Like it or loathe it, pest control has once again come to our TV screens. In the last two days, both ITV and BBC have started a series of programmes featuring pest control.
The first to air was on ITV on Wednesday 22 July – called Grimefighters. This charted the experiences of extreme cleaners tackling a house clearance in Leicester that is found to be infested with mice, Cotswold pest controller – Dave – dealing with a cluster fly problem, as well as a sewage clearance team in Dagenham.
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This programme can be viewed (until 12 August) on the ITV Player by clicking here. Not to be outdone, the first in a series of six programmes called The Rat Pack began on Thursday 23 July on BBC 1. This features the exploits of brothers Jimmy and Ricky Clark accompanied by their Jack Russell terrier, Charlie. Research has revealed this dynamic trio to be Environ Pest Control from Fulham in West London. The BBC describes them as “a crack team of pest controllers equipped to deal fearlessly with any type of pest, from rats, cockroaches, rogue squirrels to bedbugs and pigeons.” Whilst it must always be remembered that television is made to entertain the viewer, will this series do anything to raise the profile of professional pest control? We will have to wait and see. Albeit in an amusing manner, it might be seen to cement the image of pest control being ‘one man (except its two here) and his dog’. Without exception all the cases they are called out to are domestic, the majority with a rat infestation. Here Charlie, the terrier and their secret weapon, takes centre stage. Another call-out is to treat a house with bedbugs – which will surely still be infested! View the programme for yourself. Episode 1 can be viewed here until 30 July, when episode 2 will be shown and then they will be tackling rats at Olympia as well as squirrels and pigeons. |
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The Rat Pack – Jimmy (left), Charlie (centre) and older brother, Ricky