British Pest Control Ass. General pest control course

[labsnlurchers 39]

I'm booked to go on this course just wondering if anyone on here has done it or is going and if theres any tips on what i need to take or parts of the course that are difficult or easy.

Cheers x

[trappa 518]

Is that the bpca part1 ?

[labsnlurchers 39]

Is that the bpca part1 ?

 

Its the general pest control course, the expensive one, luckily i got funding for it! It covers all the areas pests, legislation, health and safety etc etc

[Guest ferret feller]

if your 17 how much is it ? and where is it based? also how old do you have to be to do it?

im very interested in this course so please get back to me mate....

[labsnlurchers 39]

£985 its at warwick uni coventry not sure of the age and stuff so heres the link.

http://www.bpca.org.uk/courses.asp?slevel=...mp;parent_id=15

[Guest ferret feller]

thankyou labs and lurchers that is very helpfull of you... i might well be on one of those courses...

[TOMO 29,238]

yes thats the bpca part 1,

 

did it myself 5 year ago , and passed. personly i found it easy . i opologies for sounding big headed but it was.

 

however i had been working in the trade for a year befor i took the exam, and had done no end of killgerm 1 day courses.

 

let me just say though, for you chaps doing it, your in the classroom from 8.30am till 6 pm , an hour for dinner. so its quite intence the amount of info they try to cram in to you.

 

also bewhere , its not a garanteed pass. there were people on our course that failed. and two of my work mates were on there second go at it.

 

alot of the people on the course , were going round to the uni bar and drinking all night, after being in the class allday.

 

i only went once for a couple of hours, the rest of the time i was in my room , "cramming" (student speak ) .

 

i was also funded by the governement so i realy wanted to pass.

 

what i found dissapointing was , although i passed i have no idea what my mark was, and what , if any questions i got wrong. all i could find out was i passed

 

best of luck boys, better still create your own luck and nuckle down and studdy , you can get pissed anytime . its only 5 days out of your life TOMO

[Matt 160]

The exam at the end of the course used to be the old BPCA part 1, which as Tomo says, was fairly straightforward.

 

These days, the exam is the RSPH level2, which is quite tough. You dont just need to know the right answer, you need to know why it is the right answer, and be able to put it in writing. Only about 65% of people who sit the exam pass it.

 

The other problem with the RSPH level 2 is that it takes upto 12 weeks to get your result.

 

DO NOT think that you are a 'fully qualified' pest controller with this qualification alone - it is considered to be an 'entry level' qualification. You will need to go on and do much more before you can be considered as fully qualified.

 

The week long course is a good one - you will be given a copy of the new BPCT manual (an updated version of the old ADAS manual), and there are some very good tutors on the course.

 

What RSPH level 2 does for you is 'open doors'. It makes you a much more attractive proposition for employers, who must get all their staff through it as a requirement of membership of the BPCA. It is also becoming more common for large contracts to specify it as the minimum standard for technicians working on their sites.

 

Anyway, good luck with the course - keep us all posted on your progress.

[labsnlurchers 39]

Thanks for all the advice everyone.

I have a BSc hons degree in animal science so im quite academic and i'm hoping that the studying and intensive nature of the course wont phase me too much but i am a bit nervous.

I have got funding for the course from the welsh assembly government because me and my partner are planning to set up a small pest control business, we already have a few small contracts from local businesses controling rabbits and grey squirrels but we want to try it on a bit of a larger scale.

Does anyone have any advise on other courses that may be beneficial, my partner would really like to do one but he is not very academic and is dyslexic too. I have seen that there are online courses available, has anyone any experience of thses as they may suit my partner better than the intensive residantial courses.

 

Ill keep everyone updated on my progress, thanks again.

[Guest mavisdog]

i have level 2,

 

the problem with the courses is they dont tell you how to do the job, its just an exam etc,

would be better if these courses went more indepth on control of insects instead of the life cycles etc,

as for wildlife management they show you jack, or how to trap etc, it just covers the basics,

and dont make you a good pest controller time does that,

 

All food manufactures want minimum level 1, just to walk on the premises, but most IE who supply tesco etc want level 2

 

a lot of pest controllers ive met wouldnt have a clue on wildlife management, most are bait box boys, and thats not pest control,

but most companys are bait box boys especialy the big companys

 

cheers rob

 

Goood luck with your course ( its a piece of piss, dont rush and read carefully )

[heart of wales 19]

How are you fixed next week give me a ring have a load of stuff you can borrow that will help

[trappa 518]

I did the bpca part 1 a few years ago, i found it awkward as i concentrate on agricultural type vermin , but i did pass (probably just)!

Ive never had any cockroach experiencee and the closest i come to insects is wasps in the summer so my experience is limited to say the least, but to be honest im actually thankful! give me moles and rabbits and fox any day!!