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Regulations WCOs Should Support

In last week’s blog, I provided three reasons wildlife control operators (WCOs) should support regulations for their industry. Now, I would like to list several industry regulations WCOs should support. I contend that the listed regulations should be supported by WCOs because they will improve the professionalism of the industry, protect the environment, and safeguard the interests of consumers.

Regulations WCOs Should Support

The following regulatory suggestons are listed in no particular order.

Entrance to Minnesota State Capital Building
Wildlife control operators need to lobby state legislators to obtain industry supportive regulations.
  • Liability Insurance: State WCO regulations should require WCOs to carry at least $1,000,000 in liability insurance. This insurance is not prohibitively expensive and goes a long way to protect customers from damages caused by maloccurence, malpractice, and just plain bad luck, while simultaneously reducing fly-by-night WCOs.
  • Licensing Exams: State WCO regulations should require those who wishing to obtain a WCO license to pass an exam that assessess relevant knowledge of state wildlife laws and proper WCO practices.
  • Continuing Education: States WCO regulations should require WCOs to undergo continuing education training to maintain their licenses. Just as pest control operators must obtain continuing education credits to keep their licenses, so WCOs should also be required to keep learning to maintain theirs.
  • Broad Powers: State WCO regulations should give WCO license holders broad powers to control vertebrate pests. Too many states presently treat WCOs as glorified fur trappers, thereby saddling them with onerous restrictions that prevent WCOs from efficiently resolving human-wildlife conflicts. In some cases, WCOs are forced to use techniques that increase animal suffering.
  • Advertising Restrictions: State WCO regulations should state that ONLY licensed WCOs may advertise wildlife control services. This rule would allow game wardens to cite individuals and companies for advertising services that they are not licensed to do, thereby protecting licensed WCOs and the general public.

If you would like a proposed draft of regulations, click WCORegsProposal11-2-19

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 (http://kingsdivinity.academia.edu/StephenMVantassel) along with several books (https://wildlifecontrolconsultant.com/store-2/). Listen to his podcast at PestGeek Podcast (https://pestgeekpodcast.com/). 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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Scalability

What is Scalability?

Scalability is term that refers to the ability of a business to make more revenue without working more hours. For example, a bar tender is not a scalable job because in order to make more money the bar tender must work more hours. In contrast, a book author is a scalable job because selling more books does not require the author to work more. He simply needs to expand sales through wholesalers or through direct online sales.

Image showing growth through a line drawing
Scalability describes how easy it is to grow your business.

The Challenge of Scalability

The challenge for most service businesses, like wildlife control operators (WCO), is how do you make more money? You can’t make more time, so you either have to charge more money for your services or become more efficient in your business by reducing service times and costs or both. The typical way to expand in a service business is to hire more workers. But hiring workers brings its own challenges and headaches. You may think, at this point, that WCO businesses lack scalability.

Ideas for Scalability

But is that true? Is there a way to scale your WCO business? I am not sure WCO work is scalable in the way that product sales would be scalable. But I do think that WCOs can scale their companies in other ways. Let me provide a few ideas.

  • Offer additional services. Consider renting and/or selling traps. Here you have the clients do the work for you. This can be done with jobs that are low expertise and low profit such as ground trapping animals. Just be sure that your insurance and contracts are designed to handle the added risk.
  • Collaborate with other WCOs. Through collaboration, your business can work with competitors to handle jobs neither of you could resolve on your own.
  • Franchise. Sure establishing a franchise for your business is not easy. But it is a way to expand your business by multiplying yourself through the work of others.
  • Can you think of other options?
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 (http://kingsdivinity.academia.edu/StephenMVantassel) along with several books (https://wildlifecontrolconsultant.com/store-2/). Listen to his podcast at PestGeek Podcast (https://pestgeekpodcast.com/). 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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Attending Training

Wildlife control operators (WCOs) and pest control operators (PCOs) attend training events to improve their skills and to maintain their licenses. PCOs preparing to attend a training event.

PCOs preparing to attend a training event.

But as one who has attended many training events both as an attendee and as a presenter, I have a few tips to help attendees make the most of their time.

First, come with an open mind. Sure you may know a lot on a particular subject be it bedbugs or raccoons. Maybe you know more than the person giving the training. But regardless, you should take the time to either refresh your awareness of the fundamentals and you should be open to learning a new techniques because sometimes even the less experienced can offer something of value to the more experienced.

Second, bring a notebook. I am regularly surprised at how rare it is for attendees to bring notebooks. But don’t just bring any notebook, bring a notebook that will become used in the future for reference. I suggest getting a notebook, and using the first few pages as a table of contents. Then regularly add to the material as you attend various meetings. Over time, you can cross reference material so that you can find that bait suggestion for a species you normally don’t deal with. I have done this and found it helpful in reminding of things learned but long-ago forgotten.

