Company Announcement – New Board Appointments

CSS Pest Services are deligthed to announce that they have expanded the Board of Directors with 2 appointments.


CSS Pest Services are delighted to announce that they have expanded the Board of Directors with the appointment of Nicky Palin as Operations Director and Claire Storrow as Company Secretary/Director.

Managing Director,  Jason Cholerton said of the appointments “Both are invaluable members of the team and throughout their career they have demonstrated great strength and leadership to our business, and I am delighted to see them both joining the board and driving the company forward”

Nicky and Claire’s promotion highlights the possibilities for ambitious team members who are keen to progress their careers and play a strong role in the companies continued success. Both Claire and Nicky joined CSS Pest Services at the very early stages of the CSS journey, and their progression is testament to their hard work and dedication alongside the company’s culture of personal and professional development.

The expansion of the board is another indication of the commitment CSS Pest Services has to growing the business significantly over the coming years. Having experienced rapid growth in this competitive market; there is a clear to desire to keep that level of growth moving forward by continuing our strong collaborative partnership with our customers.

Jason added “Our staff development over the next few years will be key to our success and meeting our key objectives. It’s a very exciting time for the business and a great opportunity for all to develop along with the company”


RatMat


Installation of the RatMat complete at one of CSS Pest Services customers premises to deter possible rodent entry.

RatMat is an innovative, humane, cost effective, rodent repellent. This easy-to-use solution protects cars, industrial machinery, stock and by repelling rats, mice and other rodents.

The RatMat tiles can be used as a long term solution to prevent rats and mice causing expensive damage to property such as cars, trucks, combine harvesters and other vehicles or property. Park your car, truck, combine harvester, or place other essential equipment on the RatMat, and using the principles of an electric fence, the RatMat will repel rats and mice and protect your expensive property from damage. Alternatively, RatMat can be used to restrict access to buildings by placing the tiles across entranceways or other access points. The RatMat is safe, scalable and transportable and doubles as a hardwearing floor surface. RatMat rodent repellent tiles are suitable for indoor and outdoor use.

RatMat uses a low energy pulse to repel rodents and protect your property. This pulse is dramatically less powerful than a standard electric fence but strong enough to deter rodents. RatMat can be placed in your garage, factory, industrial unit or on your premises to repel rats, mice and other rodents away from your property.

Call 0800 2545 003 today for a free quotation

Finalists of the British Pest Management Awards

CSS Pest Services are finalists in the category Small Business of the Year at the British Pest Management Awards.

The British Pest Management Awards are here to celebrate excellence in pest management and recognise the invaluable contribution that CSS Pest Services have made to the sector.

The BPMA’s celebrate the difference individuals and companies make to portray a positive image of the pest management industry regarding public health, food safety, environmental sustainability, and economic significance.


“We are extremely proud to have made it to the finals in this prestigious event. Our success is from everyone at CSS Pest Services that have worked tirelessly to get our company recognised by industry experts”

CSS Pest Services was inaugurated on Valentine’s day 2011 and all staff are highly qualified and work to the highest of standards.

The staff are integral to CSS Pest Services’ success and undertake regular training initiatives and are completely tuned-in to continual professional development CPD and the reasons for it.

CSS Pest Services is a firm believer in the CPD of all staff, which have a boundless thirst for keeping up to date with the latest changes, products and techniques and demonstrating their commitment to professionalism.

Although we finished as a finalist, this does not mean we stop there. We press on with the vision of achieving further excellence in all aspects of Pest Management.

We’re Hiring!

We are a long-established Pest Management company and due to expansion of our business, we are looking to recruit a motivated and dynamic individual, to join our very driven and determined team.


The role would be initially in credit control and developing into other areas of the business for a minimum of 24 hours per week with the prospect or increasing their hours dependant on the successful candidate.


email your CV to info@css-pest.co.uk

Are you ready for the next new innovation in Fly Control?

Fly control in food premises is essential to maintain hygiene, prevent contamination, and ensure the safety of the food being prepared, served, or stored. Flies can carry harmful bacteria and pathogens, potentially leading to foodborne illnesses.

CSS Pest Services introduces the future of fly control, flyDetect®.

You can monitor sensitive areas for flying insects from any PC platform and anywhere in the UK. The FlyDetect fly unit features a built-in wide-angle camera to captures an image of the entire sticky board, which will allow you to make a full assessment in real-time

It’s designed specifically for the control of flying insects within the food manufacturing, packaging and pharmaceutical industries.

