1. how many of you guys do the ADC work full time and make a living from it. i have been reading this page for a little bit now and see that there is more to the bussiness than just trapping.

2. my other question is is there any ADC guys on here from Maine. i'm wondering if we have the same demand as some of these other states.

Well my bunch ain't gone hungry if that's making a living. Wouldn't know about full time though since I'm to busy chasing critters to give it much thought.

Seeing that you're pretty close to Portland for the population density and right on Sebago lake for the summer cottages you might have a chance at making a living.

The dead of winter will more than likely be just that, dead, so you will probably have to find a little something to fill in.

It's all going to depend on how bad you want it.

warrior i would say that if you aren't going hungry and have the time to do what you want thats good.
sgs i don't do ADC work right now but have been thinking about it. trying to research the demand for it. i do carpentry and handyman work now and see this could be another service to do. then add in the exclusion work.

There is a big demand for Bat work in Maine and with your carpenter and handyman skills you would do well. Bat work is also very open to scheduling.

proline i know we have alot of bats here but what makes you say we have a big demand for that work.

No one wants a bat flying around their head in the middle of the night LOL only has to happen a time or 2

Some days it seems like work like when the walleye bite is on and all your buddy's are calling talking about how fast the bite was, then there's these days when you have one mean customer after a nother , most of the time it's just goofing off chasing stuff up chimneys and down in muddy craw spaces high fiving your kid because he just found the mother load of dead rats yum , but then some people get this great idea to expand and hirer people to do this fun stuff for you. then stress moves in your hair falls and your wife gets a boyfriend , most customers are very happy to see you , today I got kissed by one . If you understand how the house was put together and you can climb on old shingles you'll learn bat work , and how it needs to keep out the rodents to , I truly love my job most days , I do miss having days off , but seeing there's always traps to check , taking a day off is a lot of work , and cost a lot of money sometimes . Your phone will ring on days off that's forsure , even midnight bat run calls , one missed midnight bat run could cost you a lot , you might not have for weeks then on that day off when your camped on some trout creek bam , one of the best things I like about my job is my kids and I can work it together , the small ones really come in handy in them small spots , tell a kid there's ten bucks for him if he gets that dead possum under the deck he or she is on it, most times the customer will even tip the kid if he gets dirty doing it they learn this fast and is great for there soul . But then they go all teenager and for some reason it's not there job anymore and want your job but it's all good , I guess what I'm saying if your a Dad that truly loves to be with your kids 24/7 this is great work for that

That was quite a good post Pesky. I'm a little conflicted on the use of smaller kids being professional, however. All three of my kids were involved but not until the were more mature ( Or at least looked more mature ) I admire you for the devotion to your offspring but I'm not sure how the customers would feel if I brought my grandkids along. How about the rest of you guys? Opinions?

If the problem is solved I do not think that they would mind you bringing a marching band. Customer just wants the problem gone. For residential I see no problem, commercial accounts a different story.

They normal ask me to take there kids and teach them how to work , I've even get offered cash money to do so . Customers love it , this zombie generation of kids that don't even ride bikes anymore needs help . I could really care what anybody thinks anyway , there my kids and if I wish to work them thats my right . As a dad it's also my job , they also love it and save there money to buy nice things for there selfs , also kids can go to work instead of school here in Michigan and get credit toward school . Wierd program if you ask me but it's a option , I think they need school and will have plenty of time to work . I have no plans to pull them from school . There's a major problem with kids not wanting or know how to work so I guess are state gov is thinking this program will help with that . I've always worked and made my Owen money working for my dad in his fab shop and still go help him out some times . And yes your little grand kids can craw under decks a grab dead stuff and bring it back to you . Every customer will perfur that over you pulling up deck boards . Your grand kids will also get tips , and brag about how he help out grandad today and realize his or her self worth . Or they could just sit home and play video games becoming a zombie . If want zombie kids leave them home ,if want go getter done type kids load them up in the truck . If you look on strictly trapping there's a post called cutest trapper pic contest the smiles on them kids faces tell what they wish to do

pesky that was a good post i took alot from it. i don't see any problem with teaching kids as long as its safe. my son is 20 and it would be great have him learn more and work with me more. (most) dads make good mentors

Yeah, I think RF hit it on the head. Not so worried about residential but the liability thing on commercial jobs would probably be an issue.

