Blog

Dealing with carpet beetles

Last week one of our technicians recorded some amazing footage of a carpet beetle larvae, often called a ‘Woolly Bear’. To see that footage, click here. In the UK, carpet beetles and clothes moths are the…

The Growing Rat Problem

It’s been reported this week that the Queen is horrified by the rat and mice problems in Buckingham Palace. Considering the size and function of the building it is not surprising to read that it has a problem…

Introducing the Cleankill Family

We had a problem. Over the years we have found our branding has stood us in good stead. I’ve heard comments like ‘clear’, ‘professional’ and ‘no nonsense’. People recognise our branding and, dare I say it,…

Dealing with Glis Glis?

Firstly, what is a Glis glis? It’s a good question. Until recently, I didn’t know much about this rodent, the largest species of dormouse. Many of you will probably know it by another name – the edible…

A game of two halves

They say an active mind makes a happy person and, after last week, I think I can concur. It was a week that certainly required a lot of focus because, in addition to running an expanding pest control company…

It’s great to see your staff being recognised at industry awards

This is one of those months when there is so much to write about that it is hard to know where to begin. Do I start with the fact that Cleankill has recently acquired three pest control companies in…

How to protect your property from birds

As we enter 2019 some things have changed – we are currently updating the website of Bristol-based Good Riddance Pest Control to make it part of the Cleankill family – and some things stay the same – the need…

Six top tips for keeping rats and mice out of your property

Have you heard an unexplained scrabbling in your loft, seen nibbled bits of packaging around the house, or found droppings in your larder? The long nights are upon us, Christmas is just around the corner, and…

Why enter business awards

Readers of my blog will know Cleankill understand the importance of entering awards as part of running a successful business. We know good marketing and self-promotion are a vital component of any business…

“I could do your job!” Could you, really?

Perhaps my favourite kind of person is the one who thinks they can do your job better than you can. You know they type, the Harry Enfield character who just knows they would make a brilliant pest controller.It…

The very real problem of parakeets

One of things I’m proudest of about Cleankill is that it doesn’t just employ friendly and professional staff, it also employs some of the country’s true experts in the field of pest control. Elsewhere on this…

Feeling peckish!

It’s not the way I normally like to start a blog but this month I’ve been thinking about cockchafers.500 years ago, we tried to banish them, but they would not leave,100 years ago, their numbers were so great…

Weevils!

Recently, one of our technicians, Martin Colyer, came across an unusual problem at a flat in Cricklewood. He had been called to the flat to deal with an infestation of carpet beetles but when he arrived, he…

Encouraging Better Hygiene Standards in Restaurants

During a recent conversation with the owners of a very successful restaurant chain in the South-East of England, it became clear they were disappointed one of our reports had been cited by the Environmental…

The Blog I Was Going to Write: My Ranting Blog

Last month, I was about to write this very blog when we had three wonderful pieces of news and I decided to write about them, rather than this – which I will call my Ranting Blog. The reason for my ire...car…

Not the blog I was going to write!

I had some very bad experiences with customer service recently and I did have an entire blog drafted in my mind about the importance of putting the customer first but then we had some great news. In fact, we…

The start of another year of promotion

A new year heralds the commencement of many things and at Cleankill this includes the start of the 2018 promotional diary. Last April I wrote about a few busy weeks in May when we attended a number of business…

Three Fridays in December

Something a little different this month. There isn’t one serious theme but a collection of non-work-related things we’ve been doing in December.To start, I was turned into a fully-fledged ‘dragon’ for the day…

You get what you pay for with cut-price pest control

At the end of September, I was asked to give a speech in front of the Sutton United Business Club luncheon group. The event attracted 76 delegates from 62 Sutton-based businesses. I decided to talk on a range…

Phantom biters

Last month I wrote about the problem of identifying who was at fault in cases of rented property and bed bug infestations. During the blog I alluded to the problem of ‘phantom biters’, something every pest…