That is exactly what I have said since day one. Like Billy or hate him that is up to you. But to say he is ruining our business is a joke. The guy is creating business for us by showing the uninformed that we exist and are here to help them.

Ron I am not sure how much damage he can do to our image if the majority of the public does not even know we exist???


Reminds me of years ago when I was doing work for the cable company and the movie "cable guy" came out. Every house I went to they would make some stupid comment about the movie. Did that movie do a cable company employee's image any good? Nope, but everyone who needs cable still calls.
Same can be said for Billy. So a customer might say "You don't look like Billy" , who cares. You still got the job and shortly their money and solved their problem. If it is a new customer their is a chance they knew you existed because of Billy.

You might not like that he is unsafe, don't hire him as your employee. And like you said don't watch the show, but I think it is unfair to say he is causing damage to our image without any proof to back up that claim. You wouldn't want someone going around saying you are damaging the image of our profession because you do more than just wildlife work.

Well Billy is now in the get busted for drugs club of celebrities according to TMZ. He does a whole lot for our image Krausen

lol

http://www.allvoices.com/news/5597771-billy-the-exterminator-star-busted-for-roaches

Come on Robb. Your gonna try to tell me Billy getting busted for dope is gonna prevent your phone from ringing? If Billy is smoking then he should get busted and whatever the punishment is for that in Louisiana should be enforced. But Billy getting busted will have no effect on your business and I am confident not one of your customers is going to start to think that because Billy got busted you must smoke also. Now if it was an employee of yours who got busted well then that changes things.

The reality of it is that dope is a very popular drug and I am sure every person knows at least one who does smoke.I do not see how Billy getting busted has any effect on any of us. Did the United States stop electing Presidents because the other Billy admitted to toking??

Krausen if you are happy with his image and it works for you fine!


I find he has the knowledge of some dirt poor,trap for a can of beer trapper myself and it is now obvious he also works for an entirely other kind of roaches and not just a can of beer. Maybe he can get rid of the rats in the prisons for awhile!

Personally I am offended by his lack of any real knowledge of handling nuisance animal problems and his misuse of his celebrity status and showing the public the wrong way to do things. If he only stuck to insect related problems I would have no problem with him at all.

Well I can assure you I never voted for that dope smoking, I never had sex with Monica Lewinsky idiot and liar either!

At no point did I say I agree with Billy's image. All I said is that Billy has no effect on YOUR image.

As far as his knowledge I do not know the man and will not comment on his knowledge or lack of, but I think I remember someone saying he has a degree of some sorts in wildlife biology or something similar.

I have not seen every episode of his show but I have seen a few and while his tactics are not the norm I do not recall seeing anything he has done that was so out of control and risked the safety of any animal. He risks his own safety constantly and that is "for TV" I am sure. If he wants to wear motorcycle chaps to handle a snake that is up to him. If he wants to spray bees in his T shirt and sun glasses that is his choice.

If a home owner is dumb enough to immitate Billy that is their choice and they were given that choice the minute they signed the mortgage. When they mess it up and call a professional I am sure they will be charged accordingly to fix what they messed up. I have no problem with that either.

I didn't say you did vote for him. I was just using him as a point that Billy and his legal problems will not prevent people from calling a WCO if they need help.

I wonder if the loggers get all upset at watching axe men or if the guys on the oil rigs get upset over that show or the race car drivers get upset over mad house??? These shows are exactly that- TV SHOWS! I think you guys give Billy a lot more stock than is really neccessary.

I don't know if I would go as far as to call him a celebrity. lol

A dope smoking exterminator can now be added to his already many faulted image was my only point.

He has his own TV show so he is a celebrity by the way.

Your right many homeowners will or can get hurt doing what Billy does since he is the expert on TV and maybe their only recourse is to sue Billy and his TV show producers.

So he has a degree in Wildlife Biology that still puts him in entry level and a lot to learn about our industry to ever be any good!

Wouldn't it be nice if our industry had someone knowledgeable and respectable like Bob Villa on "This Old House" but maybe in the end a real expert will hurt our industry anyway and keeping the moron on the boob tube is good for us in the end!

I don't think having a TV show makes you a celebrity. But maybe my time in Los Angeles gives me that impression.

In reality people are stupid. If a home owner watches Billy spray bees in a T shirt and thinks that they won't get stung doing the same thing then maybe they need to get stung. Being stupid is not a license to sue, well maybe it is....that is what is wrong with this Country.

I am pretty sure Billy has said in every episode he has been doing this for 20 years? I don't consider that entry level.