My thoughts exactly, Wink. Little kids are almost certainly not insurable (as employees), and it does not look professional! I wouldn't want an electrician coming to my house with his eight-year-old boy. "Okay, son, go wire up that switch. Make sure it meets code."
Uh-uhhh!!

Bob Noonan, one of the giants of the industry, works somewhere in Maine. Canaan's his mailing address.

Pesky is right on this one. It is a balance of being a parent and knowing how to keep them safe and teaching them at the same time. A picture my daughter brags about was her at about four releasing a Raccoon and my son and daughter have captured and released more geese than most government goose experts. She is now catching Aircraft on a Carrier in the US Navy and he is a Veterinarian in Texas. Yep I am proud and the business is still getting more calls than I want.

There are situations and more often than not that Children should not be allowed to participate, it is most important to teach them how to appropriately behave.

Correct me if I am wrong but doesn't Bob do more writing than actual working in the feild ?

Come on now ProLine; can you imagine ME teaching someone to behave appropriately?

Bushytail, Bob's been a friend of mine for more years than I like to recall and to be quite honest I felt pretty much the same way. It kind of blows me out of the water how much hands-on trapping he actually does. And he still loves that face to face trapping as much as I do.

Pesky, I didn't mean to start an argument. I doubt that there are a lot of people in our business that have as many family members that are an integral part of the business as "yours truly". As a matter of fact, a lot of times I won't mention it because I have so many friends in this business that wish they had family to carry on. Just keep doing what you're doing. When a man dies, the only thing he really leaves to have people judge his worth, is his offspring.

I have no problem bringing kids along on the job. While I wouldn't ask an eight year old to wire up a switch (or release a coyote for that matter), I would certainly ask him or her to go to the truck and get a cage or other tool. As a matter of fact, I would have a kid of any age do any task they felt comfortable doing within legal boundaries.

I've had kids work with me, in a few different trades, as part of a court diversion program. It has always worked out well.

If it doesn't look professional, oh well. There's more important things than looking professional.

sqs, you do us proud! Working with your own kids is easy. Working with someone else's is special.

You didn't start a argument with me Paul I'm fine with what ever people beleave in , I'm surly no one to judge anybody . If people don't wish to take there kids on the job that's fine and if they do that's fine , I do and it gets me alot of work because I do . Much more easy for a family man to sell jobs . That also goes for referrals as well . Your that guy that works with his kids right , im like that's me , ok I was just checking , I hear that a lot . You would be surprised how people react to a father son team or daughter . I'm also a single guy without even a girl friend so I tend to foces more on my kids then most men would . I'm also a single parent so if I don't take my kids along God only knows what they would be doing , I have never had anybody complain and almost every job nothing but praise . They don't go every day in the summer if they seem to be getting bored with it I give them a brake sometimes i need a brake from them as well .It does get old when people say oh your out learning the ropes A kid that gets old but expected . Yep don't let your kids around K9 my son got hit by a red fox it was not good , had to take him to the doctor to get stitched up , the county sherif got involed had to hand over the fox for testing , he new better , he was out with his friend trapping and they caught a fox and was so happy about it he stepped in the trap ring around it came and nailed him , of corse they just keep trapping all day ,never mind telling dad it's only a scratch ,ya right the thing got him good . They should let kids carry a pellet gun at least . Boys will get hurt at any thing they do that's just being a normal boy . So fare I've done a good job at keeping them safe when there with me but no K9 action on my watch . They can set for them that's fine but no hands on if you get my drift

I just wanted to weigh in here since like Pesky I too am and have been a single parent for the last three years. My kids have all spent many a day with Dad because I knew they would be safer with me then spending the day unsupervised with friends. I did not go the the NWCOA convention this year because I chose to stay home with the kids.

