Rat Control in Drains: PipeGuard RatBlocker, Wasp Control & Bee Relocation | Jason McPhie

0:00 Hello and welcome to Pest Perspectives episode #14 I'm back once again. I'm getting quite used to this during this podcast weekly now it's we're fourteen in but only technically 13. Everybody but the first episode was me explaining what the podcast is. And this week we have got Jason McPhee. McPhee yes, because you told me on The Voice now and I was like, I bloody can't remember. I was, I was thinking and it's also known as James Jason McPhee as well. Yeah, another presenter calls me Jason McPhee.

0:51 We won't. So yes, Yeah, we will. So we've got Ask Pest Control from Jason McPhee, but everyone, this is basically a podcast to talk about pest control in general. Also talk about the where's my so, where is it? There we go, the pipe guard blocker and much more. And it's try and hopefully somebody will learn something out of this podcast in some way. They usually do. That's why I do these podcasts to try and help people forward with little bits here and there. You can, you can get better and you can get a CPD if you're on the British pest register, you can get every episode on the of this podcast CPD points.

1:38 So it depends on how long it is. My podcast is usually minimum, minimum of an hour. So it works on a point per hour. So if you go to half an hour and a half, that's 1.5 and you go to two, it's two points. But that's every episode I I've got access to put it on. But if you're in this in the BPCA, you can self register by the CPD diary and there is 10 points available for basis prompt, but not for this episode. Previous episodes. If you go back and look at the descriptions, the codes are hidden in there.

2:14 That's where they are. So I'm basis prompt approved. So I must be doing something right. I got approved so but yeah, I'm not sure about this form, but it's it's not every episode. Obviously they won't give you that many codes for a year, but there might be a couple more. But yeah. So if you make sure you do register your CPD, more people need to on the British back. Best register, please. I am the one that verifies them. I've only done, I've not done that many yet, But to be fair, a lot of people to do is they listen to loads of podcasts and do a big dump one day I'll just get loads of requests they do and that and that's usually what a lot of people do.

2:57 It is right. So let's go back up here. So what, how did you get into pest control? Was there any roles you did before pest control that led you into this? No, the old got into it by mistake actually, I think. Yeah, I used to work for the local authority, OK. And I was a supervisor. Oh, and well, I was a bin man to start with when I first started. I. Think one would be in the bin man. It's a very hard job. Yeah, yeah. Years ago and it used to be brilliant. And then passed me HUV test, HUV licence, waggon driver.

3:45 Then I wanted to go a bit further so I became a supervisor, rolling out the recycling and looking after the the local skip sites, make sure the lads had everything. But when we rolled out the recycling it was just new in Telford so the lads wouldn't finish the round. So I used to have to jump in the waggon at night in my shirt and tie and I'd go out and finish the rounds. Really, they wouldn't finish that round. No, no, because it was all new. They they bought the wrong, they bought the wrong waggons for the for the job, if you know what I mean.

4:23 That was nothing to do with me. That was hierarchy. So I jump in and I accrued that much overtime and the manager, the manager we had then the young lad, I'm not going to mention his name. He wouldn't pay me my months overtime. Oh, so we had a few stern words and then I went and saw the managing director.

4:51 He he put me back driving waggons. And then I thought, I want to become a manager. Can't be any worse than the idiot, than the idiots. They are there. But he said no, Jace, he said, I'm not going to employ you as a manager because you're not a yes man. You just wanted Yes man, really. Oh, OK, yeah. And they said pest control job coming up, John, Johnny Small, the old, the old pest lad, he'd been doing it for God over 20 years. He was retiring. So I did three years probation on pest control with him before they put me through my course.

5:34 And that was going back over 20 years ago. So 3 three years probation before they put you through a. Passage. Yeah, yeah. But I suppose you're talking in days where you you could get away with that, couldn't you? Because you were working for a local authority. You weren't? Yeah. Yeah, but I'd still, I'd be driving around with John. I wasn't by myself. Oh, oh, fair enough. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And if I wasn't with John, I was either with Steve. The other pest lad sadly passed away a few months ago. Sorry to.

6:05 Hear about that? Yeah, he was nice lad. He would have liked him good boy. But but yeah, that's how I started my pest control career and I just what wanted to get rid of the misconception pest controls in the in the council because everybody's got one perception about council pest controllers. We don't have anymore. We don't have anymore. And and it was the case, don't get me wrong, it was the case just going into someone's house like took poison down go. And that was the case with the old lads because it was a free service.

6:46 Someone had a rat in the house or in the garden or whatever white pay so and so to come out and do it. When they get the council in for free and do it, they're not worried about solving the problem, they were just worried about getting rid of that rat in the garden at one time. And it doesn't matter if they run you up 20 * a year, you'd go out 20 * a year. Yeah. It is to solve that problem for nothing. There's still councils that do it for free though. There is. Yeah, and when when we started charging, I just wanted to bring more of a balanced approach into pest control.

7:26 So where the old lads didn't used to wear uniforms or nothing like that, I made sure I'd got myself a uniform, blue shirt, black trousers, boots with a logo on pest control. And me, the other lad had a child's fantastic, he's a gamekeeper now. We were brilliant working together and we turned it bit more instead of just going out chucking poison. Then we'd have a look to see where the problems were in the 1st place. We were limited to what we could do. We couldn't do any proofing. We couldn't get any cameras down sewers because we never had a camera.

8:05 So we'd have to tell them. You'd have to at least need to count here as soon as checking by a professional. But yeah, so when you're doing between 7:00 and 15 jobs a day. Yeah. Every day does get a toll on you. And that only. Yeah. And that only decreased when the council started charging. OK for pest control. Yeah. But they were they were charging pittance, so. Oh like £40? Yeah, £40 for three visits if you're on. If you were on benefits it was £20 for three visits. It's. Really, it's really when you think about it, I know it's subsidised by the council but when you look at the accounts I bet it was a massive loss maker.

8:56 Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because at the end of the time, I for the, for the last 8 years, I was with the local authority. It was only me doing it. So I was doing all these, I was covering all the Telford by myself, doing all these jobs, doing all the paperwork, going to the health and safety bloke, make sure my gosh, my gods are all done, doing all my ordering, doing all my store work. And it was, I'd say the last two years of pest control. I was falling out of love with pest control because I was just doing all that and not getting recognised for it because they'd only pay you.

9:41 They only paid me a trainees wage. So yeah. So yeah. So the money, the money wasn't there for my ability, so it just drained me a little bit and I'd started falling out of love with it a little bit. I can understand that you're not getting no more money and you're not getting no more promotions or. No, no. Any any incentives or anything? Yeah. It's not your company, it's the council. So yeah, I can, I can see, I can see exactly why I. Can't. And if and there's limitations you wanted to put cameras down etcetera and proof and they weren't willing to let they were, no.

10:24 You, you just fobbed that after somebody else couldn't get a handyman to do it. And you think, well, I could do that myself. But yeah. So it's same as in the summer months when you have wasp nests coming in, you know, you have good, good times. You have bad times on wasp nests. Yeah. You do I I could be rushed off my feet doing wasp nests and doing pest control. Normal pest control work as well. The bread and butter, money, wrecks and mice. Can I remember when we, when we had pest control in Rutherland, we just one chat like, like, like yourself.

11:01 And he was also the dog warden and the pest controller and he was free roughly 3 weeks behind. And eventually when the chap retired, they shut down the entire pest control. Don't get me wrong, we loved, we loved it. Our business went up. But yeah, but basically when you retired, they shut the pest control down and they kept the dog warden, but that's the only thing you kept. And, and what I understand, the majority of the councils throughout the UK don't have pest control anymore. Some do, some still do, but some, a lot don't.

