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NWCOA’s Rodent Standards Course

The National Wildlife Control Operators Association (NWCOA) began offering a Rodent Standards Course in 2020. The Rodent Standards Course debuted at the 2020 Wildlife Expo in Las Vegas. It was a huge hit and it was hoped that the Association would offer the in-person training again in 2020. Unfortunately, the Corona virus and the demand for sequestration and prohibition of travel forced the Association to change plans.

NWCOA Rodent Standards Certified
Stephen M. Vantassel is an instructor for the NWCOA Rodent Standards Certified course.

Fortunately, NWCOA decided to offer the training via a webinar on April 7, 2020. The NWCOA Rodent Standards Certified training course is an 8-class that covers commensal rodent biology, damage identification, rodenticides, disease safety, repellents, trapping and exclusion. Unlike other training courses which only focus on house mice, Norway rats and roof rats, NWCOA’s Rodent Standards course includes training on controlling Peromyscus spp. (e.g. deer mice and white-footed mice) and voles. Thus, NWCOA’s training moves beyond rodent control in urban settings (though Peromyscus spp. occurs in more urban areas than people or pest control operators realize), into suburban and exurban areas.

The course is particularly strong in pesticide-free control methods. Attendees are taught how to combine trapping and exclusion to reduce and in some cases eliminate the need for rodenticides and other toxicants.

I was honored to give the talk on Rodenticides and the Law. My talk focused on the legal status of rodents, the importance of reading and following the label and how to use toxicants in ways that improves environmental safety while not reducing control.

Attendees must achieve an 80% score on a 50 question exam in order to become certified. If you would like to know more about this superb training course, contact the National Wildlife Control Operators Association at NWCOA.com.

 

Stephen M. Vantassel, CWCP, ACE, 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 available at {Stephen’s Academia.edu Page} along with several books {WCC Store}). Listen to his podcast “Living the Wild Life” at {Pest Geek Podcast}. Please subscribe to {Stephen’s YouTube Channel} He is a sought after speaker and trainer. If you would like to have Stephen speak at your event or use his consultation services, send an e-mail to wildlifecontrolconsultant@gmail.com. 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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29th Vertebrate Pest Conference

In early March, I was privileged to be in attendance at the 29th Vertebrate Pest Conference in Santa Barbara, California, March 3-5, 2020. This was my fourth or fifth time attending a VPC. The Vertebrate Pest Conference is the oldest and longest continuing running conference on wildlife damage management and wildlife control topics in the United States and possibly the world. It is truly the grand daddy of wildlife control training. It discusses structural vertebrate control as well as agricultural and public health vertebrate control.

Stephen M. Vantassel speaking at the 29th Vertebrate Pest Conference on M-44s and Box trap temperatures.
Stephen M. Vantassel speaking at the 29th Vertebrate Pest Conference on M-44s and Box trap temperatures.

The Vertebrate Pest Conference started in the 1960s in response to a perceived need for improved research and transfer of information on managing human-wildlife conflicts. Since that time, the conference occurs every other year, (even years), usually in California but there have been instances where the conference occurred in Nevada and Hawaii. I am told that the next Vertebrate Pest Conference in 2022 will occur in Reno, NV, so start planning.

I not only was an attendee, but I also presented on two topics. The first topic was titled, “M-44 Use Non-USDA Personnel in Montana between 2006-2019.” Montana is one of the few states that licenses private applicators to use M-44s to control coyotes (Canis latrans). I collected the use data and presented on that information as well as discussed implications.

My second topic was titled, “Temperature and Humidity Study in Cage and Box Traps: Implications for Animal Welfare.” This presentation was based on a research trial I did while I was at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Essentially, I placed temperature and humidity loggers in a cage and plasti-catch trap for over a year. A third one was placed between the two traps. The idea was to see what the conditions were in each of the traps. Turns out that the box trap was significantly warmer than the cage trap. Hotter traps can be useful for animals in the winter time, but in the summer can dramatically undermine animal welfare.