A brand new system for everyday devices.

Set up and monitor multiple clients on a single dedicated platform and schedule notifications for tube and sticky board changes.

Customisable alert notification and historical archiving of sticky board images.



To monitor sensitive areas for flying insects with the unique 24/7 remote monitoring system and built in wide angle camera which captures an image of the entire sticky board.

Fly control is an ongoing process, and consistent efforts are necessary to keep fly populations in check. By implementing a combination of preventive measures, good hygiene practices, and, if needed, professional assistance, you can effectively manage fly infestations in food premises and ensure the safety of your food products.


CSS Pest Services agrees further acquisition

Today CSS Pest Services Limited announces the acquisition of Eco Pest & Environmental Services, a company who provides commercial Pest and Environmental services to an array of different industry types throughout the Midlands, Bradford and Hull, which specialise in Pest management for the food packaging and manufacturing industry.

The acquisition was finalised on the 11th May 2020 and comes as the 4th acquisition for CSS Pest Services.

We feel that this acquisition will further demonstrate to our employees that we are committed to continuous growth and that Eco Pest & Environmental services will help to strengthen its position as a leading and full-service Pest Management organisation.

There will not be any immediate restructuring or zone changes and we appreciate all of our employees’ continued cooperation as we work through this transition and roll out.

Yours Sincerely

Jason P Cholerton cspc iosh

Technical Director

Bees or Wasps?

As we enter springtime and the weather gets warmer and the days get longer honeybees start swarming and becoming more active.

Bumblebees are starting to make nests in various available cavities, gaps, holes in sheds, compost bins, fascia boards and roof spaces and will be collecting pollen and nectar.

Queen wasps will now be looking for ideal locations for nesting throughout the summer season where the worker wasps will soon be out to enjoy annoying our afternoons out in the garden while we try to enjoy a barbecue or picnic.

The solitary Masonry/mortar bees are also venturing out to find the ideal place to nest, which is sometimes found on walls that receive sun for most of the day. They often make solitary nests within the holes of a wall and enter via small holes in the pointing between the bricks. There are several different species of masonry bees, none of which are dangerous to humans, even getting one mad enough to sting you would be a challenge!

A honeybee swarm resting on a stone plinth. These are not bumble bees, wasps or masonry/mortar bees

It is this time of year we get inundated with many phone calls and messages about possible wasp infestations, when in fact they may simply be any of the above Bee species that are wanting to continue their life cycle.

It is important to note that CSS Pest Services will not treat to kill any Bee population that poses no threat to health or safety. We will in most circumstances make an assessment for the relocation and rehousing of all Bee populations.

Many people think there is just one type of bee – the fury bumblebee we see in the garden hovering around the flowers in our gardens. Honeybees or masonry/mortar bees can be mistaken for wasps and vice versa because of their similar shape and colour. However, if you look closely, they are in fact as different in appearance as they are in characteristics. In fact, there are 26 different bumblebee species in the UK and numerous species of bees. From honeybees, to bumblebees, masonry/mortar bees and many more.

There is a helpful guide below which shows the differences in honeybees, masonry/mortar bees, bumblebees and wasps.

Pest activity is on the increase during the Covid-19 shutdown

CSS Pest Services and British Pest Control Association (BPCA) are keeping a watching brief on pest issues after a survey revealed a significant spike in rat and mice activity in the Covid-19 pandemic.

51% of pest professionals polled by BPCA have reported an increase in rat activity, while 41% reported an increase in mice activity during the timeline of restrictions.

According to BPCA, empty buildings, deserted streets and reduced footfall provide an ideal opportunity for rodents to thrive across the UK, with rats and mice seemingly becoming bolder, braver and more innovative in finding food and shelter in the shutdown.


Natalie Bungay, BPCA Technical Officer, said:

“We’ve had reports of rats and mice infesting empty buildings and it seems their lifestyle patterns are changing.

Rats in particular are also becoming more visible in areas of population.

With less footfall across cities and towns there is less associated food waste being left in bins and on the floor.

As a result, rat populations are likely to move further afield to satisfy their need for a food source and this, in turn, is likely to cause more sightings.

By nature, rats will also try to avoid humans directly and so, with less of us walking the streets, they may be getting a little bolder and possibly be seen in areas they normally wouldn’t.

Members of the BPCA are working behind the scenes to ensure the situation is managed.

Natalie added:

In these unprecedented times, we need to ensure that effective pest management is implemented.