My 6 kids ( 4 and 2 steps -three at home and not long ago I had just my youngest) some more then others have learned lots of things like snake identification, how to trap, capture and catch most any nuisance critter here in Florida, and beekeeping and bee removal. They have also learned to be polite and respectful of our customers property and all of them have learned salesmanship skills and how to engage the customer in conversation and gain there trust. Three of the four boys have ever been on a roof and none of them before they were 18. They have all been left waiting for me in my truck while I worked at a customers home too or helped me depending on the customer climate. There were are also plenty of days Dad stayed home and did not work because one or more of them were sick and they were always my 1st job.

All of my kids are pretty good at driving with me into a subdivision and point out homes with that need exclusion work, mole or gopher mounds in yards and other animal sign which is pretty cool because I know it was me that taught them that!

Robb that is one of my favorite things. I love driving around with the kids in winter and they compete who can point out the most houses with squirrels.

All three of my daughters and my two nephews work with me from time to time. It usually ends up being when they want some extra money for something. Each has a different level of confidence and none are asked to do anything beyond their comfort level.

My oldest just likes going along for the release and chooses to stay in the car at customers houses. My middle daughter likes to get into the middle of it and on a few occasions she wrestled squirrels out from under a fridge or out of a fireplace (yes gloves are used). And my youngest chooses to supervise and tell me how to do the job.

I never take all three together on a job its always just one of them and I find the days they are with me the best days of the season.

Yep, those were the good old days when my son worked for me. ( He paid his college tuition that way ) Now I work for him. How did that happen?

Oh you love it Paul it was your master plan from the start . I can't wait to someday step out my front door and hear comes the kid in his or her truck pulling his or her boat yelling out hop in dad let's fish , I already taught them to catch,clean and cook the fish they just hand me a plate with some big wedge French fries on the side now .

Well Pesky, if I thought for a moment that my son would be even faintly interested in my line of work, I would agree with you. My son was the ultimate athlete in a family filled with them. The only reason he decided on this business is all the free tickets from wealthy customers. ( He sits with the player's wives. ) This did not prevent him from becoming far more cutting edge than I could ever be.

My son can barely catch a fish, much less clean or cook it. If you think that I feel bad about not teaching him, you would be wrong!
I let my son make his own decisions about what he was going to do with his life and following in his father's footsteps was not even on the board. The fact that he is now the president of our company is not something I can brag about. I didn't see it coming. Am I happy? I'm overjoyed! But I think there is some sort of lesson to be learned here. Each of us are individuals. We need the freedom to do what we choose to. If it means failure, so be it. All three of my children are college educated and are all successful. I would love to say that this is because of my wife and I, but the truth is, you can give your kids everything to succeed but they still have to do it themselves.

Thanks Paul. Working with kids is very enjoyable.

Sooo...you guys think we answered allplotts question? lol

Not really SGS!

allplotts

I worked my first 8 years part time. I had a good job made good money and had no motivation until I started doing a lot of bat exclusion work in 04 and my day job got in the way so much I finally quit and never looked back.

Maynard Stanley has done this work for the last 20 years or so and lives near Rockland and services the Augusta Rockland Camden Maine area from Searsport to Damascottas and North to Augusta. He is Stan58 on here and I am sure he can give you a good perspective of the industry in your state . His phone is 207-594-2112.

whAT QUESTION?

it looks like some of you do it full time. meaning that your adc trapping,exclusion and repair keeps you busy and you make money at it. i will continue with my process and see if i can do the same.

thanks

Isabella goes with me on occasion, especially if I have long series of cages strung out up and down the coulees, it's good exercise. I also take her along to run interference if the client has kids or nosy dogs. She plays with them while I'm tending traps, it works especially well if I'm doing skunks. No ladder work, no crawlspaces, no venomous snake work, no 330 handling, etc. just kid stuff. Make it fun, short and sweet so they don't get bored.