Both presentations will be published in the Proceedings of the 29th Vertebrate Pest Conference, which should be out before the end of 2020. I’ll update the publication status in a future blog, or you can visit my Academia.edu page.

Stephen M. Vantassel, CWCP, ACE, 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 available at {Stephen’s Academia.edu Page} along with several books {WCC Store}). Listen to his podcast “Living the Wild Life” at {Pest Geek Podcast}. Please subscribe to {Stephen’s YouTube Channel} He is a sought after speaker and trainer. If you would like to have Stephen speak at your event or use his consultation services, send an e-mail to wildlifecontrolconsultant@gmail.com. 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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Free Information

Free information. Who doesn’t love the sound of free be it free stuff, free service or free information. Politicians love to use the word free even though everyone should know that the government never does anything for free. But is information ever really free?

Wildlife Damage Inspection Handbook, 3rd Ed. Cover by Stephen M. Vantassel
Wildlife Damage Inspection Handbook, 3rd Ed. Cover by Stephen M. Vantassel

Is There Free Information?

I once had an argument with a wildlife control operator (WCO) who claimed that the information I provided is available for free. Therefore, if I understood him correctly, by charging for the information I was in effect ripping people off. I snidely responded to him by saying, and I paraphrase, “Information is free if you have the time to look, have access to the right resources, find the right relevant resources, correctly understand those resources and apply the information to found in those resources, then yes, information is free.”

Need for Context

My point is simply just because you have access to Google does not mean that you have access to the right information or that your internet search has revealed the right information. Lots of information on Google or the net, is simply wrong or more frequently out of balance or context. Google searches frequently don’t provide context for information, not because there is something wrong with the search but because people rarely read enough to understand how the information fits into the bigger picture.

You may have heard the phrase, “A little knowledge is dangerous.” It’s a true statement because when you only have a little information, you often think you know more than you actually do and that arrogance can lead to some very dangerous conclusions.

Consultation Fees

When you pay for a consultation with Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC you are paying for

  • Access to information you likely don’t have available
  • Ability to synthesize information in an understandable and usable way
  • Time to search and acquire information which allows you to spend your time in more profitable activities

Bottom Line

Can you search for information on your own? Certainly. My books and articles are available, many for no additional cost, to those wishing to read them. The internet also has lots of information both good and bad if you want to take the time to surf. But if you have better things to do with your time, then perhaps a consult with Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC is worth the price for you.

Stephen M. Vantassel, CWCP, ACE, 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 available at {Stephen’s Academia.edu Page} along with several books {WCC Store}). Listen to his podcast “Living the Wild Life” at {Pest Geek Podcast}. Please subscribe to {Stephen’s YouTube Channel} He is a sought after speaker and trainer. If you would like to have Stephen speak at your event or use his consultation services, send an e-mail to wildlifecontrolconsultant@gmail.com. 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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5 Tips to Maximize Industry Training Conferences

Training Conferences are Expensive

Let’s face it. Training conferences are expensive both in time and fees. But while training is expensive so is ignorance, so ignoring training conferences is not a very good option. The answer is to make the training conference have the biggest impact for your business. Here are five tips that you should follow when attending any industry training event.

Tip #1. Bring Business Cards to Training Events

NWCOA Wildlife Expo Training Conference
Keith Markun (Left) presenting at NWCOA’s Wildlife Expo Training Conference.

This tip should be a no-brainer. Part of the benefit of training events lies in the connections you make when you are there. Make sure you have enough business cards to pass out. Let me also add that the cards must contain all your contact information, including business address, phone number and e-mail. Bring enough to be able to hand out liberally. I suggest a 100 cards minimum.

Tip #2. Bring a Notebook & Pen to Training Conferences

Research on learning has shown that note taking engages the mind in a way that improves retention. This fact explains why most attendees can’t remember what they were taught at a conference. In addition, good notes act as a storehouse of information for future reference. The fact is Google searches don’t answer everything and what it does answer isn’t always correct.

