Fee's for clearing out squirrels and other pests

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ipon70

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Jun 30, 2015
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Question about fee's or costs of nuisance control.
I have been out to about 3 farms (ranch, equestrian) and removing squirrels, pigeons and such.
My question is, what is a fair price?
I have been doing pretty much whatever the person wants to pay, this has ranged from per item, to per day.
If its per item what is fair?
If its per day what is fair?

Thanks for any help, and yes, this is my first post here. Hello!!
 
I've thought about this question a little and figured out some factors that you should consider when making these prices.
1. Cost of Ammo - This is a tiny amount of money for pellets but if you have to pay to get a scuba tank filled for money factor that in too.
2. General Effort - how much of your time did this take up? How difficult was it to take the game.
3. How much your employer wants to pay.
4. Can you take the meat home? - this only applies to pests with considerable meat on them (pigeons, rabbits, squirrels etc.). (You could feed cats smaller pests. Like Ted would)
5. If this is more of a hobby than a job there's no doubt you enjoy it so maybe don't ask for as much money.

After using your best judgement on these little tips you should come up with a fair price. I can't say what's fair and not fair until I know more about the situation but I find those 5 things helpful.
 
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Paul is spot on. I am sure laws may vary state to state, but you need to be licensed and insured for you own protection and to be legal. Maybe even create an LLC? I have looked into the same thing here in Ohio. For what little income it brings versus what it cost to be legal and have yourself covered, I decided to remove pest to help gain access to hunting and fishing for my own enjoyment instead of for money.
 
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"PaulWI"Once you charge money for removing pest from a property that is not yours you need to be licensed and insured. You can do it for free without.

Just a FYI that you should check into before getting into any trouble
Paul
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Paul makes a very good point. In Texas where I live, if you charge a fee the State will come after you. The Texas Structural Pest Control Board regulates this. This falls under the same licenses as exterminator use. Make sure you check with your state before you quote a fee.
 
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I guess I should have included the fact that most of the people requesting removal are either people I know, or someone a personal relative interacts with or works for.

I never really considered a license or insurance because its kind of just been a "whatever" sort of deal. They just paid me for time, as kind of a good will gesture, not really as a business or a "serious" source of income. 

That brings me to the original question. Since I have done it for basically family and friends, the word gets around...others have started to ask and I have said "no" up to this point. I thought about maybe turning it into a side business and that is why I was asking about fee's. 
I would love at that point to get insurance on myself, and if this state requires it, a license. But don't want to waste the time if its $25 for the day kind of thing. I usually go out for about 3-4 hours. Any help on what to expect money wise or what is reasonable would be great.
 
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You will find that liability insurance for something like this would be outrageously expensive. I would continue to just do it for friends and family. If you do it for others then I would suggest telling them you do not charge, but if they would like to buy you a few beers for your trouble that would be OK. When you get into something like this as a business government fees, licensing etc along with insurance make it just not worth the hassle, just my 2 cents, Neil.
 
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You might be right on keeping it friends and family.
I have contacted our states license to see what it is going to entail and costs.
Insurance I am not to worried about I think that will be reasonable.
I just need to hear from someone who has maybe done it awhile and kind of knows what to expect.
I can shoot where I live basically all year long, so if a license is $100 a year it would be worth it.

I don't know, I am just asking to hopefully garner a better idea of potential income, rather then the logistics of making it happen. I will make sure that part is in order.
 
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On the note of being on topic. I have a buddy who was an exterminator. He was licensed through a company and had a company vehicle and all. He would do side jobs for people out on farms and such using his .177 Beeman Trail NP XL Work would end for him at around 3-4pm and traffic to get back home could take 2hrs for a 15-30min drive with local traffic. 

He would pick up some of these side jobs and charge $50 per hour to be on the property shooting pests. But would cap it at 200-250 depending if he was there doing an overnight rat hunt. 

Working 7 days a week, he would bring in an extra 1k 'off the books' on these farms and large property's. He did this off and on for about a year in total, then the stress of dealing with 'pests' on the daily professionally and in his free time got to him and he changed professions. 


I have not charged people. I like as mentioned, "opening up the property for hunting season" - Deer on some of these properties are considered 'pests' when they start destroying all the corn. 

* I have accepted gas money from time to time. People would need me out there in a hurry and offered to compensate my fuel if I could get there in on their schedule.Some times it was also them asking if I could run to town and bring various groceries or hardware store items with me for them that they were unable to get out of the house in a timely fashion to do. (Running errands) Lots of times, people bring out a hot meal, cold beverages, and good conversation when meal times hit. 
 
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I would look at it this way: If you were to ask someone to go out and shoot game on their property they would let you do it and you would pay them or give them a gift. Now you are doing the same thing but maybe not taking edibles home with you. So, if you do it and don't have to pay the landowner then you are doing okay. If a landowner wanted to give you something for your troubles then that is up to them. Don't keep track and certainly don't have a price list. That makes you a business by definition and if someone (a person who made a career and pays overhead to be a business) finds out through the grapevine that you are doing what they pay state fees, insurance, DNR pest management licenses to do they might not take kindly to it. This is just my thought as a business owner. If someone decided to just do what I do as a side job they could certainly do it with less cost. But they also aren't paying taxes and all the other expenses that go into legitimate business practice and would be really having an effect on the business that I rely upon to fee my family. If you want to do it as a hobby, keep it that way. If you would like to be compensated then just make sure you do it legit. It might be easy and cheap to put yourself into a profitable little business. But I know for a fact that it is a rewarding hobby, just not in the way of cash.
 
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This is an interesting topic as I have never thought of charging anything however I am always taking care of "pests" for friends and family. The point of compensation, whether it be money or something worth money (hunting privileges, etc) is valid. If you are getting something of value, that is considered compensation......even if it is not cash. It goes without saying, be careful for whomever you are doing the "control" for. One stray pellet could cost you big time, even with the best of intentions, and even if there is no compensation.
 
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Ask yourself this. How would you feel if someone took money out of your pocket by doing your job for a lot less, and was doing it more as a hobby than as a real job? Better yet, ask your family what they would think.

I do not believe anyone can fault a person for helping out friends or family gratis. Likewise, it is hard to fault an entrepreneur who pays the costs (fees, permits, workers comp, liability insurance, etc.) of a real business; and who also pays his or her fair share of local, county, state and federal taxes.

Too bad there is no market for rat, crow, invasive dove, or other carcasses. I'd actually pay farmers and dairymen a fee of a few cents each if there were.

Wait a minute What about exotic pet owners? Would they pay for frozen snake treats. Do zoos have a need? What about alligator or cat fish farmers? Perhaps carcasses could be used as a new compost "fortifier" to differentiate a commercial product from all the others? Let's get real crazy and ask if carcasses be used as a replacement for a current fracking additive so the industry can start to go "green". Then there is bio-fuel............

Here's a question for Ted. What about research labs that need to keep nasty little critters - rather than dogs or cats or bunny rabbits - alive for research purposes?

Perhaps talking carcasses is counter productive. If so, would artisnal chefs be willing to pay a retainer to procure a steady source of free range dove breasts (invasive species only of course) humanely taken under a one shot/one kill protocol, and could it be done in accordance with Department of Agriculture rules?

If only I had some contacts in the above industries.

I wonder how long it would take to go public? 

Enough spit balling.

Best wishes.

The other Mark B.

 
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