Rentokil stops pests meddling with the Beijing Olympics
Rentokil one of the preferred suppliers of pest control services and products to the 2008 Beijing Olympics
31 July, 2008 Auckland, NZ – Rentokil (www.rentokil.com) today announces that it has been appointed by the Beijing
Government to support the pest control strategy for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Rentokil is deploying 150 of its
expert technicians to join a 400-strong Beijing Pest Control Emergency Support Team to help Beijing service up to 30,000
households and 7,000 restaurants in the local area during the event to minimise the risk of pest outbreaks during the
Olympics.
Rentokil was appointed by the Beijing Government to help develop and implement a pest control programme to control and
minimise pest outbreaks during the Games. The programme is specifically designed for large scale events that attract
lots of visitors and potentially pests. As part of the programme, Rentokil developed a series of special training
courses for the Beijing Pest Management Association (BPMA). Rentokil has also been involved in training 900 local pest
control technicians in how to deal with infestations at large scale events.
The main part of the pest control management programme will involve Rentokil technicians carrying out daily pest
inspections and treatments on the Olympic training and Games venues from August onwards to keep pest infestations to a
minimum. Rentokil will also carry out a full sweep of all 100 Olympic sites as part of their ongoing pest surveillance
during the Games.
Rentokil is one of the ‘preferred suppliers’ of pest control services and products to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Its
activities include:
· Launching a specially designed wind curtain for the control of flying insects to stop them entering the main
indoor venues in Beijing.
· Dealing with pest related issues during the peak breeding season for cockroaches, flies, mosquitos and rodents
as part of the Beijing Pest Control Emergency Support Team.
· Deploying over 150 Rentokil pest control technicians to provide daily inspections and treatments where
necessary.
· Overseeing pest control monitoring for local health authorities across Beijing.
· Developing the first technical manual for pest control ever produced for a large scale event in China.
· Evaluating over 800 technicians and assisting in the development of a series of pest control technician
training courses for the Beijing Pest Management Association as part of its role as the only foreign pest control
company to be one of the master training instructors.
William Kong, Managing Director, Rentokil in China, says: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Beijing to
deliver a pest free Olympic Games. The Olympic Games is the largest event in our sporting calendar and we have made sure
that there is a small army of our pest control technicians on standby to help the Games run smoothly in what is a very
busy time for the Beijing health authorities.
“There are several lessons that any city which is planning to host a major event could learn from Beijing’s outstanding
commitment to pest management. Long-term planning and training are essential, combined with local expertise, a flexible
workforce and commitments from all parties to work in partnership with the local authorities involved in pest control.”
Rentokil will use its latest technology available to support the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games including PestNetOnline, a
new online pest control reporting system, and Radar, the world’s smartest mousetrap which employs innovative technology
to deal with pests in a humane and eco-friendly way.
PestNetOnline is designed to manage pest control for organisations, highlighting and prioritising any pest control risks
and pest prevention recommendations. By identifying any problems or weak spots upfront, organisations can be much more
proactive and cost efficient when managing their pest control. This reduces the need for any unnecessary site visits and
lets people prioritise where they need to be by viewing activity online.
The Radar mouse trap has two entrances, one at each end of the unit, allowing mice to run through its passageways. If
the mouse breaks two consecutive Infrared beams, it trips a circuit that immediately closes both entrances, and carbon
dioxide is released. Carbon dioxide use is recognised as the most humane way to kill a mouse, and Rentokil is the only
company allowed to use it as a rodenticide.
ends