West Berks Council Pest Control
West Berkshire Council don’t carry out pest control services directly for domestic or commercial properties. Instead they advise visitors to the West Berks Council Pest Control section on their web site to go (there is a web link) to the British Pest Control Association web site where they will be given a choice of several British Pest Control Association members to choose from. From our experience at PEST UK this is by far the best solution. All the other Councils in the Oxfordshire, Berkshire, North Hampshire, South Bucks, West Surrey and Middlesex areas where the local council operates their own pest control service has lead to, in some cases an over priced service (especially in the London areas) and often a poor service either carried out by the council themselves or their ‘appointed contractor’. This is mainly that if the pest controller works directly for the council or the pest control company has a long term contract with the council then they don’t really have to try that hard. They also normally have a fixed number of staff which leaves them unable to deal with the many fluctuations in the numbers of pest control jobs required which in turn soils the council pest controls reputation as people will say, “they charge a great deal of money, can’t stick to a time and there is a waiting list of several days”. Private companies have the flexibility to deal with these fluctuations by employing more (fully trained, in the case of PEST UK) and/or extending working hours and having more staff working at weekends etc.
The site where customers of West Berkshire Council Pest Control to (the British Pest Control Association) is an organisation that companies can only join after they have undergone a very strict vetting process which is ongoing. It also gives the customer an avenue to complain if they feel unsatisfied with the service. Complaining direct to a local council can be frustrating.
For advice or a pest control treatment please phone PEST UK on 0330 100 2811. Alec Minter
