The blighters attacked me
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Topic URL: http://www.pestcontrolportal.com/snitz/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=649
Printed on: 16 Oct 2006
Topic:
Topic author: vermincontrol
Subject: The blighters attacked me called to a wasp job in an attic today, i was told it was huge, but when i got there the only active nest was under the floor through an air brick, so i treated that one, and whilst waiting thought that i would look at the huge one in the attic. Well all i can say is it was not what i call huge as i could of just about got it in a black bucket.
Replies:
Posted on: 06 Oct 2006 19:28:42
Message:
I came out of the loft to find the owners of the property waiting in the street out of harms way in case they all flew out of the nest. so i had to break the news that they had eleven nests in the attic in total and the one at the back of the house that was under treatment. I said the bad news is that you have eleven wasp nests in the attic at various stages of build, there faces dropped and the colour was draining, then i told them that they were all dead including the one that they thought to be huge, after i had broken the nests up i charged them for the work, as you do. their faces looked in disbelief at the price. whats the matter says i to them, well you have only charged us for one nest what about the others, no treatment no charge i have charged you for the one that has been treated and no others as it was just a check to establish that they were indeed dead. no treatment no charge.
However the little blighters (wasps that is)went crazy when i put in the ficam and were attacking me and the duster and my van which was in the road at the other end of the building, well needless to say i had to kill them for that and so i did. customers were more than happy and i just felt that the wasps were trying to get revenge on me for killing them but they certainly did react, that is the first time this year that i have been seriously attacked by several wasps at the same time.
all good fun though.
Steve
It Has 2 Be Done Pest Control
www.ithas2bedone.co.uk
Reply author: Bob Newey
Replied on: 07 Oct 2006 03:38:13
Message:
Nice story that Steve. I presume you were wearing your gear 
. Some may think you should have charged a bit for the other work, but I'd have done the same as you because they'll be more likely to recomend you to others which will benefit you more in the long run.
Reply author: vermincontrol
Replied on: 07 Oct 2006 07:34:46
Message:
Hi Bob i certainly was wearing my gear, i did not on the first blitz of powder but after that i certainly did which was a good thing because i had a white outfit on i could see them all. i have treated their sons house a few times for wasps over the past two years and so i was recommended to them any way, but they in turn will carry on telling others, and i think it is the right way to go forward. at least i can smile about it and it took no longer really because i always stay a while to watch that any treatment that i carry out is working to my satsifaction. so it really filled out a bit of time and they in turn can now send in the builders knowing that there is no problem.
Steve
It Has 2 Be Done Pest Control
www.ithas2bedone.co.uk
Reply author: pestguard1
Replied on: 07 Oct 2006 09:42:11
Message:
I have just got back from doing a wasp nest in a attic .......well in fact there was 3 nest ......2 were active ..3rd one was only the size of a ping pong ball ............as I was in the vicinity (so to speech ) I treated all the nests ...and only charge for the one nest ...........not much point in chargeing for each individual nest ...when anyone phones for a price I allways tell them the price for the whole job , not much point in getting there only to say "well in fact Mrs ? .......you have X amount of nests .....and it`s going to be � ???? extra for each nest.
I know some pesties that would charge the extra amount.
Brian
Reply author: Gamekeeper
Replied on: 09 Oct 2006 09:43:08
Message:
Get this ! I can hardly believe it myself; We charge the same to remove an old nest as we do to treat a live one ! Work that one out 
Fid Def
Reply author: dennis
Replied on: 09 Oct 2006 14:44:56
Message:
When you're in business time is money, anybody can work for nothing. I would take a guess that you are not self employed gamekeeper
Reply author: Gamekeeper
Replied on: 09 Oct 2006 16:11:07
Message:
No Dennis, Local Authority 
Fid Def
Reply author: nigel
Replied on: 09 Oct 2006 18:20:06
Message:
Did a belter in an Oak tree today. As soon as the ficam went in to the nest, the sky went black with very angry wasp's. They attacked everything in the garden, me, a spade stuck in the ground, the garden shed and they even had a go at the van which was parked at least 20 yards away on the drive.
Within 3 seconds the face veil was covered in wasp's hell bent on revenge, no wonder the customer got stung over the weekend when he went to have a look at it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reply author: vermincontrol
Replied on: 09 Oct 2006 19:00:39
Message:
Glad it was your van this time and not just mine, i knew they were getting angry when they tried to attack me, lesson to be learnt here, seems to be always wear your kit even on the first hit.