Tip #3. Bring Questions to Trainers

Attend the training conference with the goal to focus on key areas of interest. Review the conference schedule and topics. What specific talks and topics will help you resolve the biggest challenges facing your business? Attend those presentations that you have marked as important to your company’s goals.

Tip #4. Bring Your Curiosity to Seminars

While getting answers to your questions is important, it is also important to attend classes/presentations outside of your areas of interest. Why? Because thinking outside the box is the only way you will force yourself to grow and to think about things differently. I am not suggesting that you load up on classes dealing with subjects that you have no particular interest in. But you should attend a couple. This is particularly true for topics you “think” you have a handle on. Too often pest control operators and wildlife control operators think that they don’t need to attend a class because they already “know” it. But sometimes we think we have a good grasp of the fundamentals only to learn later that we in fact don’t. See an interesting article on this topic by Ulrik Juul Christensen. 2017. “How to Teach Employees Skills They Don’t Know They Lack.” Harvard Business Review. Sept. 29.

Tip #5. Bring Your Generosity to Attendees

If you are learning, take the time to share your knowledge too. Don’t be an intellectual scrooge. Share your insights and experience with others in the industry that aren’t as experienced or as knowledgeable as you. Keep in mind that our industry is pretty small. We need to help each other because in the end all we really have is each other.

Stephen M. Vantassel, CWCP, ACE, 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 available at {Stephen’s Academia.edu Page} along with several books {WCC Store}). Listen to his podcast “Living the Wild Life” at {Pest Geek Podcast}. Please subscribe to {Stephen’s YouTube Channel} He is a sought after speaker and trainer. If you would like to have Stephen speak at your event or use his consultation services, send an e-mail to wildlifecontrolconsultant@gmail.com. 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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Commercial Drone License

Interested in using a drone, or more technically “small unmanned aircraft systems” (sUAS), for your wildlife control business? Then you will need to

Drone (sUAS)
Drone (sUAS) flying over a remote area.

obtain a commercial drone license. The Federal Aviation Administration requires individuals who wish to use drones (sUAS) as part of a business need to obtain a commercial drone license, also known as I recently passed the test and thought I would explain the process.

Steps in the Commercial Drone License

First, you must register your drone with the FAA whether you are a hobby or commercial flyer. Cost is five dollars and is good for a couple of year. To register, go to https://www.faa.gov/uas/getting_started/register_drone/
Second, to obtain your commercial drone license you must follow the requirements contained in Part 107 Rules. The following link https://www.faa.gov/uas/commercial_operators/ contains links to the Part 107 Rules and links to the steps to becoming licensed.

Studying for the Commercial Drone License

The key issue for you as a wildlife control operator (WCO) is preparing for the 107 test. Having just passed the test on August 7, I can tell you that preparation is key. The test is 60 multiple choice questions (3 possible answers per question). You have two hours to finish. Cost is 150 dollars.
In addition to the study materials provided by the FAA, you should consider taking the time to view the following YouTube training video https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=27&v=6_ucCKFJUCU. I found this one to be helpful. There are other free videos available as well. I suspect they will be helpful but I warn you that the FAA keeps changing the test over time. Consider when the video was created and don’t assume that everything this or that video says will be true for answering your test.

I signed up for a prep course, RemotePilot101.com. I found it helpful, not only in studying for the commercial drone license, but also for reviewing points that should be followed when I begin flying. But as valuable as RemotePilot101 was for me, I had several questions that I was not prepared for. Fortunately, you only need a 70% score to pass, so you can miss a few.

Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC (WCC) has not received any financial incentives to mention brand-name products in this blog post. Stephen M. Vantassel, CWCP, ACE, 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 available at {Stephen’s Academia.edu Page} along with several books {WCC Store}). Listen to his podcast “Living the Wild Life” at {Pest Geek Podcast}. Please subscribe to {Stephen’s YouTube Channel} He is a sought after speaker and trainer. If you would like to have Stephen speak at your event or use his consultation services, send an e-mail to wildlifecontrolconsultant@gmail.com. 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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