Got my first paying customer!!!! I guess I must have either found someone desperate or my sales technique has improved since last week.

Got to go do the inspection in a couple of hours. From what they are telling me it sounds like squirrels in the soffit area or attic. They seem to think they can't get into the attic from the soffit, but we all know better than that. Especially if they want in there.

Good Deal Cannonx4 !!! Do a Good Job!

Congrats! Do good work and be up front and honest with them never try to snow a customer. They may not know animals but most have good BS detectors.
I say this because you will get hit with twenty questions and some really off the wall crap. If you can answer them in simple terms they understand so much the better but if you can't be truthful but be sure to get the answer for them.

Congrats, don't forget to keep us posted on how
It goes!

This is the start. From here you will learn what works best for you and what doesn't. You will change how you do things a few different times until you figure out what is the best system for you.

I still tweak my work order about once a year and the printing company loves me for it.

Don't be afraid to try different things and "sometimes" the customer actually does know best.

Congratulations! You learn something from every job.

Well just got home, can't really tell what is getting in there but its not grey squirrels for sure. I couldn't find any holes big enough for them but I found several places big enough for flyers. I have a bunch of pictures I will get uploaded and let yall help me out, if you don't mind.

I found a lot of small droppings on top of the insulation. The droppings look like mice droppings. The customers are hearing scratching sounds at the top of the wall, with an occasional running around up there. But they always stay in the same spot in the house. Which is near one of the corners that has the big crack in plywood.

I couldn't start setting it up today because I am leaving town tomorrow for a few days. So this gives me some time to figure things out.

Stay tuned for some pictures.

Bats...

X2 bats

Any odors?

The running around is something else, though.

Nope no odor no guano, couldn't find any sign of bats. No greasy stains around any of the openings, no hair that I could find either. Here are some of the pictures.


This particular corner the home owner put the paper in it but nothing has been using this one. Though it isn't on the corner where they hear the activity. There are 3 out of 4 corners like this.


Most every window is like this.




This one is looking into the corner when you move the broken brick.


This goes straight into the basement. They told me that they had chipmunks in there before and they chewed up the wires to the furnace.

I know this is a lot of pictures but this is what I seen.

Based on customer comments...bats.

Great pictures! Was that house the victim of an earthquake?

I think more a victim of old age and no maintanence.

Pictures of the droppings?

So far I am impressed, you got a good eye and picked up on a footing to ridge inspection.

I bet its mice. I get way to many calls for squirrels when all it is is mice.

I tell customers on the phone:

If it sounds like squirrels its mice, if it sounds like a raccoon its squirrels, if it sounds like a homeless man is living up there its raccoons.

While there is no doubt they could have bats also I bet the running around noises they hear is mice.

Did they tell you what time of day or night they hear the noises? Is it always the same wall?

When you go back use something long and thin ( I use an old car antenna) to reach in those gaps and pull out what you can. It is a good way to tell if you have bats when the sign isn't obvious.

Pictures of the droppings I didn't get, will remember that next time.

They hear the sounds at night and always in the same room at the top of the wall. The attic is so small I couldn't get over to the edge of the wall to look at it. They had two big rat traps up there and nothing had been caught, they also told me they had mice traps up there earlier but didn't catch anything. They were baiting them with peanut butter and a small piece of apple.

I am going back up there tomorrow morning to set up a trail cam on the corner where I think they are going in and out of. Maybe that will tell me more.

I will be out of town for 4 days, surely something will come and go within that time and hopefully the cam will get some pictures of it.

Nate...I am with you....mice and bats. Nothing like a challenging job for first customer. It will be one to remember. Watch the cam not show anything...

Trail Camera is a great tool and glad you thought of it on day 1. I don't use one often but on occasion I break it out. More of a tool to prove a customer wrong than to diagnose a problem but I have done that more than once also.

A great way to tell if you have mice is look for tunneling in the insulation in the attic as well as along foundation in basement.


I think your better off starting off with a tricky job than having a bunch of easy ones and then get hit with that hard one.

The more jobs you do the more you will learn what equipment to keep on the truck to prevent numerous trips to a job.