Steve
It Has 2 Be Done Pest Control
www.ithas2bedone.co.uk
Reply author: The Spotlight Kid
Replied on: 09 Oct 2006 21:32:22
Message:
We also charge the same to remove an old nest as we do to treat an active one. We always explain that removal is unnecessary but if they insist then the time taken is probably the same as treating an active one so it seems fair to me. The price also acts as a deterant from undertaking unnesesary work.
Reply author: vermincontrol
Replied on: 10 Oct 2006 08:18:05
Message:
I can ubderstand a nominal fee for removing a dead nest in order to cover costs but not to charge the same price as no chemicals are used, and after all how long does it take to break a nest if you are already there.
i personally dont charge for any work unless i have to treat something, however saying that i can understand where you are coming from spotlight kid. i think that if i am called out to the customers premises to check if the nest is dead and to remove it, then i may charge for the time taken etc. but not if the call was for a genuine treatment for what the customer thought was an active nest.
Steve
It Has 2 Be Done Pest Control
www.ithas2bedone.co.uk
Reply author: nigel
Replied on: 10 Oct 2006 08:47:28
Message:
I would hate to think of the consequence if this customer had decided to go out and buy a can of foam and tackle it himself.
Reply author: Gamekeeper
Replied on: 10 Oct 2006 09:20:51
Message:
Yes, how about the person I was talking to on here who said he never used a veil...forget who it was, was it Bryan ? (perhaps it was the "other" website ?)
Fid Def
Reply author: BRY
Replied on: 10 Oct 2006 09:44:49
Message:
yes gamekeeper its was me Bryan i have never wore a suit, i never get that close or stay around after treating a nest cause i feel " oh i got a suit on i can't be stung lol"
And i have done some BIG nasty nests too.
I know alot who wear suits and still get stung HEHEHEHE
Bry
Reply author: Gamekeeper
Replied on: 10 Oct 2006 10:02:28
Message:
Bry
You must get nests that seem quite "ordinary" at the outset but, once treated, go absolutely ballistic ?
Fid Def
Reply author: BRY
Replied on: 10 Oct 2006 10:37:00
Message:
i sure do but as i say i don't get that close lol, been chased quite a few times
i find wasps get more aggressive from sept onwards as the weather changes so then i'm extra carefull lol . If i get stung its this time of year it happens
Bry
Reply author: dennis
Replied on: 10 Oct 2006 12:26:08
Message:
Bry surely your risk assessment should dictate that ppe should be worn and this should include a bee suit. as you say you do not hang around long enough to get stung but what if in your haste to get away you fell through the ceiling or off a ladder. Just a thought mate
Reply author: BRY
Replied on: 10 Oct 2006 13:06:36
Message:
Good point dennis i'm not in that much haste, and like i've said before the suit makes people too condfident at times. Concerning risk there are ways to do the job easily without the need to get up real close before the nests gets to the stage of as gamekeeper say's go absolutely ballistic.
As i said a very good point on risk assessment, (i think if i had someone working for me then i'd make them wear the suit)
Bry
Reply author: dennis
Replied on: 10 Oct 2006 16:56:11
Message:
You wait till you get one where they are all waiting for you. Ive had several occasions where what seemed quite a docile nest suddenly erupted and attacked everything in sight, I was glad of my Bee suit then. IT WILL HAPPEN
Reply author: ABPest
Replied on: 10 Oct 2006 18:50:56
Message:
There are professional pest controllers who carry out risk assessments and wear the correct ppe. Then there is that foriegn bloke, Bryan, who carries a bottle of his home brew. When he is stung, he can't feel a thing
Reply author: BRY
Replied on: 10 Oct 2006 20:31:08
Message:
abpest are u saying i'm not a professional ? if you are THEN ITS GUNS AT DAWN
Dennis been there done it, wore the shirt,
BRY
Reply author: ABPest
Replied on: 10 Oct 2006 21:16:10
Message:
Professional Welshman, yes
Guns at dawn? .....my Logun S16 is loaded for bear
See you on the 25th
Adrian.
Reply author: vermincontrol
Replied on: 12 Oct 2006 20:41:37
Message:
went to a wasp nest today in the pouring rain (as you do) as a favour for a mate that is working for me. entrance to the nest was behind a low level guttering (ie a bit lower than a bungalow) and as i was looking up at the wasps i am sure they were looking down at me, cos as i sprayed in the ficam out came an army of wasps to fight me off, well i took one step back and the shot them again then made a hasty retreat with only four or five wasps on me, they tried but i think the rain was on my side.
Steve
It Has 2 Be Done Pest Control
www.ithas2bedone.co.uk
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