Rentokil creates ‘Wikipedia for pest control’

The new site aims to become the main point of reference for anyone trying to find out about pests in the UK, and covers over 200 different types of insects, rodents, beetles and other animals that appear where they are not wanted (including many that are not indigenous to the UK).

The site provides details about appearance, lifecycle, habits and, where appropriate, hints on how to deal with them.

As well as the key information on each pest, Rentokil have commissioned a special gallery of technically accurate artwork, which includes both paintings and drawings, for every pest on their website.

The collection of high quality images was created by Bridget Swan and Paul Houlton of The Barn Gallery from Bilsington, Kent and marks a distinct move away from the tried and tested approach of depicting pests through scary images.

 “We wanted to move away from the traditional use of photographs of pests and introduce a more objective and technical approach. Bridget and Paul have done a great job in producing the pest gallery for us,” said Julie Birch, Rentokil’s UK Marketing Manager.

 “Our aim in launching this new site was to make it easier for anyone in the UK to find out about a pest they may have in their home or place of work.” Ms Birch continued, “We believe we have made it one of the most comprehensive online resources on this subject in the UK, and, in that sense, we like to call it “the Wikipedia of Pest Control”. It even covers animals that you may not find in the UK. Because we want the Pest Guide to be complete we have included pests such as raccoons, scorpions, and snakes more commonly found in Africa than Axminster.”

At the same time as launching the new site, Rentokil have also taken the opportunity to provide help and advice on the services it offers in the areas of timber and damp treatment.

Many homes in the UK suffer from woodworm, rot and damp without even knowing it, and Rentokil are one of the key players in this specialised part of the property market.

Customers can also find information about Rentokil Insurance, who provide insurance protection against the risks of attack to timber by woodboring insects and wood-rotting fungi as well as the risks of rising damp and wall tie corrosion.

Over 4,000 people have already found their way to the Pest Guide section of the Rentokil website, showing just how much interest there is in this subject.

www.rentokil.co.uk