I would just like to ask anyone who is in the ADC profession as a career a little about it. Im a sophomore in high school and im deciding on my career path. So any information towards salary, schooling needed, and any other important information would be greatly appreciated.

And let me be the first to say it; What state are you from?

Business degree. Keep studying.

Im from West virginia Paul

Today I had a nice conversation with a friendly competitor and we were talking pricing. He brought up how many of the guys in this industry do not have any degree and are charging customers more than doctors and lawyers get paid.

This brought a memory up of a customer I had last year.

He had a very tight attic that was wood floor and no insulation. He wanted me to go up there and clean up the raccoon poop. I gave him my price and he said "It will take you less than two hours. At that price you are charging me more an hour than my lawyer does."

And my response was "then I suggest you ask your lawyer if he wants to come clean up your raccoon poop!"

Needless to say I did not clean up that poop and I am sure it is still sitting up there.

I went to college. Not related to this field. But it has helped me considerably. I would suggest at least getting a two year degree. It looks good on paper and it will help you a lot.
Take any wildlife classes you can as well.

I have my degree. Just like you it isn't in this field but I am glad I went and got it.

Unfortunately the school of hard knocks does not give out degrees... My best advice would be to get a job with a contractor while in school. Learn how homes are built. 80% of this job deals with working on homes.

Great advice. Would be many steps ahead with some basic home building knowledge.

You should drop out of high school toward the end this way you can go to trade schools for free . Learning building trades is good and also to get your pestcontrol lic . You finish high school you will need to pay for schools when people in the same class are going for free just because they dropped out.No I wouldn't do that but makes sense sadly thats how it works .Get a job get payed to learn big diff learning something on paper vs learning hands on . Learning siding roof brick laying carpentry insulation things like this will be a major help . Learning how to be a ADC trapper no school for that or the inspection part I got lucky my buddy been at 20 some years he trained me the basic I took it from there . You might need to pay some to let you ride along learn the basics .

I love it !!

As a professional my fees and rates rival or exceed most law,engineering or medical school graduates income. They didnt begin that way. However, with the skill and knowledge that I have developed over the years I think it would be an accurate statement to say that I have a master doctorates degree in the trapping,lure making, ADC and Pest Control industry fields.

This knowledge all came as a result of hard work, determination, desire, time vested, discriminating / observant eyes and feet on the ground. Work on ladders / lifts /ridge hooks all were contributing factors needed to help excel in my field of interest.

I have a degree and masters credits in education with minors in physiology and psychology. A real Heinz variety of education to say the least. Needless to say years ago I couldnt make up my mind what I wanted to do with my life.It didnt take me long to work into my field of choice that I have enjoyed and paid my way very comfortably thru life.

Pursuing a field of interest of almost 40 years ago now that many said it couldnt be done. I had been told I was foolish to even contemplate such a thought. I had also been advised by some successful business minded individuals of that era that there just wasn't enough demand for such a thing as getting paid for trapping animals and making lures/baits. I sure have amazed many and dumbfounded others over the years. :):)$$

I am a living example of proving that if you have a dream, basic skills, the interest and the work ethic to make it through the thick and thin, by all means you should follow your dream. If with a good effort and working in a reasonable population base market area you cant pay the bills then it may be time to consider another field of interest.

It can take many years to build a good cash flow business to be honest and the basic start up costs needed as well to get the ball rolling may be an obstacle to some.

There just wasn't enough demand for such a thing as getting paid for trapping animals. I think it would be safe to say I have amazed many over the years and proved many nay sayers wrong.

My education, even though I chose not to pursue my areas of schooling; the knowledge, language skills, math and the over all business skills associated with some type of elevated education will certainly help to mold your wildlife/pest control business much more easily and competently.

Coupled with some basic handyman / construction repair skills, tool use and basic safety understanding all will help give an individual a good solid start in this business.

The rest of the puzzle will be done thru self taught skills or skills learned thru training seminars,personal instruction etc.

One thing I can say with many years in this industry and wise forethought is this. The wildlife control business is an accelerated growth industry and I believe in time that our industry will become saturated with companies and sole proprietor operators that will make it more challenging then ever to compete in our business making a good income.

Just the writing on the wall as I see it. There will be survivors as always and those that will slide off to the side unable to adapt and compete at the necessary levels of competition and needed skills. The fact that our economy will be going thru some significant changes nationwide as well will be another contributing factor in the success of our industry and others.

Barter/trade business will be more of the norm in the future as some who survive into that age will come to see this system of doing business in their days. Who can imagine being paid to play every day of their life.

Pinch me, because I must have been dreaming for the last 40 years. Life has been grand.....

Well said. I have not hired someone without a degree or some college in quite some time. A good vocabulary and intelligence is more important than other skills that can be taught on the job. That said, there are certainly companies that will hire high school dropouts. Time will tell how this will play out over the long term.