Yes it would be GREAT if we had someone on TV like Bob, but then the show would get cancelled after the first episode because nobody would watch it.

I am a firm believer in taking action. If you don't like Billy then petition his removal from the air or make a show that is better and get rich at the same time.

Maybe it is the age difference. Being younger than most (32) maybe I don't see Billy as the threat the older gentlemen do.

I guess it don't matter. You think Billy is going to ruin your image and I think Billy (drug bust or not) makes the phone ring all around the Country.

But we all agree that Billy is a "moron" in one way or another.

(and none of this has anything to do with "per animal charge" ) LOL

I agree, ever since "billy the exterminator" aired my business here in north louisiana has probably double, so it don't matter to me what or how he does things as long as my phone is ringing.

and that was billy's brother ricky who was busted if that really makes any difference

For Robb and my conversation it makes a world of difference. But other than that, not really.

Ricky is such a small part of the show it wasn't even worth making it news. lol

What I find more amazing than Billy is that fact that krausen gets it and all you more experienced guys don't.

Do you seriously think that people will stop watching because Billy got busted. Heck no, more will watch. He's got something like 19 shows recorded for this year.

I can just see the network lawyers at the trial; "Your Honor, you watched Billy on television. Can you think of anyone that needs medicinal marijuana more than our client?"
Judge; "No I can't. Case dismissed."

Robb said something interesting also about experts letting you down. There was a guy in our business that I had a lot of respect for. He is now in the slammer as a sex offender. Talk about a let-down!

Yeah NWCOA had a CWCP in Indiana or Illinois in the slammer as a sex offender too! They were supposed to strip away his certification and not sure if that ever happened.

Billy has 20 years of experiencing of what doing it all wrong. Glad he helps your business!

Krausen getting back on topic I agree with what you posted on wpn.

"Especially in the tough economy people will do almost anything to save money. if you are goin to bill per animal you will run into people trying to release their own catches to save a few bucks. If you charge per job you will still have people releasing your caught animals but it will more than likely be a neighbor or some kids."

I gave up on per animal charges years ago!

Here is the problem with Billy's Show. None of us know what techniques he used before TV came along. As far as any of us know REXCON came into existance for TV. The black and leather and studs could all of been the work of the producers.

I use per animal charges a lot. I only use set prices for certain jobs.

I have taken many safeguards that I have learned the hard way. When I first got started I didn't have this great resource. Everything was trial and error.

I had traps stolen that weren't part of contract and I had to eat the cost. Learned to make sure customer knew and signed that THEY are responsible for the safety of my equipment. I learned the hard way at catches being released. Going to location and seeing cage empty but bait has been eaten. And land owner saying "thats strange" what is strange now is the look when I tell them a tampered trap counts as a catch.

I got started doing nuisance wildlife removal as a kid with a single cage trap and a neighborhood full of grateful gardeners. lol

Then when I worked for the cable company I saw how much damage squirrels do to a home and at the time more importantly to me (a cable line). So I started removing squirrels for our cable customers. Got a start again in Colorado doing coyote control for ranchers, but that didn't count since I never charged.

Then when I moved back to Wisconsin I took it up again part time around my full time job. I am a new guy in this business, but not a knew guy to business.

billy doing it wrong is part of what makes it a good show,
Its funny!! I think most people know he does things a bit
off. Even if he did get busted, He looks like a pot head in the
first place.
Jim Carry acts like an idiot on t.v. and its great entertainment
My kids like to watch him, to see whats going to mess him up
on every show. They loved it when he got sprayed by the skunk.

Robb, we're actually talking about the same guy. That whole thing affected a lot of us personally. I'd just like to throw this out for everyone, it seems none of these criminal acts were done while sobor. Something to think about.

Nathan, once again you've nailed it! I'm guessing that this year Billy will make more money than Obama and they've just posted his earnings. When you get a producer, director, and camera crew involved in your business, change is inevitable. Who wouldn't enjoy interviewing Billy and find out how much of this real and how much is Hollywood.

We've already had more fun with this topic than I ever thought possible. If you're having a good 2010 it's because of you. not Billy. And if not, that's not Billy's fault either.

Yes any thread with Billy in it is a good time. he brings out emotion in a lot of the guys on here.

Did Billy do something wrong on an episode that I missed...?

Well it was mentioned that Billy was busted with a different type of roach but then clarification came in that it was actually his brother Ricky who has a history of drug abuse.

You are now up to speed on the adventures of Billy