Alicia Holbrook rentokil.com

I joined Rentokil just over a year ago and am no stranger to pest control – a number of unwelcome tenants have made my home their home too. Having lived in a number period properties, I learned long ago that the ancient beams, sash windows and chimney breasts are also adored by spiders, insects and furries.

Owls and Scarecrows

Alicia for rentokil.co.uk | February 20, 2012
If you spot an owl in broad daylight it’s likely to be fake. However passers-by are often fooled by the unblinking lump of plastic, stopping and staring for minutes, waiting for the hoot which never comes. They pull out their camera and only too late realise their mistake. Some birds are not as easily fooled [...]

Why Flies Don’t Like Zebra’s and Other Facts

Alicia for rentokil.ie | February 10, 2012
The mystery of why zebra’s have stripes may have been solved. Researchers from Hungary and Sweden say the stripes keep away flying insects such as blood-sucking flies. A report, published in the Journal of Experimental Biology, described how the stripe widths and polarization patterns of light reflected from zebra hides correlated with the patterns that [...]

Space Invaders

Alicia for rentokil.co.uk | February 8, 2012
I loved yesterday’s blog about Craig Knight, an academic who discovered that office worker’s who personalised their working space were happier and more productive than those who worked in an unpersonalised space. However I also find it disconcerting when hot desking and having to gaze upon unfamiliar faces peeking from mouse mats and mugs, and [...]

When Escaped Pets Become Pests

Alicia for rentokil.co.uk | January 31, 2012
The Edwardian aristocracy loved to travel and collect exotic animals as souvenirs. Species were stuffed, others shipped back to show-off to starry eyed guests. You can imagine the dinner conversation, “and after port and cigars we shall look at the striped horses they call Zebra.” Items from private collections occasionally went missing. Some say the [...]

Where Do Spiders Go In Winter?

Alicia for rentokil.co.uk | January 26, 2012
The big fat house spiders which terrorised me throughout Autumn have now vanished. They would creep out after dark and scuttle across the carpet. I haven’t sighted a single spider since Christmas. Not even a web. This worries me. Where are they hiding? Are they staring at me with four pairs of eyes beneath the bookshelf. [...]