subject: London pest control back in the news [print this page] London pest control back in the news
Pest control in London has been making lots of headlines in recent months, with much discussion of the rights and wrongs around effective pest control. London pensioner Pamela Rowe was outraged when she discovered that her beloved dog had been killed by two rogue pest control officers in London. Pest control officers Terrance Webb, 28, and Mark Page, 35, cruelly baited pieces of bread with a deadly insecticide so they could watch crows die' around Alexandra Lake on Wanstead Flats, London. Pest control was the last thing on their minds, however: as a result of their actions, almost 90 harmless wild birds died, as well as Mrs Rowe's German shepherd setter cross, Russett, her companion for five years.
Webb and Page were sentenced to four months in prison and fined 7,000 in October. They had been overheard by colleagues bragging about the birds they had killed and how they would return the next day. The two were tried at Southwark Crown Court, London. Pest control is a serious business,' says pest control expert Tony Halliday, of Bypest. Poisons such as Ficam W, which was used in this terrible crime, are extremely dangerous and should only be used by pest control experts. It's a great shame that two pest control officers, one of whom is a dog owner, should let themselves and the pest control London industry down in this way.'
Also in October, a quiet cul-de-sac was in uproar when residents were outraged at the chosen methods of pest control. London district Roehampton had been prey to foxes fouling paths and digging holes in gardens, so local residents contacted a local property management company. They responded by asking pest control marksmen to shoot and kill up to ten foxes with live ammunition. Some observers maintain that animal rights campaigners hijacked the situation in order to mount a protest.
Because foxes are seen as cuddly and cute as they are portrayed in the media and books then obviously people's feelings are stronger against anything being done,' commented wildlife manager Bruce Lindsay-Smith. You can't kill foxes without using live ammunition, just as you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs.' However, it seems people find it difficult to deal with such a brutal method of pest control. London may be full of foxes, but hearing shots ring out in the night is something few homeowners want.
City dwellers maintain that foxes are a real problem as they become more and more bold, digging up bulbs in gardens and ripping open bin bags to find food. But animal rights campaigners claim that shooting foxes is a waste of time, since another fox will simply move into the territory vacated by the animal that has been killed. It seems that when it comes to fox pest control, London is facing some hard choices.
Even the Queen herself isn't immune to problems with pest control. London pest experts were called in to Buckingham Palace in October when staff reported seeing rats around the palace kitchens. The problem first came to light while the monarch was holidaying at Balmoral, and traps have now been set to capture the rats before any damage is done. Staff believe that warm weather and longer opening hours for state rooms may be behind the problem.
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