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iWatermark+

iWatermark+

Readers of this blog, along with those that have attended my trainings, know that I am consistently talking about the importance of taking photos. Time and time again, I speak to wildlife control operators (WCOs) who have seen some incredible things done by wildlife but when I ask them, “Do you have photos?”, they typically answer, “No.” Thankfully, more WCOs are beginning to learn the importance of taking photos. And with the quality and availability of cell phone cameras, there is no excuse not to take photos. Which brings me to the main point, what apps do I recommend that WCOs have to manage and manipulate their photos? One of them that I recommend is iWatermark+.

  • iWatermark+

iWatermark+ is an app that allows you place copyright information on your photos. Placing copyright information on your photos is essential for three reasons. First, it shows the world, who took and owns the image. As one whose photos have been used by others in a commercial fashion without compensation, I can tell you that it’s annoying to see your shots on someone else’s website. But the second reason is to help market your business. Placing a name on the photo helps advertise your company whether it’s a separate entity or you personally. Finally, iWatermark+ will remove location data from your image, if you want it to. In case you didn’t know, but every time you take a photo with a cell phone, the GPS coordinates are embedded into the image’s information known as the EXIF file. If you don’t remove it, anyone with some simple photo editing software can see the exact location where you took the shot, such as your client’s house.

So, do yourself a favor and check out iWatermark+. It costs a few bucks, but is well worth it. You can obtain a free version but I would suggest bypass that and go right for the pay to use version. Note, that I or my company have not received any compensation for this article, but I am willing to accept some.

Stephen M. Vantassel, CWCP, is the owner of Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. He helps people restore their balance with nature through publishing, training, consulting, and the internet. He has published numerous articles in trade and academic publications along with several books (http://kingsdivinity.academia.edu/StephenMVantassel). He is a sought after speaker and trainer. Copyright All postings are the property of Stephen M. Vantassel and Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. Text (not images) may be reprinted in non-profit publications provided that the author and website URL is included. If images wish to be used, explicit and written permission must be obtained from Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC.

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Tactics for Identifying Difficult Identifications

Yes, I know it is a strange title for a blog post. But what I mean by tactics for identifying difficult identifications is how do you go about identifying a vertebrate pest complaint when the normal clues are absent? Say the client is complaining about thumping or scratching noises in the wall or attic. You arrive, and can’t find any sign of an animal cause of the problem. You don’t see scat, scratch marks, nesting, trails, holes, nothing. Yet the client swears to that the problem exists and it is an animal? What do you do?

Let me tell you what not to do. Don’t jump to delusional parasitosis. While that diagnosis may prove out in the end, you have a long way to go before you reach the conclusion that the issue is a figment of the client’s overactive imagination.

Here are some of the steps you should take when you can’t match the client’s complaints with the available evidence you can see. Choose the ones that fit your situation.

  • Movement indicators. If you find holes, gaps that could allow animals to enter, use movement indicators to tell you whether those gaps/holes are being used.
  • Track traps. Create track traps using bait and flour, talc, baby powder or orange line chalk to see if any animals are consuming the bait. Keep in mind that flour will attract insects and rats. So use carefully.
  • Trail cameras. Choose models that use black-out technology and have good shutter speeds as in less than a second.
  • Set traps. Traps can be placed, either set or unset, but baited to see if anything approaches the traps.
  • Enlist client’s help. Have the client record when/where sounds are being heard. Have the client ask neighbors if they have seen any wildlife on the house.
  • Contact a colleague. Explain the situation to a trusted colleague. He/she may be able to help you consider possible causes that you haven’t thought of. This is one advantage of being part of trade associations like the National Wildlife Control Operators Association of which I am a founding member and a board member.
The orange chalk line powder is preferable because it fluoresces under UV light. Photo: Stephen M. Vantassel

Thankfully, difficult identifications get rarer as you gain experience and knowledge. One way to speed up your learning process is to read books to help you in the identification process such as The Wildlife Damage Inspect Handbook, 3rd ed. But when they do come, having a plan of action will help you resolve the situation for your client in a speedy and cost effective way.

Stephen M. Vantassel, CWCP, is the owner of Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. He helps people restore their balance with nature through publishing, training, consulting, and the internet. He has published numerous articles in trade and academic publications along with several books (http://kingsdivinity.academia.edu/StephenMVantassel). He is a sought after speaker and trainer. Copyright All postings are the property of Stephen M. Vantassel and Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. Text (not images) may be reprinted in non-profit publications provided that the author and website URL is included. If images wish to be used, explicit and written permission must be obtained from Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC.

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Wildlife Expo Myrtle Beach 2019

Want to make more money? Want to decrease your liability risks while increasing the quality of your service? How about learning from some of the best wildlife control operators in the United States? If you answered, “yes”, to any of these questions, then you should plan to attend the Wildlife Expo in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, February 4-9, 2019. 

Training session at NWCOA's Wildlife Expo.
Training session at NWCOA’s Wildlife Expo.

