The industry standard recognised entry-level qualification is the Level 2 Award in Pest Management. This programme provides the theoretical underpinning knowledge needed to carry out pest control.
What's it like working in pest management?
Given all the different types of pests, clients, sites and problems, you're unlikely to ever have two identical days when working in pest control!
A pest professional helps protect public health, homes and businesses from rats, mice, wasps, flies, bed bugs and more. Pest species in the UK cause misery, disease, property destruction and potentially even death, so it's essential that we have trained and qualified pest professionals keeping people safe.
There are loads of specialist roles and areas of pest management to explore. However, the work typically always includes:
- Conducting pest investigations (or surveys) to identify the root cause of a pest infestation
- Advising customers on preventative measures and suitable methods of control
- Routinely inspecting customer premises and reporting on the status of pest infestations
- Organising and carrying out chemical and non-chemical pest treatments
- Reporting on inspections and detailing the programme of treatments used
As a pest professional, you'll learn animal biology and behaviour, health, safety and legislation, and excellent customer service skills.
Given all the different types of pests, clients, sites and problems, you're unlikely to ever have two identical days when working in pest control!
See what these pest control professionals have to say about working in pest management:
-
Pest management keeps commercial and domestic customers free of pests and ultimately protects public health. As a young person coming into the industry through a graduate scheme, I found out quickly this is not just a job but a very good career path, as there are so many opportunities within pest control.
-
What I like about the job is the variety of customers I visit and meet with across different sectors. It could be in a big food production site, local shop, restaurant, or cafe. It's a challenge because you're visiting different sites, and you're problem-solving and doing root cause analysis, trying to find if they have a pest or where the pest has come from.
-
I'd never considered pest management before, and I think if my careers advisor at school had mentioned it, I'd have laughed in their face. But here I am 25 years later, loving it! The food chain is definitely something that needs protecting, and there are a lot of issues out there that relate to pests and public health, which is changing so dynamically that it makes it a very interesting place to be.
How do you get started in pest management?
There are three main routes to working in pest management.