a few extra bucks

J

johnisimpson

New member
I've decided to invest in a case of wasp/hornet spray. After getting stung 3 times doing a bid the other day, I've decided to itemize nest removal as a mandantory charge on jobs that I find wasp nests at. I can tell the home owner that we'll remove them for $5.00 or they can take care of it before we come back to do the job.

I find it rather amazing how people will put up with these nests right above their heads at the back door or just inches away underneath the stairs that go up to their deck.

I kind of wish I could have seen myself from inside the house. In the constant effort to look professional, I always assume the homeowner is watching from inside and all of a sudden I feel something on my neck...
Swat at it, feel the sting, jump, realize they're all around me now and I've got arms flailing, jumping up and down and trying to run off this deck (2nd story) without breaking my neck. Finally, I'm in the middle of their back yard, 30 yards from the deck just standing there waiting for those little things to calm down and forget about me.
Makes me laugh now, makes me remember times last summer when I was cleaning away, working hard and all of a sudden I'm spraying water everywhere trying to knock the little things out of the air. I figure it's just time to take care of the problem before it presents itself again. Anyone else have stories of bugs or critters?
 
Well, speaking as one who has a totally irrational fear of bees, wasps, hornets, etc., I ALWAYS stay stocked up on spray. That's the firsts thing I do before cleaning a building, blowing a roof, cleaning gutters, etc, is to walk the building and spray anything that remotely resembles a nest. By far the worst places are under the eaves of screened porches. Don't know why, but those critters love aluminum.

If you want to see me act like a total idiot, stir up a nest while I'm around.

However, I have yet to run off a roof running away from bees. Yet.

I have never worried about charging for removing nests...I'm more than willing to do it for free...I like the idea of charging or giving the owner the option.
 
my thought on charging is just to cover the cost of the spray. I'll use it anyway, cause I too hate getting around anything that stings
 
Five bucks doesn't cover the wasp spray does it? Heck the local bee keeper wants $75 just to tell you what kind of bees they are up here! The exterminators won't even start the truck for under $125. in NJ. I'd up the price a little, heck you should get hazzard pay on top of the cost of the spray.
 
I charge between 5 and 20 bucks depending on the size and types of bees. A wasp nest isnt too bad its the cone shaped hornets nest. Now you got trouble. I also give them the option but most times they want me to do it. I made an extra 325.00 dollars last year removing nests and killing the occupants. Amazingly enough not a single sting. I use 0 tips to bring them down, lots of times this kills most of the bees and when the nest falls I have a can of long distance hornet spray ready to go. Steve I also had a job last fall where it seemed the roof was full of wasps. I couldn't do much with those, I didn't charge and told them I would be back after they got an exterminator to handle this one. They called 2 days later and i didn't see a single bee. Must have been 200 or more dead on the roof and all over the ground under the eves.
 
Got a call to bid this restaurant system.
Showed up- Janitor lead me to the roof hatch.
Climbed ladder, Janitor throws keys to the lock up to me.
I open the lock, turn the latch and Zap! Got me in the bottom lip,
I looked like Bubba from Forrest Gump for 2 days.
After getting over the initial pain from the first sting I got it two more times while lifting the fans off the pedastals.Once in the knee other in the wrist. Good thing i,m not alleargic.

Started up lawn mower, was a beautiful day to get some yard work done.Until I passed by the Well Head. Up from the ground come these angry little kamakozies. I got Zapped atlest 6-7 times on that one. Thats it! Its time to fire up the equipment and get these Buggers! Sprayed em with the zero until there was nothing but mud coming from out of the hole in the ground. Now i,ve got Mud Wasps darting at me like Pearl Harbor attack planes.OK time to get out the GAS! Half a gallon of gas into the hole and on the surrounding grass and Poof they were gone.We live out in the country so things like this are fairly normal if you can imagine that.
 
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I did use a match!

ok So here ya go.

SSSSCratch-- KA POOF!
Grass was brown for a month, but Mud Wasps were Gonezo.lol.
I would not recomend using this method on one of your customers houses. This could be looked upon as un professional. LOL:D :eek:
 
oneness said:
On the other hand, my irrational fear likely provides me with more protection than normal...Because I'm so cautious about them, I have not been stung in several years.
Click to expand...
I Hate em too Mike!
But, when they swarm on a roof, I hit em with the love!

Usually takes care of em.

I once had a customer ask me to spray her chimney.
I told her that the smoke stains wouldn't come off w/o pressure, but she insisted.

I found myself face to face with Mama Raccoon who had rabies!

She made the wrong move, and I let her have it with Chlorine right in the eyes.

She rolled off the roof in pain, and my ground man shot her.

It was the only humane thing to do, as she was blinded, and crazy with pain.

Of course, the cops came, asked to see the concealed weapons permit, etc, etc.

Then,, Animal Control picked her up.

I was informed that she was Rabid.

I am not scared of much Mike, but I was scared that day.

Not of the Cops, but that crazed raccoon.
 
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