10 December 2025

Professional Pest Controller issue 121 (PPC121) out now

PPC121 is out now! And don't forget to check out the events and training calendar for 2026! DOWNLOAD ISSUE  BACK ISSUES IN THIS ISSUE Editorial: Risk is part of the strategy In this issue, we highlight its bold approach t

10 December 2025

Editorial: Risk is part of the strategy

PPC121 | EDITORIAL BPCA has always been bold when it comes to doing what’s right for the pest management sector. We’ve never been afraid to take a calculated risk if it means moving the profession forward.   From introduc

10 December 2025

Pests in the press: July to September 2025

PPC121 | PESTS IN THE PRESS As always, wasps were a recurring theme over the summer, with BPCA’s press release ‘A strong summer for wasps’ featuring in print and digital publications as well as across the regional news networ

10 December 2025

Pests in politics: July to September 2025

PPC121 | PESTS IN POLITICS ▶BPCA challenges failings in glue trap legislation BPCA has stepped up its campaign to fix the Glue Traps (Offences) Act 2022 after undercover footage showed retailers still selling and advising on the illegal use o

10 December 2025

Ask the technical team: December 2025

PPC121 | ASK THE TECHNICAL TEAM In this issue of Ask the technical team, we talk about winter checklists, glue trap encounters, and spring trap choices. What should be on my winter checklist? As the days get shorter and the weather turns

10 December 2025

INFOGRAPHIC: Spring traps

PPC121 | INFOGRAPHIC Our newest infographic guides professionals through selecting and legally using spring traps, covering species identification, attractants, legislation, risk assessment and competency to ensure safe, compliant trapping in

10 December 2025

Opening doors to the next generation of pest professionals

PPC121 | YOUR ASSOCIATION In this feature, Rosina Robson, BPCA Chief Executive, shares how the Association’s new pestcareers.org.uk hub, recruitment film, Open Doors Charter and social media campaign are helping to attract a more diverse

10 December 2025

A new era for rodenticide use

PPC121 | OPINION A hundred years ago, pest controllers managed rodents with poisons so toxic they could kill a person as easily as a rat. Imagine the horror of today’s professionals if they saw arsenic and strychnine being sprinkled free

09 December 2025

Innovative approaches to bed bug management

PPC121 | TECHNICAL In this article, Dr Richard Naylor and Alexia Naylor from the Bed Bug Foundation share their perspective on how bed bug treatments are evolving, what pest professionals need to know in 2025, and the highs and lows of testing

09 December 2025

Break-back traps under pressure: roundtable

PPC121 | TECHNICAL At PPC Live 2025 in Harrogate, a small group of pest professionals gathered around a table to tackle one of the most deceptively simple tools in the pest controller’s kit: the break-back trap. Led by Kunal Puri, C

09 December 2025

The art of paw: understanding the strategies of rodent control

PPC121 | TECHNICAL Alex Wade joined us at a BPCA Digital Forum to discuss a fresh way of handling rodent control. He believes that while integrated pest management (IPM) is essential, we can improve results by adding integrated risk manag

09 December 2025

Remote monitoring is the answer! But what is the question?

PPC121 | OPINION As pest managers look to incorporate more technology into treatment plans, Tom Holmes, of Tom Holmes Consulting, shares some of his thoughts on the benefits of remote monitoring and how we can sell these services to clients.&n

09 December 2025

Debate: Behavioural resistance in rats and mice

PPC121 | TECHNICAL Why do some rodents stroll past bait stations as if they’re invisible? Why do others avoid traps altogether, or develop a taste for one formulation but reject another? Are we tackling super-resistant rodents, or is the

09 December 2025

Flipping the script with iX5 Pest Control

PPC121 | MEET THE ASSESOR In a twist for this issue of PPC magazine, we gave a member the reins. Matt O’Donnell is a Chartered Environmental Health Practitioner and Director of iX5 Environmental Services, based in Northampton. Instead of

09 December 2025

From cybersecurity to pest control: how curiosity and community shaped Squeak-a-boo

PPC121 | MEET THE MEMBER Somerset-based pest controller Matthew Arnold, owner of Squeak-a-boo Pest Control, talked to PPC magazine about career changes, award recognition and stumbling upon opportunities. A winding path to pest contro

09 December 2025

Sustainability is not a side show - it’s super fuel for growth

PPC121 | BUSINESS In this article, Chris Cagienard, Managing Director of Pest Solutions, shares how sustainability has transformed his business and why small pest management companies can benefit just as much as large corporations from embraci

09 December 2025

Working in collaboration with your EHO

PPC121 | BUSINESS In this article, Fergal Flynn, environmental health graduate turned pest controller, shares how to get on the same wavelength as your Environmental Health Officer and turn potential friction into smooth, professional teamwork

09 December 2025

We can’t lose working dogs for pest control from our toolkits

PPC121 | OPINION Ed Cook from Evergreen Rabbit Control in Hampshire examines the unintended consequences of professional rabbit control being lumped in with hunting for sport, championing the role working dogs play in protecting public health,

09 December 2025

Onboarding success with BPCA

PPC121 | TRAINING In this article, Karen Dawes, BPCA’s Training and Development Manager, shares how a well-structured onboarding programme can transform a new recruit’s first six months and highlights one learner’s journey th

09 December 2025

BPCA shortlisted for 2026 TAF Awards

ASSOCIATION NEWS BPCA is delighted to announce that we have been shortlisted in five categories at the Trade Association Forum (TAF) Best Practice Awards 2026. Running for more than 20 years, the TAF Awards recognise, reward and pro

08 December 2025

How to avoid catching flu, Covid-19 and other respiratory illnesses this winter

HEALTH AND SAFETY UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published some advice on avoiding the worst of the winter bugs this year. It's the most wonderful time of the year! It's also the time when bugs (no pun intended) spread like w

04 December 2025

The Manchester Cleaning Show returns for 2026

EVENTS The Manchester Cleaning Show, the UK’s second-largest cleaning and hygiene trade event after London, will return to Manchester Central on 18–19 February 2026, bringing together the brightest industry innovators and decision-

04 December 2025

BCC urges sector organisations to act to help stamp out modern slavery

SECTOR NEWS The British Cleaning Council (BCC) has urged its member associations and organisations across the cleaning, hygiene and FM sector to take action on modern slavery.  Modern slavery occurs where someone is forced into

27 November 2025

BPCA briefing on the Autumn Budget 2025 and what it means for pest management

POLICY The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has this week delivered her Autumn Budget Statement to Parliament (26 November 2025). We’ve gone through the details of her speech and the documents issued by the Treasury to give you a briefing

26 November 2025

GUIDANCE: Providing pest management work experience for young people

GUIDANCE Offering work experience placements is one of the best ways to introduce young people to pest management. It helps our industry attract new talent, provides students with valuable skills, and enables businesses to identify potential r