Never too old for a career change..

[3dumb 219]

Not sure if this is being posted in the right place, but being as this thread covers pest control, here I am asking for advice..

Covid has meant I've been furloughed for the majority of this year and as its gone on, I've found myself back on the tools for the first time in years. The work has been fun, but its left me seriously considering where to go next, especially as I'm not entirely sure I'll have either job come next March. Ergo, its time for a change [again] and I'd like to do something where I'm actually doing what I enjoy.

That said, what advise would you pest controllers have for someone who would like to join the trade? Im not daft and wouldn't dream of just setting up myself without experience, but i can't see many blokes wanting to take on a 30yr old apprentice either. 

Any info on how you started or what you might advise would be ace. Even if its a "feck off, there's enough of us already", haha. 

TIA.

[3dumb 219]

1 minute ago, Balaur said:

30 is a decent age to employ someone, willing to learn, life commitments , reliability, bit of sense, physically fit etc. Good luck with finding a new path, atb with future endeavours, hope you get some decent advice.

Cheers Balaur, thanks for the kind words

[Torquemada 288]

Do the RSPH Level 2 in Pest Control and you should get a start somewhere...

[3dumb 219]

7 minutes ago, Torquemada said:

Do the RSPH Level 2 in Pest Control and you should get a start somewhere...

Thank you! One google search later and I've found somewhere that does the qualification literally down the road. Appreciate the response!

[DIDO.1 22,845]

Terminix are a company that are expanding everywhere at the minute and I believe they take on people without experience. 

As said get yourself qualified and you stand a better chance. Think there is a face book group called pest control jobs UK 

[LuckOrJudgement 437]

30's not old at all!

The larger pest firms round our way are always advertising for new staff and if you can afford to finance the rsph level 2 yourself, then you will be ideally placed to get a foot in the door. You say you've been on the tools: anyone who is practical and good at problem solving can apply those skills to pest control.

A word of caution: there's a reason why a lot of postions are always available and that's because of high turn over - get with the wrong firm and it might put you off for life. Also, don't be under any illusions- as an employee of a general pest control firm your life won't be all about ambushing foxes in orchards on moonlit nights - a lot of it is on your knees servicing rodent bait boxes, sometimes in very shitty environments. That said, pest control is a very broad church and the more you learn the more fascinating it is. Go for it.

 

[3dumb 219]

10 hours ago, LuckOrJudgement said:

30's not old at all!

The larger pest firms round our way are always advertising for new staff and if you can afford to finance the rsph level 2 yourself, then you will be ideally placed to get a foot in the door. You say you've been on the tools: anyone who is practical and good at problem solving can apply those skills to pest control.

A word of caution: there's a reason why a lot of postions are always available and that's because of high turn over - get with the wrong firm and it might put you off for life. Also, don't be under any illusions- as an employee of a general pest control firm your life won't be all about ambushing foxes in orchards on moonlit nights - a lot of it is on your knees servicing rodent bait boxes, sometimes in very shitty environments. That said, pest control is a very broad church and the more you learn the more fascinating it is. Go for it.

 

Appreciate the response LoJ, thank you.

I'm under no illusion that it'll be stalking and long nets, but its a step towards eventual self employment whilst doing a service I would relish.

Going to be applying for rsph 2 today

[LuckOrJudgement 437]

32 minutes ago, 3dumb said:

Appreciate the response LoJ, thank you.

I'm under no illusion that it'll be stalking and long nets, but its a step towards eventual self employment whilst doing a service I would relish.

Going to be applying for rsph 2 today

I would strongly reccomend the self employed route off the bat - if that's your aim.

If you start off employed and then try and cover private work at the same time,  you'll be running round like a blue arsed fly - especially in the winter. Plus your employer (if a Pest Control Firm) won't like it one bit. Add to that the fact that a lot of the work is out-of-hours youll be giving yourself an impossible task. 

Worth giving your strategy some serious thought beforehand.

[3dumb 219]

3 hours ago, LuckOrJudgement said:

I would strongly reccomend the self employed route off the bat - if that's your aim.

If you start off employed and then try and cover private work at the same time,  you'll be running round like a blue arsed fly - especially in the winter. Plus your employer (if a Pest Control Firm) won't like it one bit. Add to that the fact that a lot of the work is out-of-hours youll be giving yourself an impossible task. 

Worth giving your strategy some serious thought beforehand.

Thank you for all your advice

I've booked on to the next available training session and spent this morning trying to pencil out some sort of business plan. 

Self employed is always preferred, I've never been so happy as when being my own boss, I just hadn't thought of jumping straight in at the deep end with this, but I suppose that's the whole point of qualifications.

Thanks again!

[Ratmanwan3 86]

Just looked at your profile and your in derby. This is an area saturated in pest control firms, me included !

Google all the company's in the area and see what your up against. Every year there are more and the following year most are gone. Been beating with a local lad today who's just been made redundant,  he's thinking about it as well.

It can be very cut throat in this area so have a good look at your finances ect.

Best of luck. PM me if you need to ask anything.

 

[3dumb 219]

21 hours ago, Ratmanwan3 said:

Just looked at your profile and your in derby. This is an area saturated in pest control firms, me included !

