It was a relaxed and fun day at the first MIDS technician forum in Hertfordshire last week.

Planned and hosted by Steve Middleton at MIDS Pest Control, the day was supported by BPCA and several of the sector’s manufacturers and distributors.

Lodi UK were first up, with Tony Knight taking the lead on a presentation which focused on two of the season’s prime pest offenders: wasps and bedbugs.

Tony gave the group a run through of the differences between the most popular products on the market for dealing with bed bugs, engaging technicians in sharing some top tips for eradicating bed bug infestations.

David Haskins from Bower was there to give a talk on electric fly killer technology and where it’s heading. This was coupled with a house fly biology refresher, touching on life cycles and identifiable characteristics.

An afternoon of bird control came after lunch, with the latest updates on the general licences from BPCA technical manager, Dee Ward-Thompson, and an analysis of the best bird control methods with Sean Byrne from Pestfix.

There’s been a lot of information to digest in regards to bird control, so a lesson on legislation, followed by a really in-depth look at different pressure scenarios and non-lethal methods of control, was very welcome.

The forum turned out to be a great opportunity for open exchange of ideas and knowledge, with presentations feeling more like round table discussions.

“It’s been a great day,” said Rugby Pest Control’s David Cavill. “I’ve been shouting for years that professional pest controllers need to come together and build a community, where we can share our knowledge and drive the cowboys out of our industry.”

He continued, “A really pleasant experience overall and I would definitely try to come to any more if MIDS or another company wanted to host any.”

The forum’s organiser, Steve, agreed.

“One of my reasons for wanting us all to come together like this was so that I can give something back to an industry I’m so passionate about,” he said.

“The forum was open to anyone wanting to network and swap advice and I think it’s been a success.

“We had great support in putting this event together and I think it’s a testament to the drive we all have to create a good reputation for the industry.”

A big congratulations to Steve and his team on a successful first forum.

WANT SUPPORT WITH YOUR EVENT?

If you’d like to organise a forum in your area and need advice or support, please contact our team.

events@bpca.org.uk

Source: Online