Rentokil pushes connected rat-trap technology to support pest control growth

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Rentokil bets on connected rat traps

Highlights

Rentokil Initial is promoting Eliminair, a connected compressed-air trap capable of killing up to four rats in sequence, as an alternative to poison-based methods.
Regulatory pressure in Europe against anticoagulant poisons, due to secondary wildlife impacts and rising rat resistance, is boosting demand for mechanical rodent control solutions.
Rentokil aims to leverage proprietary connected devices like Eliminair for market differentiation and customer retention following its $6.7 billion Terminix acquisition in 2022.

Trap technology and product strategy

As reported by Financial Times, Rentokil Initial is promoting Eliminair as a next-generation rodent control system that uses compressed air to kill up to four large rats in sequence before resetting for the next capture. The British pest control group is positioning the device as part of a broader shift away from traditional poison-based methods as regulators and customers focus more closely on effectiveness and environmental risks.

The trap lures rodents with food bait and kills them with an air-compressed ram. Rentokil says the product is connected, fitting a wider industry model in which pest control devices generate operational data that can be shared with customers, especially corporate accounts that want visibility on infestations and service performance.

Eliminair is not entering an empty field. The idea of resetting traps that kill multiple rodents without repeated manual intervention emerged in New Zealand, where efforts to control invasive predators helped spur products such as Goodnature's gas-powered systems. Aurocon, founded by a former Rentokil employee in Denmark, also developed a connected trap that can kill and store several rats while sending mobile alerts when captures occur.

Regulatory pressure and market implications

Poison remains a common tool in rodent control, but anticoagulants are facing growing limits after decades of use. Regulators in Europe want to curb their application because dead rodents can harm birds and other animals, while rat populations in places including Chicago, Paris, Reading and Wembley are developing resistance to the chemicals.

That pressure is helping revive interest in mechanical trapping, even as pest control companies acknowledge that rats adapt quickly and are naturally wary of unfamiliar objects. Andy Brigham, head of pest control science at Rentokil, says wild rats resist novelty, creating a challenge for any new device introduced into their environment.

For Rentokil, the commercial appeal goes beyond catch rates. Proprietary tools used only by its own technicians can help distinguish the company from smaller local rivals, while connected devices can support contract renewals by showing customers how many rodents have been eliminated. The product therefore serves both as an operational tool and as a marketing asset for a company seeking stronger momentum after its $6.7 billion purchase of Terminix in 2022.

Earlier, we reported that a KPMG U.S. survey found only 9% of CEOs see AI agents as transformational today.

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