Starting pest control

[nichard 4]

Ok, so basically I am looking at branching out from just trapping moles, rats and rabbits and actually trying to make a go of being a pest controller for a living. I already have a job so am under no pressure to make a success of it but I want to do things properly and get some training. I am looking at killgerm and their courses but was wondering what other options were out there. I know that getting an entry level job would be best for experience but at the moment that wouldn't work for me, also there are very few jobs out there. I have learnt that I can get public liability insurance provided I have some training but wasn't sure if that was a training course sales pitch. Any advice would be appreciated. Also is Killgerm priced keenly or are there better priced suppliers?

[earth&hounds 94]

will you need to take your bpca ???

[victory01 11]

Those killgerm courses are good to start with and if you can get on one near you so much the better. I do one every year for my CPD points

ATB

[nichard 4]

BPCA? Killgerm tell me I don't need to but it is a well recognised qualification. They tell me I need to have basic insect control, safe use of pesticides and rodent control to start operating and charging for services. The last place I want to end up is on rogue traders

[PLEDGEY 495]

I have BPCA , RSPH LEVEL 2. If you are serious about going into pest control you need this.The course is a week long, 4 1/2 days tuition and the last 1/2 a day doing the exam. If some one calls you with a bed bug, flea, cockroach problem, would you know where to start?. Advertising, Don't use Yellow pages or Yell.com, complete waste of money. Don't bother with news papers the adds won't pay for theselves. You need to have a web page and then do 'pay per click' (google it). One last thing, do not, repete DO NOT, and this is just my opinion, buy into a franchise, especially those you may see advertising in magazines which are linked with shooting. Fuel, you'll use loads of it driving from job to job and it ain't getting any cheaper. Insurance, you must have insurance, if something goes wrong your ass will be grass. You would not believe the amount of health and safety that goes with pest control.

[nichard 4]

Thanks for that. The web pages will be fine. I have a domain name already and I managed to get a friends consrvatory website onto page 1 of google so I am quite confidant at ranking quite high. Just working on pricing now, using 5 other companies as a guide for equivelant pests

[mole trapper 1,693]

Well actually i would not be quite so dissmisive as to say DO NOT use yell products, we have been using them for the last 12 years, I do not like them and tell them that each year, But i do still put some of the advertising budget there, different areas of the country get differing results, down here i would say i get a rough yearly return from the book in the region of 12k, not bad for one medium, yell advertising i am not convinced, it brings in a bit and pays for itself, but i just consider it a way of being noticed amongst the rest.

Web presence is obviously the way forward, we do not consider pay per click or sponsored links a good option, but again maybe this is a regional thing.

I used to say parish mags were crap and a waste of time, now i have a ad in almost every mag within 30 miles of where i am sat, at the end of the day you gotta be in it to win it!

There is no doubt though, being in employment while you are setting out is a real plus.

[PLEDGEY 495]

Get yourself a 'Killgerm Technical Manual'. It's like the Bible of pest control. You'll need one if you decide to take the BPCA anyways.

[R. Docks 154]

Get yourself a 'Killgerm Technical Manual'. It's like the Bible of pest control. You'll need one if you decide to take the BPCA anyways.

 

No, you need the BPCTM, killgerms is their own version, not quite the same.

 

Oh, and btw, the RSPH level 2 (NOT BPCA) is the basic entry level qualification these days. The BPCA (amongst others) are just training providers for the exam. You could also go to DATAS, SX, Barrettine etc. The exam is less than £200 to sit, it's the training for the exam that costs. There is also online training available now from the BPCA.

[logun 91]

what you may have on paper don't mean nothing,, few weeks training get the certificates and people think that's it,,qualified etc ... the best pest controllers i know ain't no papers at all, they been at it decades some of them and laugh at the idea of certificates.i done a citb bricklaying apprenticeship when i was 16 to 19.got level 3 city and guilds out of it. few years back we had to do our nvqs test as told the guilds not recognised in Europe anymore,, the assess-er was an apprentice we trained,, he was a shit bricklayer never would have made it in the world of subcontract laying but he had the new nvq and done a little course enabling him to assess others........ papers or training even don't make you good at your job,,, experience does that.

[KO SHAMO MAN 6]

try SXEnviromental they have some courses

[budgie123 163]

If it is possible i would advice to get some practicle experience with an experienced technician particularily in relation to the use of insecticides and information you need to give to customers,

Training courses will only teach you so much.

I spent nearly 8 weeks on the job training with other technicians prior to undertaking any treatments which was invaluable experience.

Without this practicle experience you will need to be very carefull what you are doing.

[R. Docks 154]

The RSPH qualification is a bit like the driving test. The driving test doesn't prove that you are a good driver; but it does show that you have reached a level of competence that allows you to continue your learning on the road.

 

Better to have proof that you have a basic understanding of the legal and practical requirements of the job than not in my opinion.

 

It's not an easy exam to pass, but it does sort some of the wheat from some of the chaff.

 

These days it is nigh on impossible to get insurance without an entry level qualification, and to trade without insurance is utter madness.

[wigan pestie 0]

^{The NPTA (National Pest Technicians Association) runs the rsph level 2 course and offer a form of placement with an accredited member to gain some practical experience!!!!}

[DKGPestControl 22]

I would stick to kill germ! They prices are top end on some things and sometimes the quantities are large but they will help you when ever they can, they happily give you advice about anything to do with pest control.

I have used SX and Barrettine but just cannot beat killgerm.

If you ever get stuck on a problem job then please feel free to give us a call. I went about things the same way as you and its nice to be able to speak to another pestie in person when your stuck on a job or even pricing a job.

Regards

Dean