That is because of the economy,,,,,,,Why would anyone with a Degree take a low paying pest control job if they could find something in there fields,.??/



Intelligence is not learned,,,,it is genetic......

Because cubicles suck.

Unfortunately, the "college degree" is quickly becoming the new high school diploma.

Justin, as far as salary goes, it's just like any other trade. Working for someone else gets you a base pay. Go into business as a sole proprietor and you have a chance to double your income. Become a business man with a number of employees and the sky's the limit.

As for education, you need to learn the trade. Obviously. Just which aspect of the trade is the question. If you are going to include building repair and exclusion in your business, general construction knowledge will be required. If you go in a different direction, it's not.

Once you figure out which aspect of the business you want to specialize in get all the education you can concerning your work. You will actually never stop learning.

But better pay, benefits and career advancement do not.......

A collage educated person that uses your excuse would not be hired by me,,, Attics suck Too......

Justin, I've got a few younger cousins and family members about your age and a few leaving high school heading for college.

While I know your question is focused on the ADC field, I'm going to take another angle with you on this, that is the same I tell family.

No matter how many things distract you at this age of life, focus hard on making sure you learn and understand as much as you can in school. If you struggle with a subject (in my case math was a nightmare) make sure you get a tutor or whatever help you can and never be embarrassed about doing so. Learn everything you possibly can when it is offered. I definitely fall into the group of folks that understands that not all people want to know everything, but be sure while in high school you do as much as you can as in the end if you change your mind about your career path, you will be prepared for college more than the folks who slacked on certain subjects, while focusing just on what they liked.

I've got buddies who dropped out sophomore year due to family issues and other things and yep, they make double my annual income, but they had quite a lot of years of proving themselves and finding the ultimate route to happiness.

If you decide to go to college you can pursue many different aspects as folks have listed. You can go the business route because frankly that can help you in many fields, however there are tons of folks with MBA's out there unemployed or working for minimum wage as the market is flooded.

If you have always been interested in wildlife behavior and biology, you can go to school for a wide variety of things, from 2 years to Phd (however if you do the last one, it should be because you want to be a professor someday, lots of colleagues have these degrees and the only ones I see it pay ($$) for are those that wanted to teach in the end.

You can be a game warden, a fish hatchery technician, a wildlife veterinarian, a professional wildlife control company owner, honestly it is wide open.

The bottom line I've seen time and time again is passion. If you are passionate and work hard every time you are given a chance, whether your working an internship for free or being paid thousands of dollars, your work ethic will move you in any field.

I'll say it in "sappy" terms that I tell my little cousins. Follow your heart to what you want to do, be passionate and honest and you will ultimately succeed!

All the advice others gave is right on point as well and some good thoughts are in there related in particular to the ADC field. People come to this field from all walks of life and interest levels and it plays out a variety of ways. If it is what you want to do follow the last statement above this paragraph and you'll get there!

Justin

Cute vinkie...

Gentlemen: this is by far, the most important topic on Trapperman in the last 10 years or so. I am completely amazed at the intelligence put into the responses that each of you has made. Having people of your experience encouraging younger people who are reading what you have said about continuing education can only have a positive effect on our business in the future.

Had I gone on to college, I would have wanted to become an attorney. ( Even though they don't make as much as Nate and I ) My son graduated from an above average college and even in ADC work probably makes and will continue to make as much as the best of his classmates. This has more to do with his personality I'm sure, but his teaching degree education certainly didn't hurt.

Vinke; If you always loved hunting, fishing, trapping, and the great outdoors, but had a degree in something completely different, in many cases you would think that you died and went to heaven working for us. At this point, at least, I don't believe that there is any reason for someone to make less money doing what he loves than doing what he doesn't.

I was especially impressed with what Bob Jameson wrote. I would encourage him to submit that type of article to be printed in WCT.

Probably the wealthiest guy in my high school graduating class, not only never went to college, but was also voted the least likely to succeed. I will forever be proud of him. People like myself, who should have gone but didn't, not so much.

I have a bachelor's degree in psychology and a masters in social work and am a "Licensed Certified Social Worker." It's my true calling in life and I work full-time at a counseling agency. But I've found a way to add income with ADC work, an interest that grew from years on a fur line. I set my ADC prices to make the same hourly rate that I make when providing counseling but my profit margin is much better doing ADC. I wouldnt trade my education, both formal and informal, for anything. It all comes in real handy when dealing with customers. Will I ever go full-time? I don't know if that can happen here but I've been adding a good chunk of income every year through ADC.

I am looking at this as a business owner, rather than a sole proprietor. I would probably get a business degree....with a lot of marketing, website development, and law classes. I would dread the accounting classes...but would take a couple. On the weekends, I would go hunting with my Dad. During the summer, I would work for a insect company.