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State of the Wildlife Control Industry 2021

State of the Wildlife Control Industry 2021 is a difficult concept to discuss because the data and research regarding in industry is so hard to uncover. We are just not well enough defined as an industry so getting solid data upon which to build a view of the size of our industry is difficult indeed. Nevertheless, some information, even if it is isn’t perfect is better than no information. If for nothing else, the insights will stimulate your own thoughts about how to assess our industry.

Since we do not have direct data on our industry, we often have to rely on statistics from cousin industries. They will act as proxies to help us get a handle on the size and scope of our industry.

Below are some statistics you may find useful. These are gleaned from my presentation, The State of the Wildlife Control Operator Industry.

Stephen M. Vantassel speaking at A ALL Animal Control's Annual Meeting
Stephen M. Vantassel speaking at A ALL Animal Control’s Annual Meeting
  • Pest Control Industry Market Size. Depending on which source you choose, the PCO (i.e. pest control operator) industry is $17.26 billion or $9.4 billion. I would put more weight on the smaller number as I think the larger number includes pest control in agricultural settings.
  • Market Share of the Top 100 PCO companies. The market share of the top 100 PCO companies accrues to a staggering 8.25 billion dollars. If we take the smaller number as the size of the pest control market as gospel, then the top 100 companies take 88% of the total market.
  • Mean wages for PCOs is $39,790/year. Keep in mind, however, that averages can be easily skewed by a few people making a lot of money. However, the average is pretty close given that the median wages are $35,610/year.

How does all that PCO data help us understand the size of the WCO industry? Well, if we understand the biological principle of trophic levels, then we can assume that the WCO industry is about 10% of the size of the PCO market. With more and more PCOs entering the wildlife control market, the question is whether the WCOs can continue to thrive or will they be forced to just survive.

 

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 [email protected] 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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AVMA Guidelines

The AVMA guidelines refer to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) publication entitled, AVMA Guidelines for Euthanasia of Animals: 2013 Edition (AVMA.org). The AVMA Guidelines are the result of work performed by the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia. This working committee reads the scientific literature and uses 14-point criteria to establish the best practices for killing animals in the least painful/stressful way possible. The panel periodically updates the standards every few years. Previous standards were published in 1986, 1993, 2000, 2011, and 2013.

Euthanasia Standard

Being Kind to Animal Pests, 2nd ed.
Being Kind to Animal Pests, 2nd ed.

Since the AVMA guidelines are considered by researchers, animal activists, and the public to constitute the platinum standard for euthanasia, many wildlife control operators (WCO) state that they and their respective companies follow AVMA guidelines when euthanizing animals. But is this in fact true?

Does Your WCO Follow AVMA Guidelines?

I suggest that many WCOs do not follow the AVMA guidelines, at least not as the AVMA has presented them. The issue lies in a lack of awareness of what the AVMA guidelines actually are. For instance, the AVMA says that euthanasia (good death) must be done for the benefit of the animal AND in a manner that is free of suffering. Clearly, WCOs are not killing animals for their benefit. Thus, by AVMA standards, WCOs are not following the standard. What WCOs should say is that they use the techniques approved by the AVMA euthanasia panel. That would be far more accurate or should I say, likely.

Bottom Line

If your WCO says he/she follows AVMA guidelines for animal euthanasia, be aware that the WCO likely does not understand exactly what the AVMA standards for euthanasia are. Instead, interpret the WCO’s comment as referring to the technique(s) used to kill the animal.

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 [email protected] 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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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 [pdf_attachment file=”1″ name=”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 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 [email protected] 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 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 [email protected] 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 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 [email protected] 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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