Following the success of the apprentice scheme
in 2007 Killgerm is delighted
to announce the launch of the Killgerm Apprentice
Scheme 2008.
The Apprentice Scheme is a Working Initiative,
aimed at supporting pest
controllers setting up their business or those
that would like to grow their
business. The winner of the scheme is entitled
to a prize worth up to £3000,
including the equipment, training and clothing
necessary to help set up as a
pest controller.
Jeff Clarke, Clarkes 4 Pest Control, winner
of the 2007 Apprentice Scheme
said “the scheme has allowed me to recruit
a second member of staff and the
Killgerm team has supported me throughout the
year, providing expertise and
assistance that has been invaluable.”
Throughout the year the apprentice will attend
a wide variety of Killgerm
training courses and industry events, whilst
also having a member of the
Killgerm team as his own personal point of
contact to help mentor them. The
Apprentice Scheme will culminate in the participation
and completion of the
Royal Society for the Promotion of Health,
Level 2 in Pest Control.
To enter this years scheme simply send your
contact details to APPRENTICE@KILLGERM.COM with an explanation
in no more than 100 words as to
why the nominee deserves to win this prize.
All entries must be received by
the end of February 2008.
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Due to the inclusion of Warfarin in Annex
1 of the Plant Protection Products Directive,
all baits that include this active ingredient,
which are not in the form of pre-prepared bait
will be removed from the market. As a result
of this Killgerm’s Grey Squirrel Liquid
Concentrate can not be sold after the end of
2006. All stocks must be used within the period
of one year after this date.
In an effort to ensure our customers are not
affected by this product being removed, Killgerm
has formulated a replacement product, Grey
Squirrel Bait. Grey
Squirrel Bait is a ready to use bait which
is as effective as the 0.02% Warfarin bait
made from the concentrate.
Regulations and Forestry Commission Codes
of Practice relating to tree protection require
that the product must only be used outdoors
and, in addition, specific restrictions apply
to certain counties. It can only be used between
15th March and 15th August for tree protection,
whilst the timing for uses besides tree protection
is unrestricted.
Grey Squirrel Bait is an extremely effective
and efficient bait, which must be used in specially
constructed hoppers, for tree protection, where
a maximum of 4kg of bait per hopper must not
be exceeded.
The bait is also approved for use by pest
control technicians to control grey squirrels,
invading premises and dwellings, at any time
of year.
For further information on this product or
to place an order please contact Killgerm on
01924 268400.
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Killgerm pledges to support its customers in every way and highly values their feedback. Having received customer feedback regarding a need for courses involving a practical element, Killgerm launched several such courses in 2007. These included a series of three Advanced Pest Control Workshops. Workshop One focuses on bedbugs, Workshop Two is on Ants, Wasps and Bees and Workshop Three is on Fleas. These workshops are highly informative, focusing on inspection techniques, harbourage identification, how to use and service equipment, baiting strategies and treatment methods.
2008 sees a continuation of these Advanced Pest Control Workshops after achieving huge success in 2007. Killgerm are also adding to their list of practical courses with the introduction of the Advanced Workshops in Rodent Control and Insect Control, which are one-day intensive courses focusing more on the practical elements of control methods.
As a result of customer feedback, Killgerm are also holding a wide range of courses in the London and Bristol areas, as well as throughout Scotland. Please check the Training pages of this website for full details of these courses or contact Killgerm on the number below.
Moray Anderson, Killgerm’s Technical Director
stated 'Killgerm has always had a superb range
of training courses and these new practical additions
provide pest controllers with the ability to
put the valuable skills gained in the classroom
into practical environments.'
For further information about Killgerm’s 2008 Training Courses please contact the Technical Department on 01924 268445.
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Whatever your New Year’s resolution, developing and increasing your business must be a priority. In this competitive market it has become increasingly important actively to promote your business rather than simply waiting for customers to come to you. This requires sales and marketing skills and Killgerm’s course ‘Developing Your Business Through Sales and Marketing’ clearly addresses this. This course recognises the different needs of various different sectors of the industry and will be running twice in 2008; once targeted at the private pest control companies and secondly targeted at the pest control sections of local authorities.
The two courses will identify and address the difficulties that private pest control companies often face when trying to attract new business and how the pest control sections within local authorities can increase business in the face of the pressure to become income – generating.
The courses will aim to develop the necessary skills to promote pest control through the fundamental sales and marketing techniques, which are required to make the most of sales opportunities in the field.
Moray Anderson, Killgerm’s Technical Director said ‘Pest Control plays a vital part in ensuring high standards of public health. It is important to realise that pest control companies and now many local authorities must generate income and people often need their sales and marketing skills refined. I believe that these new courses will introduce the delegates to the necessary techniques to help them develop the income-generating potential of their business or pest control sections’.
To find out further details about this course,
or to book a place, please contact Lisa Wales
on 01924 268445.
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These show the possible trends that the
rodent control industry will have to follow
and highlight the apparent difference in
approach to rodenticide approvals between
north and south European regulators. Scandinavian
regulators have always been more restrictive
in their requirements than their more southern
European colleagues.
If finally implemented, the industry may
face some significant changes in future.
One major requirement is the move to require
pest control companies to visit treatment
sites regularly to remove dead rodent bodies,
thereby lessening the danger of secondary
poisoning of wildlife.
These additional visits will have to be
costed into a contract and could make the
contract prohibitively expensive. Finland,
for example, is recommending daily visits.
This trend has already been seen in the
UK. As is reported in this issue of PCN,
two prosecutions have taken place where failure
to remove dead bodies has been cited as being
illegal. The first resulted in a fine of £2,000
plus £400 costs.
The second case involving a gamekeeper is
to be heard later this year.
Draft recommendations from Finland, Norway
and Denmark have also included the requirement
that rodenticides are restricted to professional
users only.
Whilst this will please many pest controllers,
it will hardly please manufacturers who will
rely on amateur use sales at premium prices
to recover a significant part of the cost
of providing the new data packages necessary
under the BPD. Without amateur sales, will
the price of professional products have to
rise to cover these costs?
It is interesting to note that neither the
draft recommendations for difethialone nor
brodifacoum have contained a requirement
that these more potent products be for indoor
use only. At the moment, only the UK has
imposed this requirement on brodifacoum and
flocoumafen in an attempt to safeguard wildlife.
Another casualty of the BPD may be rodenticide
concentrates. The UK is primarily a ready-to-use
market but in Germany and France many pest
controllers buy concentrates and manufacture
their own bait. For health and safety reasons
and the protection of operators, this may
well change.
Finally, the use of the more potent rodenticides,
such as brodifacoum, difethialone and flocoumafen
may be restricted to treatments where the
less potent products based on difenacoum
and bromadiolone have not been successful,
for whatever reason.
Many UK pest controllers have preferred
to keep the more potent weapons in their
armoury for difficult treatments. Many have
felt that to lead with brodifacoum-based
products was wrong and may welcome a legal
restriction.
We shall all wait to see the outcome of the
consultative process which will be taking place
over the coming months.
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Killgerm is proud to announce the appointment
of Richard Nowell, the Area Sales Manager in
London and the South East. Richard joins Killgerm’s
experienced Southern based team, which includes
David Jones and Pat Marks, fully supported by
Duncan Bosomworth as Technical manager and John
Charlton as a Consultant and course tutor on
the Killgerm led RSPH Level 2 in Pest Control
courses in the South. This increased strength
in the South illustrates Killgerm’s dedication
to customers throughout the region, ensuring
they have all the support they need.
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