Third, bring business cards. I think this is a no-brainer but frequently neglected. Training is about networking not just filling your brain with new knowledge. Sometimes who you know is more important than what you know. Meeting new people, even competitors can be quite helpful in improving your business. Who knows you may need that competitor to help you work on that “monster job” or help you lobby legislators to stop animal rights legislation.

Bottom line. Attending trainings may not be the highlight of your week, but a little preparation can make the experience more informative, profitable and maybe even a little more enjoyable.

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 (http://kingsdivinity.academia.edu/StephenMVantassel) along with several books (https://wildlifecontrolconsultant.com/store-2/). Listen to his podcast at PestGeek Podcast (https://pestgeekpodcast.com/). 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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Pricing

Many wildlife control operators (WCO) wonder how to set up their pricing schedule. It’s a difficult task because there are so many variables in a service business. How do you know where to set your pricing? Plus, to be frank, most people who get into wildlife control did it

Stephen M. Vantassel when he owned Wildlife Removal Service, Inc. in Springfield, MA.
Stephen M. Vantassel when he owned Wildlife Removal Service, Inc. in Springfield, MA. in 1998.

because they like working outside and with wildlife, not staring at a spread sheet. Some WCOs just call the competition and just copy or mimic the pricing of the competition. Copying is one way to do it but the problem is your costs may be much higher than theirs. If so, then you have essentially destined yourself to be underbidding yourself and putting your financial stability at risk. I think there is a better way.

So here are a few tips to help you establish your pricing.
Step 1. Determine what you need/want to make on an hourly basis. Whatever the number is, double it to cover costs of taxes, insurance, and other employment costs. If you want $25/hour you should charge at a rate of $50.

Step 2. Determine how long it takes you to do set up a standard squirrel removal job. Time yourself, as soon as you park in your own driveway and go through the steps of inspecting the house (yours) and setting up the traps. Go through the motions in an honest way. Stop the clock when you have finished with the client (spouse or friend) and put the ladder and equipment back and you get behind the wheel.

Step 3. Determine your home range. Keep in mind that you need to be paid for windshield time. I suggest your prime service area is 30 minutes from your home-base. That means add an hour to a service call because you have to be paid to drive too and from the job site. Add the miles too by converting the miles into dollars using the Federal government’s business mileage deduction number. In 2018, that number is 0.545/mile.

Step 4. Phone time. Customers take time on the phone. Add that in to your initial service.

Step 5. If you want to be thorough, calculate how much your business card, paperwork will cost per client.

Step 6. Add up all the time, multiply it by your service rate and then add the expenses of mileage and materials. That is what you should be charging for your initial visit to the job.

Certainly, there is more to say here but the above material gets you started. For info on the role of depreciation see Depreciation

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 (http://kingsdivinity.academia.edu/StephenMVantassel) along with several books (https://wildlifecontrolconsultant.com/store-2/). Listen to his podcast at PestGeek Podcast (https://pestgeekpodcast.com/). 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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Euthanasia & Carcass Disposal

Surface carcass disposal is one, albeit a rare option, for disposing of animal carcasses. Photo: Stephen M. Vantassel
Surface carcass disposal is one, albeit a rare option, for disposing of animal carcasses. Photo: Stephen M. Vantassel

I recently gave a talk entitled, “Euthanasia & Carcass Disposal: Tips and Pitfalls” at the National Pest Management Association’s (NPMA) 2018 Pestworld in Orlando Florida on Friday, October 26. It was a tough time for a presentation as it was right after lunch (1:00 pm) and on the last day of the conference. Plus, let’s just say that animal euthanasia & carcass disposal are not the most riveting and profit making topics for a pest control operator (PCO) or wildlife control operator (WCO) to attend.

But I was grateful for the opportunity. I was honored that the NPMA chose me to present on this important and controversial topic. The fact is, unlike bugs, the public cares deeply about how vertebrate animals are killed and disposed of. Even if the animal is a pest, the public cares. I explained to the approximately 32 people in attendance, that failure to have proper animal handling protocols in place can put your business in a public relations nightmare. Not all publicity is good publicity.

Attendees learned the distinction between euthanasia and humane dispatch and why that distinction matters. Likewise, I spoke on why translocation is not necessarily a humane way to handle nuisance wildlife. I ended the presentation discussing various ways to dispose of animal carcasses. I described methods that would work in either rural or urban settings, and sometimes both.

If you would like to see the Powerpoint, visit my Academia.edu site and download the pdf.

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 (http://kingsdivinity.academia.edu/StephenMVantassel) along with several books (https://wildlifecontrolconsultant.com/store-2/). Listen to his podcast at PestGeek Podcast (https://pestgeekpodcast.com/). 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.

About Stephen M. Vantassel

Stephen M. Vantassel, MNI, CNI, CWCP, ACP, ACE Stephen M. Vantassel's Bio Stephen M. Vantassel is the Vertebrate Pest Specialist for the Montana Department of Agriculture (2015-present). Formerly, Stephen M. Vantassel was the Program Coordinator of Distance Education-Wildlife Damage Management for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln School of Natural Resources from 2004-2014. Stephen filled … Learn More

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