11:37 No, no, they're, they're not responsible for any. It's like as a local council here, telephony Council years ago, we used to have the house inside. We have the cleansing side, we have the gardening side. But then when it when they privatised it, the housing side went to one company and the gardening side and the bin side and the cleansing little pickers went on another contract. So I was with them TWS because I did 30 years with the council and I did 18 years with TWS television services, Fox, which was called that all went to them and then they lost the bin man side that went to Veolia and all.

12:30 Is that did you say Verador? Veolia. Veolia. They're probably owned by Verador now. Yeah, they'll. They'll buy each other, don't they? Yeah. It's like our council, the bin man, they're all Biffa, Yeah, but everyone calls them council workers, but it's Biffa. But they're employed by Biffa. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But yeah, we, we just had the, when they got rid of the bin side, all we had was the cleansing side. So that was like the gardening and the litter picking and the dog warden side and the pest control.

13:07 But then why they made me redundant is because they saw the new company when the contract ended. Didn't want pest control or the dog warden. Oh. And when I had a meeting with my manager at the time, fantastic bloke Paul Smith, we went into a meeting with the council and they said oh we're going to take you and the dog warden back in house. And I said and I went to work. Well I said what's the money going to be like first? And they said oh it's going to stop the same. I said well you forget that.

13:45 So I give them my price. I said this is what I want and I want a pay rise of 3% for the next 5 years. And they were, they can't afford that. And my boss looked at me and went, I'll make the redundant cheques. I went, thank you very much. After 30 years, I thought, yeah, thank God for that getting out today. Well, that to be fair though, making you redundant. Better than saying bugger off in it. Because you wouldn't really, you know? What I mean? Yeah, yeah, It I was quite canny with contracts, with working contracts.

14:19 So I made sure my contracts specifically said what my job was like when I was an HGV driver. I was an HGV driver when I was a loader. It was a loader when I was a pest. Control. I understand pest control. Only on it. Because certain firms when they've got contract, they put operative, meaning they can get you to. Anybody. Anything. Anything. Yeah, That's where you got it over there. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, So when they said do you want to do any other job in the company, I went, no, I said you're making my job redundant and they looked after me.

14:57 I got it. TWS looked after me. They gave me most of my equipment when I left, they said. That's really, that's really nice. Yeah, all the all the poisons I acquired. Everyone knows what council workers do. They said, they said I could take all that because it would have cost me Fort they would have cost a fortune to get rid of into the incinerator it. Was yeah. And they I left with about 10 contracts from them as well, quite lucrative contacts contracts. So I had a good, I didn't start from the bottom, if you know what I mean, like some I, I don't envy people just starting off from the bottom at the moment.

15:44 I had a good footstep and I had a good start in income. That's. Good. So, yeah, so. You say contracts, Did the council do commercial sides then TWSD commercial? Yeah, OK, because all the councils don't get involved in that. But they don't. Well, I'm hearing this. This is TWS, yeah. I'm hearing, I'm hearing there is other councils that actually advertise for commercial contracts. Yes, some of them do. Yeah, some. Of them do. Yeah. But I can see a conflict of interest there, can't you? Would you agree with the EHO am I going, am I going to go against the Council?

16:25 I would say a conflict there, but I would. But at least what isn't it? Yes. Yeah, but but yeah, so they, they, they put me on it and maybe we don't see package quite good as well because I did 30 years. So, so, yeah. So I was just stopping there really for me pension, build me pension bottle for an hour. Sorry. No, that's, that's fair. It's a really good story to fair because most people haven't been like it. Nowadays, it's quite unheard of, isn't it, for someone to be? Well, yeah, I've been with them 30 years.

17:03 You don't hear it now, do you? It's like. Oh. Boy, I got into pest control. I hated my job. In the end. I worked in a flat pack furniture company. I should have left when I was younger. Don't get me right. And I was there for 16 years. They did treat you like crap. And I, I left when the panda, I was in the pandemic and they went on furlough. Then I went back and then started working with my dad. But yeah, I should. I shouldn't have worked there that long. I was silly. But you live and learn. You've got to think, yeah, you've got to think ahead.

17:38 Sometimes, like me, I was just putting money into the venture. It's like the 25 year hard work thing. We had a seminar and I completely missed that because it was in Telford and I was too busy working and I turned up late and I just got an handshake off one of the boxes off one of the big bosses. Thank you very much for the 25 years here. Then I thought, no, I ain't going for another one of them. So I lasted another five years after that. That's fair enough. Someone from earlier, I don't know if you know him, called Robert Charlton, put name in shame.

18:17 But that was earlier. So thanks for watching Robert Charlton. I don't know if you know him or not. No, he put that in chat earlier. I forgot to mention it, but obviously you're not going to name and change. I can't remember what it was in relation to because it was 836, so it's right to start. It was. Oh, was it? So, so when when you say they left you three years, what qualifications did they actually put you through? Was it just baseball? Or yeah, me level 2 and then we would just. I know it's clarify to four level 2.

18:53 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. We went to me and the dog warden. That was because he was, he used to cover me on pest control. Adam. We went to Warwick University for the week. Oh, I've heard a lot about this. Warwick University Your. Friend. That we spoke to also did his slave as well. Yeah, food wasn't too great, but but it was. Yeah, it was good. Course it was good, but I never passed first time. Let's get that out there. Adam did. And he was in the pub most of the night, every night. And there's me studying in my room and he, he was there, had a few beers probably the first time.

19:36 It's not, it doesn't matter because a lot of people, it's like me, I didn't pass my first time either. Some people, when you put an exam in front of them, if you, if they were probably to ask you personally what they'll do in this situation, you'd probably tell them straight away. In workers should be fine. But when it's been put into a paper in the exam, you feel the pressure, don't you? Yeah. And yeah, you can't go wrong. But I did. I didn't feel that on the second time round though because when I went back to reset it.

20:07 Yeah. Because because the way I, I, I learn is, is if I fail at something, I go and read up about it. And you study a lot more. And got to admit, again, the council to the US gave me as much time off as I wanted to go and keep on studying. And that was good. And I had post it notes all in the office wall all over the place. And when I went back the second time, I was only in there about 15 minutes, 20 minutes. I just went, yeah, just Blues through the exam. I do, though I retained it a lot better the second time round.

20:43 Because it was like I did the same. I I passed my rodents first time. I failed the insect and legislation, but I was told I was not many points off it. I've got gotten lucky Second time round. Nailed it. Yeah, I did. Yeah, but as you say. But as you say, you get fake well in my bedroom but Oh my loads of things on the walls and stuff to try and remember annoying the questions you think it's going to be and you've got it nailed into your head it don't come up. No, that's always the way. That's always the way.

21:20 So. What got me a lot first time around was because in my area I don't deal with crop, I don't deal with cockroaches, you say? And that was one of the biggest questions on the insects, right? So obviously you do learning before and it's lots of cram into your head and make it stick for an exam. But a second time round, I don't know what to do. Now. I do. But yeah, it's all part of learning. But it is, it doesn't matter. I've got a friend who took five times to pass, but he passed in the end. Yeah.

21:50 It's just exam bit for a lot of people. That's it. It's just nerves. It's just nerves. Some people thrive on it. Some people are really nervous about it and just take just a little bit longer. It doesn't mean any less, I don't know a decent pest control. It just means they're, they're just, they're just learning just a bit a bit different way. It's true because it's what was it? It's like we have to. It's weird because every time everyone says level two, I have to go. Let's preface that because it causes so much, so much trouble, doesn't it?