Google all the company's in the area and see what your up against. Every year there are more and the following year most are gone. Been beating with a local lad today who's just been made redundant,  he's thinking about it as well.

It can be very cut throat in this area so have a good look at your finances ect.

Best of luck. PM me if you need to ask anything.

 

Thanks for the heads up mate, I'll drop you a pm and talk more there

[PLEDGEY 496]

 If you do go self employed , as above, get B.P.C.A., R.S.P.H.level 2 award. Companies like Killgerm, one of the big pest control suppliers, won't sell to you until you give them a B.P.C.A. cert number with matching name. Get a company to set you up with a good web site and do a 'pay per click', this will get you right to the top of page one when some one does a search that has words in it you have stated as relevant. Get some 'ghostnumbers' for your phone, you can have numbers for different areas that look like land lines but they all go to your phone, make you look like a bigger concern. It'll be hard at the moment but set up contracts with pubs, restaurants, takeaways etc to have rat/mouse boxes that you check and fill every couple of months.  Try to sell and install anything pertaining to pestcontrol like fly screens, door chains, uvlighting. Look smart, if you have a new(ish) van, clothes with logo on it, headed paper work etc people expect to pay a lot. I personally stayed clear of fleas and bedbugs, my Mrs would have gone f***ing ape shit if I had brought them home.

[Staffy1 54]

I started my business  at 48 years old . I did start it along side my old job for two years just to build it up a bit  and see what works out there  . Good way odf  starting and takes a way a lot of pressure. I would advise following

Get a basic rodenticide course and insect course under your belt - will allow you to buy professional products . Kilgerm and others do day courses.

Get decent insurance its not too expensive and if some thing goes wrong youll be glad you  didnt go cheap and cheerful.

As soon as you can get a RSPH2 course in pest control done .its an eye opener especially when it comes to rodenticide use and probably should be a must for any one using professional products. The one day Kilgerm insect course covers safe use of pesticides  and mixing chemicals  etc which is an minimum safety knowledge you should have  when spraying.. The basic courses really are only starter courses and dont perhaps give you all the knowledge  you require 

Get a Google business listing done along with facebook page , local parish magazines, get out to local shops with notice boards and get plenty of business cards on those boards 

Get a small engine diesel van or eco friendly petrol vehicle fuel will be one of your big out lays 

When you start be prepared to do other bits like proofing , clearing rubbish after treatments  etc - once the work comes in you can probably just sign post customers to a good trades man if you dont have time / interest

Dont under price/undersell  yourself depending on area you need to make at least twenty five punds a hour so when pricing jobs  Hours + fuel+ materials+ tax = starting quote. Youll find some companies doing very cheap  wasps for example. When I started I charged 30 quid to compete  30 quid after taking off tax ,fuel and materials make you a  busy fool I now charge 60 get half as much work and make the same amount!!!

Depending on area youll find most work is trapping / rodenticides and spraying  shooting makes up 1 percent of my work if that so If pest control  appeals  for shooting etc it wont meet your expectations 

and good luck 

[LuckOrJudgement 437]

2 hours ago, Staffy1 said:

I started my business  at 48 years old . I did start it along side my old job for two years just to build it up a bit  and see what works out there  . Good way odf  starting and takes a way a lot of pressure. I would advise following

Get a basic rodenticide course and insect course under your belt - will allow you to buy professional products . Kilgerm and others do day courses.

Get decent insurance its not too expensive and if some thing goes wrong youll be glad you  didnt go cheap and cheerful.

As soon as you can get a RSPH2 course in pest control done .its an eye opener especially when it comes to rodenticide use and probably should be a must for any one using professional products. The one day Kilgerm insect course covers safe use of pesticides  and mixing chemicals  etc which is an minimum safety knowledge you should have  when spraying.. The basic courses really are only starter courses and dont perhaps give you all the knowledge  you require 

Get a Google business listing done along with facebook page , local parish magazines, get out to local shops with notice boards and get plenty of business cards on those boards 

Get a small engine diesel van or eco friendly petrol vehicle fuel will be one of your big out lays 

When you start be prepared to do other bits like proofing , clearing rubbish after treatments  etc - once the work comes in you can probably just sign post customers to a good trades man if you dont have time / interest

Dont under price/undersell  yourself depending on area you need to make at least twenty five punds a hour so when pricing jobs  Hours + fuel+ materials+ tax = starting quote. Youll find some companies doing very cheap  wasps for example. When I started I charged 30 quid to compete  30 quid after taking off tax ,fuel and materials make you a  busy fool I now charge 60 get half as much work and make the same amount!!!

Depending on area youll find most work is trapping / rodenticides and spraying  shooting makes up 1 percent of my work if that so If pest control  appeals  for shooting etc it wont meet your expectations 

and good luck 

Do you get much mole work, Staffy?

[Pirate 9000 676]

Probably the biggest mistake people make when taking on pest control jobs is under estimating the cost,and can't do the job, getting loads of franchised pest control jobs at the moment where what they have quoted for a years contract is not even going to cover the first treatment, last thing you want is reputation of not doing good job.