The Times newspaper tells us that there has been a 6% rise in demand for pest control because of the coronavirus pandemic. Rats have moved into buildings such as storage facilities and office blocks which were temporarily abandoned as the workforce resorted to homeworking and as businesses temporarily shut down with their workers on furlough. Now that they’ve come back to work at their usual workplace they find that they have to get rid of their new inhabitants.
This has resulted in businesses such as Rentokil enjoying a boost to their business. They enjoyed the extra demand for cleaning and antiviral products during the pandemic and now that it is starting to come to an end (with a bit of luck and a fair wind) they can also enjoy clearing up the rodents. Rentokil has bought seven businesses in 2021, six of which are in pest control.
It is reported that demand for its existing rodent and cockroach extermination services are running at 6% higher on a like-for-like basis. Rentokil has held Royal warrants for their rat catching abilities and are almost a century old. They lost the title and the royal recognition. The reason apparently is that they fell out with the late Duke of Edinburgh. It would have been interesting to hear the story behind that decision.