22:24 Are you actually level 2 or have you just got that day course? So yeah. Yeah, it's. You have to preface it. Everyone's like, well, are you talking about the day course or the actual full, full RSPH level 2 pass management award? That one, you know, you have to preface it now. It is confusing because they've got an RSPH day course level 2 and they've got the full one, ain't they? God knows why that happened. I'd love to know that. I would but. We all, we all speculate. Yeah, we never. Know everyone speculates, never know the reason.

23:03 That's true. But yeah, so from your, from your council job, how did you, did you jump from there to another pest control company or did you jump straight into building and starting as pest control? You're sorry you've answered that already. So you took 10 contracts with you. Yeah. So what was that like setting up your own business? Because that would have been very different from what you're used to. You're used to receiving, you know, a paycheck, ain't you? Like in your bank? Yeah, yeah. And it and that's, that was the big nerve being being really nervous about me, about doing it.

23:47 I didn't know whether I was going to succeed or fail, but I've got a brilliant wife. I said to her, how much money do you want for the year so you don't have to bother me. So she gave me a figure. I went, there you go, there's your money. Don't worry. For a free year I'll give it. I'll give it three years. If I don't make a success of it, I'll go back driving waggons or go drain driving test because I was in me 40s, like mid, mid to late 40s, six years. Yeah, yeah, late 40s.

24:32 But after the first year, I looked at the money side of it. I thought I've done really well here and I haven't hardly done anything for it because the biggest, the biggest nervous nerve thing for people is sitting there waiting for the phone to ring. That's the, that's the worst thing you can do is sit there, wait for the phone to ring. Get yourself some advertising day. You don't have to, you can, you can get yourself some of them, go to Google or go on the social media platforms or go make yourself some Flyers up.

25:11 And if you've got, if you've got a day you haven't got a lot of work on, go around, just post in flies. We'll go knocking on doors. Show your face. That's getting your face out there. I I have knocked on doors. It didn't work. I did it. It was quite scary. Yeah, yeah. Just just go around to big companies or if you've got an industrial estate, anything like that, just go and get yourself some little cards made-up and go and make it that way. But yeah, that was the big worry for me, was sitting at home thinking I'm not doing a lot of work for me money.

25:47 But then at the end of the year, when you break it down, I earned a lot more money in what I did with with the council. That's what you want. So, and I thought and I have not hardly worked for it. That's doesn't doesn't seem like I've worked for it. So the second year, come give the missile load of money, let me play a pest control. And that's the way it's gone ever since that's I, I don't work for. I know some people have to work for a wage every week or every month. Yeah. I don't I I that's one good thing.

26:21 I don't have to work for a wage. That's good. That is because it's it's, it's part of owning and being your own. Well, you're effectively your own, your own boss. That's part of. It. And if you can build it to the point where you're not relying because you've really in in a small business, you've really got to build that bank account up. You can't just, yeah, you've got to build it up a little. You can't just that, well, that's the best way. That's the ideal world. Yeah, Yeah. I've got to, I've got to admit my missus is absolutely fantastic.

26:56 If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be able to do this. She's my accountant, that's she works. She works in finances anyhow, so. That helps. I don't have to deal with any of that rubbish. She deals with it all, so. So yeah. Oh. That's good. That's good to hear. But. I I let her do her work and I do mine. That's it. That's, that's fair. No, it's, it's good to hear because it's a lot of people they always say in pest control or any business, it's sometimes when you start out you struggle to get your first job to start with, don't you?

27:33 Yeah. You do. You do. Just got a shout out. Sorry, just got a shout out. LinkedIn. Jenny Wilson's made it to my live podcast. It's my friend from Jenny. In America it is. But yeah, what went wrong with that? I built our business and Pete was he he was working and he was doing pest control on the side. So he built it up to a level where he could leave and then do it. But you just jump straight in. You did Ready first. But I was lucky, Yeah, but I was lucky. I, I was, I was extremely lucky with the X boss I had and, and the stuff they gave me, I'm forever grateful of, of them.

28:19 So Paul Smith, if Paul Smith grateful me. Oh yeah, it's good. Because I tell you what, it's not cheap to start out. It's it's not, it's like you, you need to buy because you've also got to work out what you'll actually need. Because a lot of people will buy a load of stuff that they don't actually need, but they think they need or, or, or some salesman from pest control company will tell you what you need and you don't need all that. So that was, that was where you know what it's that was. Yeah, it's like sprays, foggers, poison lances, telescopic cameras.

29:00 What they got all of that? All that. Oh. No, she were OK. Wow. Yeah, so and all the poison. Oh yeah, even with the poison, because I don't know, it's calling it in in scope with poison because I was in with the the gardening lads. So we had to keep all our poison. It's called in scope. So we could only have so many kilos of poison and they could have so many litres of weed kill it. OK, so it was tracked. It was tracked. Yeah, it was all tracked. So we all had to keep a good record of it and. Doing well now all the councils when their stuff goes missing and there was no sheet.

29:45 No, we never did anything like that. No, but but you've done really well out of that. That really gave you a massive boost at the start. Yeah, that is that. That was a big help format. What was the What would you say when you started out? Was the biggest learning curve for starting out by yourself? Invoicing. Invoicing. Yeah, invoicing and actually trying to, I wouldn't say believe in yourself. Yeah, I would say actually having confidence in yourself. So try and go out there. I still haven't got it.

30:29 Now try and sell your pest control services. Yeah, and some people a bit like you, some people have got gift to the Gap. I believe it or not, although I don't podcasts, yeah, I do. I do my best. But when it comes to selling, I try. I'm still learning. OK, yeah, I told customers fine. Yeah, but the selling be I could be a lot better. I could be. Yeah. It's just, it's just see, some people are just natural at it as well. Yeah. And that's, I can't, I can't talk to people. I can. It's, it's this game is actually making people feel comfortable with you there because you're either going into their business or you're going into their home's personal space.

31:11 Yeah. Dealing with a rodent issue, so you don't want to start going in there with your chest puffed out on the big eye, man. The way the way I work, I listen to the customer first. So you've probably seen some of my photos where I've got a cup of tea. I'd say right, get the kettle on, let's have a chat. Yeah, and. That's a good one. And you normally absorb all that information of what they're telling you then, and then you've got a good starting point that's. A good, good piece of advice because it should should be listing because sometimes but people in any industry like the person and they don't listen to the customer that's paying them.

31:55 They just do what they want to do and that's it. But you are right, that's a good tip place. And listen, another good tip, don't try and BS people. Yeah. Because it always comes back to buy you, especially if you don't succeed in doing the treatment properly at that address. And then they get a pest controller who actually does know what he's doing. He's going to make you look like an idiot. So if you can go in there and just say completely honest, if you don't know nothing, just explain it to him.

32:29 Just explain to him because I don't really know that what I'm what's going on here, but I've got friends, especially through social media and all that. You can always ask them. There's always some learning people in there. Oh there is. There's a lot of people that were willing. I've noticed over recent times that pest controllers from around the country like via talking on Facebook, LinkedIn or whatever you use by talking to each other that people are willing to give advice and help rather than the old days on Facebook.

33:08 Easy very doggy dog in a lot of the pest control groups isn't now it's changed but. You should have one or two. Yeah, yeah, it's only one or two. It seems to be collaborative now where people will offer their their takes, which I I love because it's all about helping. Well, that's it, but. If you say you're the master of everything, no one's the master. It's always learning. Learning Day it is. Seems to me it's like when I was working with local authority, never did a lot of bed bug jobs. So when I was went went by myself first thing.

33:45 When I first got my first bed bug job I ever done I got in touch with Mark Porter. I call him the bed bug king.

33:55 He gave me so much good advice that I'm thankful of it.

