MJ Backhouse Pest Control

03/09/2026

A full terrace on a sunny day is great for business. It can also be exactly what pests are looking for. ☀️🍽️

Food, drink, footfall and warmer weather create the perfect conditions for wasps, flies, birds and even rodents to become a problem. The challenge is that many businesses focus on what is happening inside, while the biggest pest risks are building up outdoors.

In our latest blog, we explore some of the most common pest issues affecting outdoor dining areas and the practical steps businesses can take to stay ahead of them before they start impacting customers. 🐝🔍

🔗 https://www.mjbpestcontrol.co.uk/news/outdoor-dining-area-pest-management-in-yorkshire/

01/09/2026

Wasps and flies get all the attention in summer. Rightly so, but they're not the only ones taking advantage of the warmer months! There are a couple of others that are worth having on your radar too. 🚨⬇️

🐜 Ants are one we deal with a lot this time of year on commercial sites.
Once the ground warms up, colonies get active and they're remarkably good at finding their way inside. For food businesses especially, an ant trail anywhere near a kitchen or food prep area is an immediate hygiene issue. They're also surprisingly stubborn to shift without the right treatment approach.

🦋 Stored product insects are quieter but they can be just as costly.
Certain moths and beetles target dry goods, packaged food, and grain. Warm conditions are exactly what they thrive in. The problem with these is that an infestation can be well established before anyone spots the signs. So if you're in food retail, food manufacturing, or running a storage facility, it's something you really need to be aware of. ⚠️

It's worth a conversation if you've not thought about either of these recently. Just drop us a message on our website and we'll be happy to help!

🔗 https://www.mjbpestcontrol.co.uk/contact

27/08/2026

👀 A look behind the scenes from a previous project...

👷‍♂️📍At the University of York’s Kings Manor site, our team installed a bespoke pigeon netting system across multiple roof elevations, carefully working around the shape and structure of the building. The goal was to protect hard-to-reach areas from bird activity while keeping the solution discreet and practical for future access.

Projects like this take planning, precision and a clear understanding of how birds use a site. The result is long-term protection that does the job without disrupting the building’s appearance or maintenance needs. ✅

Looking for a bird control solution designed around your property? Contact our team today. 👇
🔗 https://www.mjbpestcontrol.co.uk/contact/

25/08/2026

Of all the commercial environments we work in, construction sites are one of the most unpredictable from a pest management perspective. 🏗️

Everything changes constantly. The ground gets disturbed, rodents get displaced, temporary structures go up overnight and create instant shelter. Standing water appears, layouts shift and risk areas move faster than a standard monitoring schedule can keep up with.

It's also the kind of environment where pest activity has real consequences beyond just being a nuisance. Gnawed cables and contaminated materials on a live build aren't small problems. 🐀

The businesses we work with who plan pest management in from the start have a completely different experience to those who call us mid-build. Simpler, faster and a lot less disruptive.

If you've got a project coming up, give us a shout. We're always happy to have a chat about what makes sense for your job site. ⬇️

🔗 https://www.mjbpestcontrol.co.uk/

20/08/2026

Opening a new restaurant comes with a long checklist, but pest control is often left until the end. 🍽️👀

The reality is, early planning makes a big difference. From proofing and monitoring to understanding risk areas before you open, getting this right upfront helps avoid disruption later on.

In our latest blog, we look at what restaurant pre-opening pest control should involve and why it matters more than many expect. Worth a read if you are preparing to launch. 🔑✨

➡️

Opening a restaurant is one of the most demanding things a business owner can take on. There are suppliers to negotiate with, equipment to commission, staff to hire and a launch date that tends to move faster than everything else.

18/08/2026

Rodents are rarely spotted directly. What you notice first are the signs they leave behind and knowing what to look for makes a real difference. 🐀

Here's what to keep an eye out for across your site:
🔍 Droppings near skirting boards, behind equipment, or in storage areas
🔍 Gnaw marks on packaging, cables, or structural materials
🔍 Grease marks along walls where rodents regularly travel
🔍 Scratching or movement sounds in walls or ceilings, especially at night
🔍 Nesting material like shredded paper or insulation tucked into undisturbed areas

Finding any of these doesn't mean you're dealing with a full infestation. It does mean something needs investigating though. The earlier it's caught, the more straightforward it is to resolve. ✅

If anything on that list sounds familiar, give us a call and we'll take a look.
📞 0800 542 6359

13/08/2026

🏢🐦 Pigeons can quickly turn rooftop plant areas into a costly maintenance issue.

Here in York, we installed specialist bird netting to fully protect this rooftop HVAC and plant equipment area. The netting prevents birds from gaining access, nesting and leaving mess around essential systems, while still allowing easy access for future servicing and maintenance.

Rooftop equipment can offer shelter, warmth and a quiet space for birds, so proofing it properly helps reduce damage, hygiene concerns and repeat call outs later down the line.

Effective, discreet, and built to last. ✅

Contact us to discuss bird control solutions for your business. 👇
🔗https://www.mjbpestcontrol.co.uk/services/bird-netting-installation/

11/08/2026

Seeing more wasp activity than usual this August? That's entirely expected and here's why. 🐝☀️

Wasp colonies spend the whole summer growing. By late August they've reached their peak size with thousands of workers active at any one time. The activity you're noticing around your property isn't a new problem. It's an existing one that's simply reached its most visible point 👀

What to do about it is pretty simple. Get it treated by a professional who can locate the nest accurately and deal with it properly. Attempting to treat a late summer nest yourself is dangerous and DIY approaches tend to cause more problems than they solve. In a commercial setting with staff and customers around that's the last thing anyone needs ⚠️

We're dealing with wasp nests across Yorkshire nearly every single day right now. If you've got one that needs attention, give us a call and we'll get it sorted quickly 👉📞 0800 542 6359

06/08/2026

When it comes to bed bug control, the method you choose matters more than most people realise. 🛏️👀

Heat treatments and chemical treatments both have their place, but they work in very different ways and suit different situations. Choosing the wrong approach can lead to repeat issues, added cost and unnecessary disruption.

In our upcoming blog, we break down how each method works and what commercial sites should consider before deciding. A useful read if you are weighing up your options. 🔍✨

👉

A single negative review mentioning bed bugs can follow a hotel, care home, or rental property for years. It doesn't matter how clean the rest of the building is, or how quickly the problem was resolved.

04/08/2026

Of all the call-outs we do for commercial pigeon proofing across Yorkshire, solar panels come up more than anything else. There's a reason for that...

Pigeons aren't randomly choosing rooftops. They're looking for specific conditions.
✅ Warmth
✅ Shelter
✅ Height
✅ Minimal disturbance.

The gap beneath a solar panel ticks every box. Once a pair nest there successfully, the same spot gets used season after season and the colony grows! 🐦☀️

What makes it worth addressing early is what happens in the meantime. Droppings are corrosive and they accumulate faster than most people realise. Nesting material blocks drainage. The structural damage to the roof space underneath builds up over time and when it's eventually inspected, it's rarely a cheap fix. 😬

Bird netting around the panel perimeter is the solution. When it's properly fitted it blocks access completely, looks neat from the ground and has no effect on panel performance whatsoever. For a commercial building with a decent-sized solar installation, it's one of the more straightforward protective measures available.

If your solar panels haven't been checked for bird activity recently, now's a good time. Get in touch ⬇️
📲 https://www.mjbpestcontrol.co.uk/contact