of contamination for
businesses that store or manufacture food products.
The Food Safety Act 1990 is designed to protect us from the
detrimental effects of pests, such as disease and damage to property.
The Food Safety Act demands that establishments that handle food
take proper precautions to prevent pests from contaminating their
food. It also compels business owners and management to hire
professional pest control services to ensure any pest problems are
dealt with to the highest standard.
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 is also an enabling piece
of legislation that forces employers to carry out pest control in order to
protect employees at work. While this law is not directly related to pest
control, it’s extremely relevant.
Failure to take care of a pest problem that potentially has health
and/or safety consequences can lead businesses to be fined
significantly. Therefore, this legislation forces employers to perform
pest control when it is required.

Landlords are legally responsible for keeping their properties free from
pests so it is important for them to be aware of their duties in this.
Landlords have a responsibility to provide and keep a rented property
safe and habitable for tenants.

As such, the landlord will normally be legally responsible for most pest
control issues that may arise. However, the landlord’s responsibility
varies depending on the pests, the conditions stated in the tenancy
agreement and how long the tenants have been living there.

Landlords must uphold the guarantee of habitability, that is that the

premises comply with the Housing Management &
Maintenance and Health & Safety Standards and this includes
providing an environment that is free of pests. Tenants have a duty to
report any issues to the landlord as and when they take place, and a
sufficient amount of time should be allowed for the landlord to take
action or instruct on the proposed course of action.
If tenants take steps without prior consent of the landlord, they run the
risk of not being refunded for the cost incurred.

There are also laws and regulations in the UK that affect how

individuals and private pest control companies deal with pests. For
example, the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)
Regulations 2002, as the name suggests, dictates the way certain
substances and chemicals can be used.
Pesticides, insecticides or any other chemicals used for pest control
are bad for our health; as such, COSHH must be followed. Chemical
baits and poisons must be placed and contained appropriately so as
to not cause harm to humans or non-targeted animal species.
Similarly, when spraying chemicals, it is important to be specific and
targeted. A scattergun approach to spraying harmful chemicals is a
violation of COSHH, and any reputable pest controller will avoid doing
so.
The law also protects some pests. Species that are endangered or
may cause harm to a local environment must be handled in a certain
way or left alone altogether.

 For example:
 Keeping or releasing grey squirrels into the wild is an offence.
 It is also illegal to disturb bats that are roosting, regardless of
where they are doing so, even if it’s inside your home. The Wildlife
and Countryside Act 1981 provides protection for all species of bat
found in the UK.
 Bees are also a protected species, and their numbers have been
in decline for many years. As such, we must be careful when
dealing with them when they enter our homes en masse. The best
and most sustainable course of action is to have the Queen and
hive relocated, instead of using chemicals or some other
destructive form of pest control.
In all these cases, it is best to call a professional to deal with the
issue.
Pest Control Awareness
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About the author

Evie Lee
 Evie has worked at CPD Online College since August 2021. She is
currently doing an apprenticeship in Level 3 Business Administration.
Evie's main roles are to upload blog articles and courses to the
website. Outside of work, Evie loves horse riding and spending time
with her family.

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