34:02 He talked me through everything of what to do and how to price it because you can you can under price big jobs sometime. And he he give me a good a good talk into on that. And we still talk around again, Mark on the on the thing. So So yeah, I've got a big shout out to Mark Porter. Shout out to Mark Porter, who is booked on this podcast soon. He is, yeah. Yeah, he's fucked in. Yeah, and and if he's listening, I do want to come down to London and try pest control in a big city as well. That's this is where I wouldn't mind coming out.

34:44 I'm helping everything charge for a couple of days. I'm pretty sure Mark would take you around. Yeah, yeah. Just to go around a big city because a bit like you, we're a bit of a semi rural. We don't really go into big cities. I do the odd time, but it's fabulous. Yeah. And also up in the islands, I'd love to know where they do pest control, right up in the top of the islands of Scotland as well. So I'd love to spend couple of days with the pest controller up there. Do you know Andrew MacDonald from UK?

35:13 Patanks. No. No. Do you have a word of him? He might. He might. Yeah. I'll get you to have a word of him. It's a nice boat. Yeah, yeah. He's really up in the Highlands, so really. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, my family originally from Ayrshire in Scotland. So. So that's why it's McPhee, not Mcpoy. It's going to be this is going to be clipped, Sean. This is how you this Sean Mooney. This is how you say it.

35:45 Oh yeah, so. Yeah, but no, that's it's good to hear. Also, Jenny Wilson was saying the book The Master Closer helped me become a better salesperson. That's a good tip. I'll have to look that up. The The Master Closer helped me. Whether you can buy it or not, I don't know. Because she lives in America. He's writing it down. Look at that. There you go. Then have a look. There you go, I'll. Have a look at that. Thank you, Jeff, but yes, it's so I noticed recently I was looking at this you, you do social media, don't you?

36:21 A lot of pest controls don't put their stuff on social media. But I noticed that you do quite a few posts, don't you? What I also noticed is you you've got drain survey kit. Was that your kit? Oh, my camera isn't that. Yeah, that you have the whole kit where you put the and you put your tube down. Is that a proper drain survey kit? Is that? Yeah, yeah. So do you do drain surveys as a part of your surveys? I do it partly service but I I just use it mainly as a tool to help me out and help customer out if they want to.

36:58 If they want a proper drain survey, I always tell everybody go to a professional. They will. They will give you a proper detailed survey of the sewers. That's I use my camera just to help me out if you know what I mean. Just to try and get a few queries. So yeah, get the, get the drains up, let's get the camera down there, see what's going on. I'm not saying I'm a drain expert. I would never say that. That's one course I do want to go on. David Browns. David, I met David Brown in Telford. He came up to Telford when I was doing a job.

37:36 No, she's like, you'll ever meet? No, she's like. But yeah, I'd love to go on. Not to say, oh I can do a proper survey and and all that. Just say no basics. What goes into it? That's it. That's it. So I know what I'm looking at more than trying to give them a proper survey with a map and everything like that. I could say yeah. So, so obviously with that, I know it's in this same post that you what is it because somebody had someone out and the drains were clear. You noticed with your camera they were not clear, they were blocked.

38:13 No, no. No. And that that's an advantage, isn't it? Yeah, it it wasn't. I wouldn't say the drain, the drains weren't blocked. They weren't capped off. Oh, OK, sorry. Because you get you get you get some of them pots that are actually got the little caps in OK. And the one on the one side had a plastic bag full of rubble shoved in it, and the other one had half an ounce brick and the rafter just coming up and just all that white stuff with the insulation out of the property. Makes you wonder though if they actually did the survey or not.

38:50 Do you know what I mean? If they didn't say it and you and you and you could say and that's what. Really bugged me because she did get a professional. You don't mention names, but don't do. That no, no, no, I won't. I won't mention names or even in my my thingy I wouldn't mention names, but yeah. And that's what I was a bit peeled off about because they have a professional company and they didn't do a proper job for the sake of £15 with some sewer bungs in each side. It's a problem solved. Well, exactly that's what you want.

39:26 Happy customer. That's it, That's it. That's what you're after. It is, it's, I just thought I'd ask about that because I know not, not a lot of pest controllers have actually got the kit like you had it. No, it's because it's quite, it's quite the investment now. You didn't get this from the Council, did you? No, no, no, no, no. That was off a recommendation of Vicky. Vicky all from Lady Book Pest Control. Yeah, she's she's also going on. Yeah, yeah, I've met her. We had a drink in Yorkshire. When I was up there.

40:04 With her Well, yeah, I was just asking what cameras people use and when you're starting out you can't afford 6-7, ten, £10,000 for a camera. So you just start off with something small and I've got to admit it's it's worked fine for me over the past five years and and it's saved me a lot of headaches as well. Yeah, I've got to find out the rest of it. You've. Got a good, you've got a good point of view though. I mean, if you'd like, although it's not a drain survey, if you recommend a professional drain survey and they get it done and there's still issues, you can double check yourself and have a look.

40:44 You can, they will throw the customer look here, there's that brake or that whatever you can see. So you have got the issue. So it is a good thing making your job. Yeah, and I am, Yeah, it was the customers. Well, the customers made it a hell of a lot easier to work with them. They were a young couple. He was a teacher. She works somewhere else. And they just bought this this property a month ago. Oh, so, So the, the it's their first property and the insurance never kicked in. So she couldn't get it done through the insurance, so I went just help them out a bit.

41:30 So that's nice. You've got to help people out. You've got to help people out. You can't, yeah. That's nice. Yeah. It is. It is good. So Jasmine, Hello. She's on Facebook. All right, Jasmine. Yeah. Nice to see you again. I saw you at Nottingham. I wish I went. And PTA. Yeah, I wish. You know what, I was busy that day, but the amount of people that I didn't know that was going, that went I was why didn't you say I wish I went? Because there's that many people I wanted to meet and speak to you and you seems like all the ones I wanted to meet and see were all that that show actually what?

42:10 Sean Mooney was there. Yeah, he's taller than what he looks. I, I, I I've actually, I've actually met, I've actually met him. I met him at best take Yeah, he's not as tall as me. I'm I'm 6 foot 26, foot 3. I'm 6 foot. So the bolded day. Yeah. I'm sure we're all. Getting there. We're all getting there. Oh yeah. Are you talking about a Nottingham Day? Well, no, only because he said that he met you at the Nottingham Day and he's just mentioned it. So you're happy to talk about a Nottingham Day? I will be there.

42:46 Nottingham MPTA 2026 I will be there.

42:52 I'll make sure I'm there. Thanks, Chair. It was a good day. It was a good talk. It was a good talk. Yeah, I've met, I've met some pesties who I haven't seen for a couple of years. Jason Walden from any pest control. He's the nicest bloke you'll ever meet. He's he's lovely. And then on the last, the last breakfast meeting I met too, I saw Tony Adams from first called pest management, known him for a few years now. So he's on my Facebook page as well. And you just get to meet some nice people in because because it was a big stigma.

43:36 Oh, I'm the best pest control company out. I'm this I'm you know, and I've got to meet these nice people. And it's, it's just bringing like a community of pest controllers together now. And that's a good thing about it. Everyone's talking to each other. It's nice because it's a yeah. Oh, I think it's a good part of pest control. You learn, you learn some, you get your CPD, you network with other people, you meet people you probably talk to online, but not man person, but face to a name. Well, in person.

44:08 But yeah, I think it's, I think it's a good thing networking within pest control. It's so because like, even like me, like there's certain jobs, obviously we get B calls and B removal jobs as a chap, I know in Elliot for me and pest control with Leicester near Leicester and I refer all my work to him. And that's but I got to know him through because I'm a member of the British Molecatches register and he's and he's on there. So that's how I got to know him. I haven't met him yet, but that's how I got to know him that is.

