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Matt

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Everything posted by Matt

  1. Matt
    Muddy boots, manky knee pads and dirty fingernails.... just three ways to quickly identify a mawdyman....
  2. Matt
    My grandfather came from Carwelees Inn (can't remember how it's spelt) near Carlisle, and I keep saying I'm going to drive up for a nose around one of these days.... I might just pop a few buckets of traps into the van when I do to make a bit of beer money while I'm there. I take it the ale is still at 1980 prices as well as the molecatchers?
  3. Matt
    As long as you promise not to move down here, you are welcome to a day or two out on Exmoor with me.
  4. Matt
    Very true. On Sunday morning I was driving between to bits of land and happened on a farmer loading sheep into a trailer. I stopped and waited while he loaded them up and wound down the window for a quick chat. After putting the world to rights, I gave him a card.... "ah, we have so and so in here. They've caught 200 in two years off our main farm..." "No problem", I said, "as long as your happy"... "Just out of interest", he said, "how much do you charge?"... So I told him. A wry smile came onto his face, and I thought, 'no chance'.... "I take it you are paying less?"
  5. Matt
    I suppose it's all a bit 'geographical'.... It costs me over £1000 per month to pay the mortgage, the electricity, the water rates and the council tax. And that's before I've thought about luxuries like food to eat, and coal for the fire. This isn't a mansion we are talking about either, it's a two bedroom semi detached cottage with no central heating. In reality, I need to gross 33k just to stand still.... What would happen if all the molecatchers locally actually stood their ground and demanded a reasonable fee for their work? I know that there are always chancers who want to make
  6. Matt
    Would you say that I have 'big gaps' in my pest control knowledge Deker? The thing is, I've used AP for about 25 years and I've never seen it effectively used against moles. On big agricultural jobs I often trap 2-3 moles for the cost of one tube of AP and my method is proven to kill moles. On smaller garden type jobs it has the disadvantage of having to use a whole tube at a time, and with such variable results, and usually requiring at least one follow up visit, trapping is not only safer, but also more cost effective. While I accept and agree that AP has a place as a tool for f
  7. Matt
    Scary stuff. I thought £5 per mole was way too cheap, but £1 per mole? Last week I worked my nuts off, and caught 98 moles. I charge £10 per mole, so I turned over £980. Take out the expenses, and I'll end up taking home about £700 before tax. Given the average wage is now over £26k that's not a big earner. With folks doing the job at half price or less, they aren't just selling themselves short, but everyone else who does the job as well.
  8. Matt
    Except the one that has the heading 'Spring Trap Approval Order'. At the moment...... One day, in the not too distant future, I expect the Dukes will get their approval. In the meantime, their use in the UK remains legally challenging... As for importing, I've done it myself, and it can be cheaper. The best way is to ask the seller to treat the goods as commercial samples and mark them accordingly...
  9. Matt
    If you change your mind let me know Steve. I've got a few Talpex applicators for sale. I'm still undecided whether I'll update my ticket, but it's not looking likely at the moment. I only ever used the product on rats and occasionally rabbits and now trap moles and do pretty much nothing else, so it could just be another piece of paper gathering dust.
  10. Matt
    Why live traps? Properly set kill traps will be easier to use and will get better results in less time. If you've got rats in your home or garden then you are risking the health of your family and livestock. Most Local Authorities offer subsidised pest control services and that is your best bet. Catching a few rats may be fun, but personally, I think a professional is a better bet when you and yours are at risk. Keeping a few kill traps set around livestock areas will prevent further problems, but if you are seeing rats around it's gone beyond that stage already.
  11. Matt
    The 'occupier' of any land has the right to give permission to 'take' rabbits, regardless of what the owner wants. Just thought I'd mention it....
  12. Matt
    I'm a much more expensive rent boy than that!!!
