Following the end of the war in the Falklands Pest Protection Services Scotland provided the personnel, products and application equipment to clear up the very substantial pest problems which were made much worse by the effects of the conflict.

Port Stanley, the capital of the Falklands already had an indigenous rodent population, having been a whaling station for many years, but the introduction of heavy armoured vehicles onto the roads ensured the collapse of the sewer system. This problem, added to by the presence of thousands of troops, many living rough and leaving food and waste everywhere, allowed the rodent population to rise to record levels. To make matters worse, many of the Argentinean soldiers had been living in appalling conditions and were flea infested, a problem the British “inherited” when they forced the Argentineans to leave their uniforms behind and return home in civilian clothing. Even after the war concluded the construction of a new airport made vital that control measures were effective and that these substantial public health risks could be overcome.

The success of PPS in clearing up these problems is well documented and was followed closely by the press and media our most favourite headline being “ Scots wipe out last Argie invaders!”