44:44 And to go to like an MPTA Rd day. You don't even have to be an MPTA member. Non members can go anyone's welcome. They. Are yeah, yeah, it's good. It's good to even even a couple of local pesties to me, Rob from RW Pest Solutions and Nick Brandt from Primary Pest Care. We try and meet up every month. We're all we're all sole traders and working by yourself sometimes can get can get a bit down, but it's nice to have that little community around you. If you don't know something, you can give them a ring and say, what do you reckon about this watcher?

45:21 And you bounce ideas off each other. Yeah. No, I think that's that's really. Good. So I know we're competitors, but we want to be mates at the same time. We're not going to trip over each other. It's really nice. That is because it's like I forgot what I was going to say, but no, no, it is it is really nice. It is in that way because we you can learn. You learn. And if say you don't do, I'm not, I'm not saying you do bird work, but say you don't we don't do bird work. But we've got like say in our area, we've got James from pest ID We get any bird work we can't do.

46:07 We we give them their number and they he takes it on. He's a good bloke. He is. But I know all the pest controls in my area, just just about, but we don't have the monthly meetings. I've not heard of that before. That's pretty cool. Just make up, have a coffee somewhere and have a chat. I remember now what I was going to say. I don't get the lonely part because I work with my dad, you see, four days a week. So I'm always with my dad apart from Fridays so but I do understand because pest control is for most, for the most part, for most people, it's very lonely because you're in the van by yourself all day long and you don't get to speak to other pest controllers that often.

46:51 No. Really just. Speak to customers. Yeah, customers. Interaction is key. It's like me, I could talk the hind legs off a donkey with a customer, but then it's like you say you're getting back in your van and you've got no interaction with anybody else. Where? When I was with the council, I could speak to Adam, I could go out, speak to my brother or I could speak to 10s of 10s of other people on the council and have a chat and have a laugh. But when you work by yourself, it's a bit bit daunting sometimes.

47:25 But that's why it's always good to have these these mental health issue things bring up as well. Welfare as well. Yeah, yeah, if you. I'm waiting for the right guest. I will do 1 honour. Yeah, yeah. I'm waiting for a guest that's into weightlifting. I'm trying to find the right one that's into weightlifting. I am. I know because that's all I'm waiting for. People wondering why I'm done one. I've got to wait for the right guest who's willing to come on to talk about it. The weightlifting and pest control and mental health.

47:59 It's all mobility. It's all, it's all linked. But it will happen when I find the right person. It will. But. But. Yeah. So in your business. What? What? What's that? Hold on. Ah, Alex Wade is it? Yeah. Alex Wade is into weightlifting. I must get him on, actually. Because he is. He can lift. Yeah, he can. He can deadlift more than me. He can. But at the minute, I will. I will get hold of Alex Wade. You are correct. I will. So he would be quite good to get on. So a very good shout there, Jasmine, he would very good shout.

48:39 And if you want to prompt him a self Jasmine as well, you're more than welcome to nudge him about it. You can. But yes. So what what would you say is your favourite type of work within your business that you do now? It varies. It varies. Still do quite a lot of rats, mice, moles, but I love doing Wasps. One thing I love doing, I'm not afraid, but I love getting into a loft space where you know you've got a big wasp nest you've got to tackle. So do you do, I've heard, do you do? Do you just treat it or you want these people that treats it and removes it all?

49:30 There it removes it straight away. You're OK. So what? How how does that work? Because I've never done that.

49:40 I've seen it being done on videos, but I've never seen somebody actually tackle a nest. Sorry. I have seen it in the video, but in one video someone's shed. But how's that work in a lot of space? It's very, very dangerous situation that is removing it at the same time. It's, it's adrenaline more than anything for me. I love the adrenaline rush. You know, you've got, you've got a big wash nest there. You've got to make sure you're sealed sealed. From head to toe. You've got to tape it up. Tape your top of your gloves up trousers.

50:16 Make sure you wear your boots and tape the bottom of your trousers. So take your trousers to your boots. Take your trousers to your boots because there's nothing worse. I did that last year and I've still got a sting on my leg. Oh. Being a bit cocky making and treating a nest, just about to get it. And I was just, I thought, oh, sit on me heels. I had to stop them going up. And then you just have one wasp that goes under your suit down your boot and sting anything off for Christ's sake. So always tape your boots up, even if you're doing a nest outside, especially if you're doing nests in grounds groundwork.

50:53 Like if you're going to remove nests from in the ground, make sure you have your trousers taped up good. So would you say as well take obviously you have your B, you couldn't, it's called the B suit, isn't it? Then you have your gloves, would you? Do you also take your gloves to your suit as well? Not really, I just wear the gloves on the outside mainly. Just get yourself some decent gloves and I always wear another pair of gloves underneath. Any like a thin pair of gloves? OK, that's good. So. I I put, I put it, I use them rubber gloves, you know the, the rubber B gloves.

51:31 Yeah, I think that's. What you mean they've really got I've got a pair that's 20 years old.

51:39 Yeah, yeah. But they're they're the real hard rubber ones. But then I've just bought myself a new pair of rubber ones. But I've got 5B suits. I love bee suits for some reason. I've got tops, trousers full, suits green, suits white. You're more into, of course, than me. You are, yeah. So, so obviously, if you take the nest away, do you actually do you actually treat it? What the nest? Yeah. Do you actually treat it? Yeah. Yeah, yeah, you killed the nest off. What's nest destroy? What's nest destroy take.

52:18 I haven't got 1 here, but I normally take that stupid red thing off the top and I put, you know, the free spray, the long nozzle, they fit perfectly onto them and you just prod the nest and just pull it out and it just kills the nest off because it actually works better than the free spray. I've proved this to Matt Lodi a couple of years ago. Any pressure? Are you on about where you've got the? There's two versions of it. There's a wasp nest destroyer and there's the insect one that's exactly the same but comes out at a slower rate.

53:04 Is that what you're on about? They're basically. The same No, you've got the big tin of the Wasp Nest Destroyer. Yeah, yeah. Do you know the free spray? The cold free spray. Are you saying freeze, freeze? Yeah, freeze, freeze. OK. Freeze spray and that comes with a long straw on it. It's been like the WD40 can you can either put it down, squirt it or pull it up and squirt it through the nozzle. And I just swap them tops over on there and then I just prod the nest with that. You use less aerosol.

53:44 So you so you're not using the freeze spray, you're using nozzle often freeze spray. Freeze, spray, Chuck away. So what I what I'll explain as well is like obviously buying load eaten Wass nesters Joya, but they've also got a version that's the same, but it's called insect 1 and it's the same. It's it's the same but it just comes out at a slower. Rate slower rate. It's the same Brittany Bingham and they say it's the same, but it comes up because it's basically when you get a chemical, if you have to use a chemical Lance, you use that one because it comes out at a slower rate.

54:19 It's it's it's basically the same stuff, but it comes out at a slower rate. It does so. Yeah, I use that wasp nest destroyer on a chemical Lance and here telescopically as well. So perfectly fine. That works perfectly fine. But yeah, just I, I've tried the Biochuck as well. That's another fantastic product, but you've got to be careful with the Bioshock. If you see a wasp nest on the floor in the loft, you don't want to start spraying a load that Biochock about because it just seeps through the nest quite quickly and goes on to the plaster board and that's when it starts bringing the plaster board up.

55:03 So the way if I if I've only got the Biochock on the van, just get up there with a plastic bag and try and get it underneath the wasp nest before you start treating it. OK. And then put biochuck it and then you can just put it into a bag and take it away.

55:24 Oh nice, that is it just said herbachop drop to mid. Fly. Yeah, yeah, it's good. It's good. I used that when they 1st come out and I had a cracking little wasp nest to do, really busy, really active, really aggressive and I was just and they were just dropping, dropping my flies.