  13. Matt
    I've got to agree with you Pete; this is certainly a 'must have' for anyone starting out in the industry. At the end of the day, it's £100. That's a couple of nights on the beer, or a tank of diesel.... and what do you get out of it? Potentially the ability to help you earn thousands. Part of the problem is that the market for this type of publication is quite small. I pride myself on having a pretty good pest control library, and I've paid much more for some of the vintage text books.
  14. Matt
    Not in my time Deker me ole mucker! To my mind, any company that isn't prepared to invest £100 or so to help educate and inform their employees is a disgrace. Yes, I agree, it is quite expensive I suppose.... but then, what price to you put on a good reference book? It's pretty much essential reading if you want to pass the RSPH, and having a copy in the van to remind you of the theory when you are on call outs is pretty handy. Added to that, quite alot of work went into it by different authors, and I suppose they deserve to earn an honest crust the same as the rest of us.
  15. Matt
    Magistrate may have decided that it's serious enough to warrant Crown Court, or they may have elected to go to Crown Court themselves. Either way, justice will take it's course, both in and out of the courts I suspect...
  16. Matt
    Firstly, we can't ban anyone with a criminal record. This is an internet forum, not a playgroup! If we banned everyone with a criminal record there would be quite a few members gone... Secondly, as much as the evidence seems damning, he hasn't actually been convicted yet. We have a justice system in this country; it may not be perfect, but we should let it take it's course. Personally, I'd rather leave him here to answer his critics. What's the old saying? "Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer." Crimes involving the theft of peoples animals are about as low as it get
  17. Matt
    Those hand helds are 4 watt output the same as mobile rigs. The Midland 42 also comes with car connections (get a mag mounted twig) and two battery packs. With a decent twig you can go out just as far as any other legal rig. I regularly hear the DX boys from Norfolk and even Scotland down here. The Charlie Tango DX club has a forum that is packed with information.
  18. Matt
    Here ye go: http://www.radioworld.co.uk/catalog/midland_alan_42_multi_80ch_handheld-p-3547.html These are bomb proof, and you get a lot for your money. I've got one myself. Have a look on evil bay, they do come up from time to time.
  19. Matt
    Did Allen buy Midland out then?? or was it a simple name change?? Used to have a midland CB in the early 90's I think that Allen is the parent company in the US. Midland is a marketing brand for the UK. I'll dig out a link or two for you Shovel....
  20. Matt
    It depends whether it's CB, PMR or VHF. I'd ask someone there. If it's CB, you won't go far wrong with an Allen hand held. The DX boys get out hundreds of miles with the Allen (Midland) hand held, and. They'll set you back about £125, but are bomb proof. If it's PMR, then Motorolla is probably your best bet. If it's VHF you've got to get a licence. Others on here are probably much better informed than me, but there are some pretty good DX forums on the web with lots of advice available on the best rigs available.
  21. Matt
    There is no such thing as a 'licensed' pest controller in the UK. Pest control is a legitimate activity regardless of whether it's carried out by a professional pest controller or an ameteur. Cover your ass, carry the paper work and be confident of the law and there shouldn't be a problem under normal circumstances.
  22. Matt
    No, you can't blame a man for trying. The thing is, when you buy a new one you get free updates for a year....
  23. Matt
    Legislation and Best Practice is changing on a weekly basis. Any old second hand manual is likely to have out of date information. Put your hand in your pocket and buy a new one, especially if you are after it to help you pass the RSPH exam.
  24. Matt
    No, they'd be banged up, beaten up, loose their jobs, loose their homes and families and generally have their lives destroyed. In my opinion, rightly so. There is NO comparison between that and people who choose to take a gamble on breaking the hunting act. The police are not infallible, and they're not lawyers. They make mistakes from time to time which is no comfort to those on the receiving end of one of their errors. In general, providing you are polite and reasonable, any misunderstanding can usually be resolved quickly. Sadly, there are always exceptions to this. While I
  25. Matt
    Wrong. The forum rules are simple, and apply to everyone. Text talk is not allowed, and any posts containing it will be removed without warning.
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