During the shutdown, as designated key workers, the professional pest management sector is working hard to protect homes, as well as key areas including healthcare environments such as hospitals, the food manufacturing industry, and farms too.

Empty buildings also need to be managed.

Rodents and many other pests carry and transmit diseases and can breed at an alarming rate if left unattended.

They contaminate food, ruin stock and can even cause fires and floods with their gnawing

Pro-active pest management is the only way we can manage the risks to public health and safety.

CSS Pest Services are BPCA full members are fully trained, qualified and audited to the British Standard in Pest Management BS EN 16636.

Termites in Derbyshire?

CSS Pest Services, identified a small colony, initially thought to contain up to 30 termites, during a routine inspection at one of our customer premises.

After seeking confirmation from our entomologist, the termites were identified as Kalotermitidae, more commonly known as ‘Drywood Termite’

After notifying the non-native species secretariat, Jason Cholerton, Director of CSS Pest Services said:

Our Accredited Pest Management Technician – Dan Lucas, noticed timber supports in reptile housing had been gnawed. He brought a sample of insects back to our local office and they were later confirmed as dry wood termites.

We think they might have been brought in via timber that was imported about a year ago as that’s how long we think they’ve been active for.

The client later confirmed that the timber had been in tanks for 18 months and had been purchased from a UK timber merchant, who had also been notified.

With a plentiful supply of suitable wood, alongside consistent warm temperatures of between 24 and 26°C, the colony was able to develop.

However, despite concerns over damage to timber outside of the reptile housing, it was also confirmed termite activity was confined to the reptile housing.

Jason explained the treatment:

After rehoming the reptiles, bedding was destroyed and the timber from within the reptile housing was incinerated.

Given that reptiles are present, we decided to recommend a non-chemical treatment, with monitoring visits each month.

Termite Control

Clive Boase of The Pest Management Consultancy (BPCA Consultant Member) reported:

Termites are common and very important pests in warmer parts of the world, where they can cause extensive damage to structural timber.

For example, in south-west France termites are widespread and there are regulations in place to protect buildings from infestation.

These termites have extended their range northwards, and are now established in Paris.

In the UK they are rare introductions, typically in imported goods.

The only colony known to have become established in the UK was found in and around a house in south Devon in the 1990s, and took years of work by government agencies before it was believed to have been eliminated.

Most termite species live in underground nests. They feed on dead wood, so worker termites forage out from the nest into dead trees, stacks of firewood, but also into buildings.

They excavate structural timber from the inside, leaving a thin skin of undamaged wood hiding the damage.

Termites are good at remaining hidden.

Signs of infestation in buildings would be the discovery of damaged timber (this could be confused with beetle damage), small mud tubes the diameter of a pencil constructed on the surface of walls etc through which the termites travel undercover from the ground to reach wood, or finding the insects themselves.

The worker termites are usually pale-coloured, soft-bodied, ant-like insects, while the sexual stages are winged and swarm out of the nest when conditions are right.

Termite Trivia 

Termite workers generate vibrations when biting their wood food.
The dominant resonant frequency of these vibrations is related to the size of the wood.

The termites can perceive these vibration signals and use them to assess the size of the wood.

Termites also appear to be able to determine the source of the vibrationsignals, and use them to make foraging decisions and development and reproduction decisions based on this information.

Key Worker Status for Pest Management Professionals

Pest management has been confirmed as an essential sector during the Covid-19 pandemic by George Eustice, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

According to Defra, pest management is covered in the key worker list under the “food and necessary goods” section, specifically concerning hygiene.

This confirmation means that pest management professionals in England can continue to send their children to school during the pandemic. The Northern Ireland government has already confirmed pest management is an essential service.

This also likely means that if the UK was to go into further lockdown measures, pest management companies would be able to continue to protect the nation.

While BPCA has already confirmed that pest management workers could continue to provide essential services (see: Pest professionals: continue to go to work if it’s safe, says Gove to BPCA) – this is the first time that a government official explicitly acknowledges pest management to be on the list of key workers.

The news comes after the sector has lobbied for confirmation that pest management appears on the list – including BPCA and CEPA.

We want to thank everyone that has taken the time to write to their MPs on the subject. It’s taken a substantial collaborative effort for our relatively small sector to get the ear of the UK government.

Remember to stay safe

Although Pest Management have been confirmed as key workers, we still have a duty to our staff and clients to conduct our work safely.

Key worker status gives us the recognition our sector deserves. However, our status comes with a responsibility to maintain the highest professional standards.

Stay safe.