55:47 So then you just obviously once you've killed, obviously boss will still be buzzing round. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you stillwell, you try and get as many as you can if they're flying, if if they're flying about you. Yeah.

56:02 Always where you protect protective protective gear, especially a full face. You need a full face mask. You don't want one of these are face ones. Full face, especially if you're getting chemical anywhere, do. They in the. Basement they. Do. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Make sure you've got the right philtres for it. All right, That's, that's if I can give anybody a bit of advice, make sure it fits properly you've got the right philtres because you don't want to spraying chemicals in the loft and get them in your eyes you.

56:38 Don't want? That so yeah, just some cheap fly spray, wasp, wasp spray, kill the ones out in the loft and then try and find the entry point where the wasp is coming in. That's 99% easy. You'll see where a few more star coming in do the entry point and before it was bent. If I can be just just puff a little bit, if I can be on the entry point. So you're not squirting loads of it everywhere, just a little bit on the entry so when they come in at night they walk across it whilst nest treated. You'll never have a call.

57:17 You'll never have a call back. Well, if you've removed the nest directly. Yeah, no, you'll never. Have a call back. There's no, no. So I presume with that kind of service you would charge more than somebody who's just spraying it and don't go in presume. Yeah, because. It's 100% guarantee it's gone because you're taking away in the back. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And and it's nice because you bring it in, you can actually show them the nest after you've after you've destroyed it. And people are quite curious, of course, I'm looking inside and you can break it open and show them.

57:52 Yeah. Because they are they are everyday Wasps are dead. The the the Wasps, the Wasps nest. They're like they are arts of works of art. They really well, they're not. They are they don't look nice. All the layers have got in. Hornets nests are like a lot better. I like it. Hornets nests look a lot nicer for some reason, don't know why, but they look a lot nicer. Whether it's they can chew a bit harder wood like coke or anything like that, but you get some nice colours in a in a horny's nest. Nice.

58:27 But yeah, thanks for talking me through how you do it because I've never, never removed it one like that before. I have. It's a good weight loss programme as well. Oh, oh, I could. Imagine. Oh my dripping. You know what? I'm hot now, but when you were talking about, I was like, oh goodness, I'd be like. Sweat it going if you if you get yourself a decent B suit, one of them three layer B suits, you can wear shorts. Just just wear shorts. Just make sure your boots are tied at the bottom. Shorts and T-shirt.

58:58 Yeah, but. Yeah, you just under the B suits, isn't it? Yeah. Yeah, it's like years ago when we had them fabric ones, we put AI put a fleece underneath. Yeah. And then the fabric one over the top. So you spend it. Oh you, you would sweat them. So do you? Do you obviously do the same thing with a hornet's nest? Yeah. Exactly the same, yeah. OK, So yeah, that's thanks for that. I did not expect that to come up because that that's something different that isn't. But a lot of pest controllers do remove them as well.

59:32 Not everyone does. But yeah, that was a really cool thing to get get insights on that was. Yeah, you can't get to every, every wasp nest. It's your limitations. You can't have the perfect wasp nest standing there and then thinking you do have to crawl about sometimes on on on boards and get a bit precarious and few precarious positions, especially when you're getting a bit older, your joints don't work so good and scraping the nest out. But yeah, just have you ever. Thought of, I don't know if this would work or just an idea.

1:00:11 You know, if you got one of them AB Yeah. If you killed the nest. No, that would work. I was just thinking, you know, B things you get to suck bees in. Would this would that work for getting rid of the nest and all the B all the Wasps, would that work? No, because they'll still be alive, wouldn't they? No. Yeah, no, forget it. I do. I do rehome bumblebees as well. Especially we're not talking about it. Yeah. So what's? So what's that like with rehoming bumblebees? They scare me more than Wasps. Oh, OK.

1:00:45 Because they're like little chinooks coming at your face and your veil. Because you we don't use any chemicals. I made myself a be Hoover box and one of the fabricators at TWS made me a philtre for the box so I could put a Hoover on it. And the way I I do them is you go, you can actually see where the bumblebees are. Yeah. They fluff the insulation up a little bit so you can virtually see where it's a bit like a squirrel in the loft. You know where a squirrel fluffs the insulation up. Bumblebees do the same virtually.

1:01:26 They fluff the insulation in the loft so you you can virtually know where a bumblebee's nest is. And I'll take the bee Hoover box. I just pick the whole nest up and put it in the box and then open the aperture, close the lid, go back at night when all the bumblebees coming back in to go to the queen, close the aperture if you've got them all in there. If not, I stick my vacuum on the end and I vacuum the rest up into the box and go plant them somewhere else. They're they're in my mates woods. They're.

1:02:00 Making this sound very easy. They're making this sound very easy. No, the easiest one's a bird box. You just get a bird box with full of bumblebees, put that in your box, and then you just go and nail that to the tree in some woods. That's that's easy. But yeah, that's funny. I'm just winning this through that. But yeah, so we've covered, we've covered WASP actual, actual removal. Yeah, and and these as well. That's that's probably pretty cool. That is expected and it's the right time of year to be talking about that kind of.

1:02:32 And it's nice to see, it's nice to see we've got a lot more bumblebees this year, because last year there's hardly no bumblebees at all. So far in my house I've had to let out about 15 bees so far. I have no Wasps yet I've got in my house but loads of bees have found the way in. It's because I leave my side door open a lot, that's why. I had a couple of big Wasps in my ears but I let them go. You think so? Potential Wasp Ness. I'm not going to kill it. You let it go, yeah. So, right, so how did the pipe guard blocker come to be?

1:03:13 And is this your product or is it something you work? Is it your, is it something you work in partnership with Rat Pack for? Is it you're actually? It's my product. Actually your product, yeah. So it's a little company, you've got like a little company yourselves. Is that is that how it works? As pest control sells them. That's it. I just run inside my business. OK, I've got a little workshop downstairs in the garage and that's where I make. So so basically other shops can sell them and it's just that any shop can sell them if they want to.

1:03:51 Yeah, yeah, they come to me, but I'm trying to keep it to the pest control industry. So I've got to give a big shout out to Dave Velsink from GOOD. Man. And Howard Fantastic.

1:04:09 I know a lot of people got the version 1, the basket units now, but I bought out the version 2 and the deluxe version, which are a lot more simpler, simpler to make put together and simpler to use for the person who's going to be using them. Especially because I was thinking, I wasn't thinking about domestic customers really. I was thinking about pest controllers because the way the the industry is going, trying to use less pesticides, it's rugged exercise or anything like that. So if there's anything we can reduce that.

1:04:54 Yeah, that's why I come up with this idea. That was why you came, was it, was it an idea you thought I could just use it in my business or was it an idea for I could sell, I could sell this to other pest controllers as well? Or was it a mixture of both? It was a mixture of both. It was about 12 years ago I came up with the idea. OK. When I work for the local authority and I did pitch it to Matt Taylor when he worked for Essex, Essex Pest Control Products or something like that and nothing came of that.

1:05:28 So it's only re emerged since I've started my own company up. So yeah, I was doing it for me more than anything because. There we go, people, there we go. It's on the screen now. If you can see if you can see it, I'll. Show you them in a minute. But yeah, that's the version 1 model. I got that off the backpack site as well, that's where I grabbed it from. Yeah, they they'll be they'll be discontinued soon version 2 and the deluxe model which were a lot easier and simple for the pest controllers to use and to give them another steady income as well.

1:06:11 So these things will need cleaning out on a regular basis, especially if you need living. If you've got trees like I have got trees next to me house, they will get blocked up. So you need to keep on top of them. And you can take it to service charge. I do a few services for my customers and for the time you spend doing them and the money you make, it's a no brain. It's a no brain. So. So yeah. It's nice. It's something you, you actually make it, you make you make at home. It's it's it's a nice. And I've got another local company involved as well in it.

1:06:54 It's just just not just me.

1:07:00 I went and got a contract for a local metal pressing company and I've been doing their pest control for about 3 years and I just went about six months ago. Seven months ago, I went to delay who actually owns a factory and I said I made one up at the version 2. I said is there any chance you can press these out for me? And she goes we'll see what we can do for you Jason. If we get a die made-up, it's going to cost you thousands, but we've got something, we will have something in our factory that will make it close for you.

1:07:42 So the local company actually presses these doors out for me. So that's the that's the round version and they just, they just slip into there. It's. Very different to the version I'm looking at on screen that is. That's it, yeah. And it's a lot simpler. And then I've got square versions as well. They they stamp out for me and the deluxe square versions, which are a bit smaller in the normal square versions. So I have to have them done as well. So, so yeah. And I'll modify the round ones to go into the deluxe version.

1:08:32 OK, that's good. That is, that they're able to help you out. Oh yeah, they've been, they've been fantastic. They, I've got to admit they've every time I put an order in, about a week later, I've had all these things stamped out. That's. Nice. It's a bit daunting sometime when you're starting up a new venture because the amount of money you have to play into it to start with. Yeah, that's why I went to saw Dave L Sink at Rat Pack. I had a trip up to Lincoln, spent the night in Lincoln, met up with Howard at Rat Pack and showed him and they said what a simple device that is, how simple that no one's ever thought of that before.

1:09:20 Anything I've seen for things like that in America, they've got a product you've seen it called the Gutter Gate, right? Just opens the Gutter Gate. But that's the only other thing I've seen. But I don't think they're available here anyway. But but these are even simpler. Does it just slot in? Does it just slot in to the? Yeah, the the deluxe version actually come with fitting instructions. This works just as well for the for the round ones and the square ones exactly the same. So they come with fitting instructions and it gives you the size you have to cut out.

1:10:04 So that's easy enough to do, but the new, the new deluxe roots, he can't get up there. He's not getting up there. Tell you what I like though. You put a poster off someone that was using them. Oh, no, no, no, sorry. Not someone using someone that managed to catch a rat going up on the tail. Yeah, he's good. He's good. They'll let you use it to promote the. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That pest control company is absolutely fantastic. I can't remember his name off here then, but he he was a nice man. It's hard.

1:10:45 To catch a photo like that, isn't it it? Is there is a few actually on the Internet? OK, Were they going up? And they do travel up drainpipes, rainwater drainpipes. They do I. Can't remember what the company. There was a company, I can't remember who it was, that actually had a video. They set the camera up. It showed you how quickly the rat could have down them. Yeah, I can't remember who it was, but someone you see the rat was straight down it. Was yeah, the old alley just does supply, doesn't it?

1:11:18 Like a rat of the green poker. Yeah, yeah. But yeah, this is the don't know whether there's good lights on there or not, but that's the that's the deluxe model. This comes in two parts. So you've got two parts of it. You cut your part out, your drain pipe sits in there, your other drain pipe sits there. And the way you clean these out is just by turning them. So that's you just open them up and clean them out. That's. Simple. Yeah. Simple, simple product. Simple product, that's a good product that is.

1:12:02 And with these you have to take the dray pipe back apart again. But I do glue these in these metal pieces, but if you bit of soapy water to wash them out or you can bang that out if you want to if it's perfectly back in afterwards and that's going nowhere once the pipes are in place. So you get nothing up there. Adam Edwards is is is happy you just put I've always, I've always used mesh to take the bracket off and fit under the clips. But that is a great bit of kit. He just said he's quite impressive of it.

1:12:39 Yeah, yeah. And that's the the square version. Now the only difference between the square version and the round version is you can't squat, you can't twist a square.

1:12:52 So. These come with actual front 4 screws unscrew them, they come off, but these ones have to be fully glued on the inside. So these are all glued in the inside and that's not going nowhere. There's nothing getting up through that. So yeah. So that's like a compression fit one in there that's. Good. Yeah, it does. Look good.

1:13:22 Is it is it just Rat Pack that sells them or is there anyone else anywhere else that sells them? You'll have to wait and see. I like that you have to wait and see, but they are. You can currently get the blockers that are on screen a rat pack, can't you? Yeah, you can get them. They'll be they'll be getting the version twos in and the deluxe version soon hopefully. What was it like, you know, when you were standing on the stand with Dave Helgerson from Rat Pack at the Was it the BPCA that was? The event, yeah.

1:14:04 Is that what you were doing, showing people the blocker? Yeah. Did you get good feedback off people? Fantastic. Everyone was fantastic on the stand because I actually made Dave up a little stand of where it works itself from the Rat Pack. And I thought I'll make myself, once I got in the shed, put some drain pipe together, put some things together, and I was just showing that off on the yeah, yeah, it works. Every fits in. Yeah, it's like these, these ones here. You actually cut the pipe to fit it in.

1:14:42 A lot of people are asking how much pipe do you cut? And it's that much, just over a centimetre depends on if the pipe moves down in the ground or not. If the pipe moves down in the ground, you don't have to cut anything out. You can just slot it back in. Well, yeah, they're they're really easy to fit. They're really easy to fit with a vibrating saw, an oscillating saw. Yeah. Yeah, so get yourself a living. You always say though, with a good business you need to solve a problem and there you are, you've solved the problem.

1:15:17 Just a simple problem as well. Simple because when when you see people put in big screws through drain pipes and you think cross above that looks horrible that looks horrible. Well. Yeah. Especially if you if you go to some posh hoses, they don't want to see screws going through the drain parts. They don't know. No, yeah. But yeah, they come in various colours, the black, white, white and brown for the circle and the same for the square deluxe models.

1:15:56 The the round ones do come up in anthracite, anthracite and grey as well as white, black and brown. Well. There's a few colours there as well because obviously different drain pipes are, there's a few different colours in there. So it's good that you've got the different colours the match, because you have a black, black pipe with a white bottom. It certainly wouldn't it, but it would it. Would, yeah. It would it would, but yeah, no, it's hopefully after this podcast or when I put it out, you're you'll see an UPS.

1:16:32 You never know, you could see an upsurge in sales for these because it's quite a kit. I will make also make the AI makes little clips, but I I might actually put out and that you know the section where of this podcast where you're talking about this product and I'll put it out as a separate piece as well. I think it's overcompressed. I have been mainly through other podcasts. You're like certain subjects and if someone doesn't want to watch the entire podcast, they can watch a certain section. Section.

1:17:02 Yeah, I need to do it with more of them because I've noticed like when I did the one with Jasmine, she was talking about EFK units and a lot of the misinformation going about when I, when I, when I clicked it up, they've done very well, just same sections. So I will do that for this block pipe blocker and the, and the wasp bit and the yeah, it will be good. That will be. But yes, it's been, it's been good learning about the, the pipe blocker because I was, I was, I was thinking to myself, I'm not going to ask him before the podcast, but I was thinking it was a, it was a Rat Pack product and you were just a designer.

1:17:39 I got it all wrong. I got it all. Wrong. No, I had the I had the gumption to go up and actually see David. I can't. Like I say, I can't thank Rat Pack enough for helping me out. And they're the ones who it gave me the push to go and do it because I've never done nothing like that before. And actually going up to to Lincoln as an experience and walking around the factory. I've always loved mechanical engineering and things like that, so it was good for him to give me a walk around the factory and the powder coating factory as well.

1:18:14 Yeah, you've got a powder coat you want. I actually went under Lincoln. I think that's where I did my course, the RSPH Level 2 awarding pest management management. But I didn't go. I've never actually, because it was in a hotel. I obviously drove back each day because it's not that far off of me and I never went to the. I never thought about driving up to Rat Pack to have a look round because I'm sure David just showed me around. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. Go and have a coffee with him if he's there. Oh, it's a good, it's a good blow.

1:18:46 When we when we need baked boxes, anything like that, we give Dave a call and he always sorts this out. Yeah, yeah. He does. He's bent over backwards since I've started my business up because you have to learn how to trust people a lot more. And because Dave was the new supplier to me, I trust him for the first two or three years, got to know him, got friendly and that's the way we started. And as soon as I've made this product, I thought I know where I'm going to try and sell it first. I'm going to give Dave, Dave and Rat Pack the idea, see if they can get me started on it.

1:19:31 And they did. And again, can't, can't thank him enough. I'll tell him I'll be messaging Dave tomorrow. You better listen to this podcast. Yeah, I'll. Say you get mentioned, you better play it in the office. But just watch it, just just see what happens next on the next section, All right? So just keep an eye out for that. Hopefully it's exciting news for me. Any episode, I'm I'm all light up for it. So. So yeah. It sounds good but Adam Edwards I think you're correct. The the video I've seen with the rat going down the pipe was marked marked health from from tornado.

1:20:14 That's it. That was a good one, yeah. Tornado. Yeah. He's right, it was. But yeah, no exciting things with the with the pipe guard blocker. Yeah, pipe guard rat blocker. So, yeah, thanks for coming on. Been a conversation. It's it's yeah, it's been interesting. It's been been interesting learning especially about always like things that like you don't expect to talk about and they come up like I didn't expect. You actually removed the actual next. I thought I'll ask him how he actually does it. So if anyone else is listening to this podcast and they want to try to actually remove it, they've got all the info on how to do that.

1:21:02 Or just or just give me a call. I don't mind just just find me number. I don't mind talking you through it. It's it's you've got to do it safely. You you a decent full face mask. If nothing else, you you safety first before. Entrance. It's true. If you don't feel comfortable in doing it, don't do it. So don't even go nowhere near it. You've got to be comfortable in in that situation. Going up to a nest and a good red light torch. Yeah. Don't go into a loft with a bright white light. Yeah, many times I've seen that.

1:21:43 Yeah, yeah. Always carry a nice little red torch with you in the loft. Yeah, it's a good advice there. But yeah, thanks for coming on. No, no. Thank you for having me.

1:21:58 And if there we go, Adam Edwards has been watching. Thanks, Jason. Lovely guy. Also, thumbs up. Cheers, Adam. Cheers mate. Thank you. Thanks for watching Adam Jasmine. But yeah, thanks everyone. I just got to give two podcasts a shout out now. Jenny was listening earlier. She probably not now different time in America. It is, but she's from the pathogen podcast with Candy. So please check out their podcast if you we'll check out there. It's American style podcast, but it's good. There's also good friends, Jack and Brad from Tales from the Crawl Space 2 point O. Now, if you like podcasts with where they've got funny stories and gory stories and not some of the stories are anonymous, that is a fun podcast.

1:22:45 It can get gory. They can. I think Brad has actually stepped over a dead body to get to a job.

1:22:57 He was following an ambulance in a certain block he was in and it was the only way of getting past. So he he had to do it, you know, but it but it's a it's a very good podcast. They're nice blokes. And obviously if you watch the beauties and beasties, they're they're a good podcast. I'd just like to shout out other people that pensioners and supporters, because before I even started this podcast, I actually had a word with Sean on themblots. So what do you think because it says I've got five years experience in podcasting for I wasn't that successful, but I didn't had fun doing gaming podcasts, you know, getting video game podcasts and it says I want to do it in pest control.

1:23:38 And they were very supportive. They were like, I won't be on the same night as you. I'll try and bring a slightly different twist. I will, although I do ask questions. Some questions may be similar, but some may be different questions they haven't thought of. But yeah, they were supportive since the start. They were so and they would then Sean was the one that helped me get CPD for the podcast, for the beauties and beasties. Not there for pest perspective, sorry, on the British pest Register because obviously it's his CPD scheme.

1:24:13 And I says, I says to him, do you really think it's worth it as well? People learn stuff and it's all about learning. So as long as when you put it into the scheme, you put what the learning points are for each episode, then it's fine. Because every single podcast you've I've listened to, you learn something. And that's the whole point of the podcast. It's learning. And then I obviously message to BPCA Scott and asked him, He says, well, they can already do it. They just need to put the name in the podcast in what they learnt, how long it was and and you're good to go.

1:24:48 Then I've applied for the basis prompt and I've been successful. That took a few weeks to to sort out. But there's 10 codes out there. People go through the previous episodes and you'll see it in a description. You will. But but yeah, thanks for watching everyone. If you've got, have you got anyone that you'd like to see on this podcast that you'd think will go on the podcast? Because I know I do ask people and I fully, I tell you to them, I won't be offended if you don't want to come on because when you're on the podcast, you are putting yourself out there.

1:25:23 So have you got anyone you think would come on the podcast or you'd like to see on one? I'm interested it's only because of the inmates, gamekeeping sides and all that. Kieran Casper sampler Seen somewhere on the thingy on this. I. Love to see him on here. I I 100% agree I. Think. I'd have to bring him. Yeah, or Jason Walden from AIM Pest Control in the Black Country then in Birmingham way and that way on see that perspective of it or WS Pest Control, something like that as well. OK. But there are a few West Midland pest controllers I know like Tony Adams from First Call Pest Management, he's lovely bloke as well.

1:26:18 Kieran Casper, I would love to love to see his intake on this as well. I definitely will get him on because we, I have, I have talked to him about about him coming on, but I'm reckon I'm going to have to ring his actual mobile because when I ring him on Facebook he hasn't answered. But maybe he doesn't know it's me because I've changed my account to Sean Muller Pest Control because too many people are getting my main 1. So I swapped it over to a different 1. So but yes, that is a very good show.

1:26:49 I do want to get him on. So Kieran, you're watching. I want you to come on, get hold of me. I will get hold of you. But yes, I will have a look into the other people and see if they're willing to come on. They may not be. That's fair. Understand not everyone wants to understand. I don't get offended because I'm upfront straight away. I tell people that I'd love for you to come on, but if you don't want to, I won't be offended. I understand it takes a lot to go on a podcast. You've done very well.

1:27:17 You've been a very good pest you. Ask if if not Kieran, try Jason Walden for main pest control. He's such a lovely bloke as well. I will. And if you listen, guys, give me a message. The name, the names you just mentioned, give me a message. I'm booked. I'm booked. I'm right into bookings into, I think we've got one date left in August. I think it's probably quite popular, but it is. I'm not as far ahead as the beauties and beasties. They book three or four months ahead. They do. They're like really ahead because when they booked me for the dead Animals episode, I'm sure it was at least two or three months.

1:27:57 They asked me ahead of that. If you like a episode, did you listen to that one? Yeah, yeah, I think I did. I I get a get a couple of cans of beer and I just sit here and listen to a. Lot of people listen to that one. It was an interesting one, but I did well, I think. But it was, it was a fun conversation anyway. But yeah, thanks Jason for coming on. Yeah, no, thank you for having me. It's been great, so I'll end this stream everyone and next week. I can't remember who's on next week, but I'll I will put it out.

1:28:34 I will I will sort it all out and I'll put a thumbnail up and everything and let everyone know I should know, but I just can't remember offhand. I can't. So thanks for watching everyone and I'll be back next Tuesday. So thanks everyone for watching and I'll see you next week. So right there we go. I'm just ending this stream now.