The Wildlife Expo is the annual trade conference sponsored run by the National Wildlife Control Operators Association (NWCOA, pronounced NEW-Koh-Ah). NWCOA is a professional association dedicated to training, organizing and enhancing the growing trade known as wildlife control.
Training classes follow two main subject lines. One line covers the control side of the WCO business. Tips on handling birds, trapping, tools, repairs, etc. fall under this category. The other line, focusses on business issues, such as marketing, legal, insurance, etc. The two lines are run concurrently. So, in (almost) each session, you will have a choice of a business-related subject or a control related subject. Take for example the 11:30 am -12:30 pm session on Friday, February 8. One class is entitled, “Increasing Customer Happiness and Your Revenue Through Exclusion” while the other is “When It’s Time to Grow Your Business.”

Attendees regularly remark how the Wildlife Expo helped them increase business revenue. But education is not all. Networking is a key element of the event. Attendees can meet key industry vendors, learn about new products and tools. Of course, I haven’t mentioned the importance of networking. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of having personal connections. Need personalized advice on a particular problem you are having in your business? I doubt you can call your competitor. But what about a colleague in another state that you met at the Expo? What would be the economic value of that kind of “service.”

Want to learn more? Visit http://nwcoa.com/we2019.html That link will take you to the full-color brochure as well as the registration page. If you write out the pros and cons, I am confident that the pros will win out in spades. So why not sign up today?

Stephen M. Vantassel, CWCP, is the owner of Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. He helps people restore their balance with nature through publishing, training, consulting, and the internet. He has published numerous articles in trade and academic publications along with several books (http://kingsdivinity.academia.edu/StephenMVantassel). He is a sought after speaker and trainer. Copyright All postings are the property of Stephen M. Vantassel and Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. Text (not images) may be reprinted in non-profit publications provided that the author and website URL is included. If images wish to be used, explicit and written permission must be obtained from Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC.

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Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series

Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series

My publications are a great resource for wildlife control operators.
My publications are a great resource for wildlife control operators.

One of the challenges for wildlife control operators (WCOs) is finding quality information on wildlife control. Sure you could search Google, but you will often find a lot of hocus-pocus out there along with the “good stuff.” I would hope that readers of this blog would consider my books. I have written several that have had good acceptance within the wildlife control industry.

As much as I would love more people to buy my books, and as helpful as they are, they don’t cover everything. Birds, for example are not covered as deeply as say raccoons or skunks. In addition, it’s often a good idea to read information about the same subject to get different perspectives on a subject. Sometimes the same information stated in a different way helps readers grasp the content better. Whether that improvement in understanding is due to the repetition of reading similar material or rewording is irrelevant. Understanding is the goal.

So back to my original problem. Where does a WCO find quality information? I will suggest that WCOs consider the USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Services page entitled the Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series. These documents are written and/or reviewed by leaders within their respective fields so you can trust the information. The documents are available at no additional charge,(I say no additional charge rather than “free” because nothing the government does is free. Government work is paid for by taxes so the government doesn’t require you to pay for the materials again). Just download them as you wish and read them.

The Technical publications cover a variety of birds, beaver, muskrat, and other topics such as carcass disposal and safety. More publications will be added so be sure to make the link a favorite and visit every few months to see if any new publications have been added, your customers and your bottom line will be glad you did.

Stephen M. Vantassel, CWCP, is the owner of Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. He helps people restore their balance with nature through publishing, training, consulting, and the internet. He has published numerous articles in trade and academic publications along with several books (http://kingsdivinity.academia.edu/StephenMVantassel). He is a sought after speaker and trainer. Copyright All postings are the property of Stephen M. Vantassel and Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. Text (not images) may be reprinted in non-profit publications provided that the author and website URL is included. If images wish to be used, explicit and written permission must be obtained from Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC.

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A New Safety Publication

Little Giant-type ladder used on one-floor structure. Photo: Stephen M. Vantassel.
Little Giant-type ladder used on one-floor structure. Photo: Stephen M. Vantassel.

Safety is essential for everyone but it can be particularly acute for those in the working trades like wildlife control. Most wildlife control operators (WCOs) are self-employed. So if they get hurt, they pay for sick days out of their own pocket through lost wages. WCOs need access to safety publications but life is too short and fragile to learn from mistakes. 

But finding safety publications or information dedicated to the needs of wildlife control operators are difficulty to find. Where do we send WCOs to get information that can protect them from harm without making them learn the hard way?

Fortunately, I and Brenda K. Osthus, Safety director at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, have a written a safety publication that moves WCOs in the right direction. This safety publication was originally to be published in the fifth edition of the Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage. But unfortunately, that revised publication has been delayed for years so we offered the article to the USDA-Wildlife Services to be part of the Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series. The Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series, to my understanding, was created to fill the gap left by the Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage. Readers of my column may recall this is the second article I have published with the USDA-Wildlife Services. 

You can download a copy of this new safety publication by clicking  Safety Publication

Stephen M. Vantassel, CWCP, is the owner of Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. He helps people restore their balance with nature through publishing, training, consulting, and the internet. He has published numerous articles in trade and academic publications along with several books (http://kingsdivinity.academia.edu/StephenMVantassel). He is a sought after speaker and trainer. Copyright All postings are the property of Stephen M. Vantassel and Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. Text (not images) may be reprinted in non-profit publications provided that the author and website URL is included. If images wish to be used, explicit and written permission must be obtained from Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC.