We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rebecca Dmytryk. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rebecca below.

Alright, Rebecca thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?

I do wish I had started the business sooner—mainly because it would have allowed me to save more animals lives and to have more time as an influence in the industry. But about 13 years ago, I was still running my mobile dog grooming business, Carmel Canines, while also rescuing wildlife through the non-profit Wildlife Emergency Services, which I had founded years earlier. And even though I would get more and more calls for help with wildlife problems, I was hesitant to launch a new business, I mean, what did I know?

Rebecca, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’d worked with wildlife my entire life, primarily rescuing animals in distress. I even wrote a book—Wildlife Search and Rescue: A Guide for First Responders (Wiley, 2012), and my husband, Duane Titus, he’d worked in construction for decades so actually, together, we were perfectly suited for this unique line of work. And so, we started Humane Wildlife Control Inc.

Our business falls under the category of pest control or nuisance wildlife control, but I like to be very clear: the animals aren’t the problem—human behavior is. Every wildlife conflict stems from something people do (or don’t do) that leads to an issue. For example, when rodents get inside a house, it’s because there are openings in the structure allowing them in. Instead of focusing on “getting rid of” the rats and mice, we solve the root problem by repairing the exterior of the home and then getting the little guys out safely using live-catch traps.

We take things a step further by dyeing the tails of the rats or mice before releasing them right outside the home so they can test the repairs that were made. I know it sounds counterproductive but, really, it’s the only way to test if the rodent-proofing was sufficient. If you catch Mr. Green Tail inside, then you know there’s a hole somewhere that might have been missed. As far as I know, we’re the first company to use this method. We also designed a one-way door to evict rodents so there’s no need to use traps. We’ve also perfected the use of a certain method to evict raccoons with their young without ever touching them. 100% effective. Works like a charm!

I also believe we are the first to invent a rodent-proof barrier for outdoor use. We call it the rodent exclusion barrier system or REBS for short. It’s designed to keep rats and mice out of vehicles, out of gardens and away from birdseed feeders, for example.

Another first, is our barn owl nest box design. The biggest in the country (as far as I know), and for good reason. Owls need a lot of room to raise their young. Watch one of the first boxes we installed https://www.youtube.com/live/sP8ATz_c-7w?feature=shared

For the last few years, as demand increased, I’ve been giving presentations on Poison-Free Rodent Control – both in person and online (https://vimeo.com/906773695) – helping people understand the process if they want to try and tackle the repairs themselves, but I think I’ve inspired a few pest control operators to consider shifting away from using poison.

I think it’s catching on and I am very, very proud to be helping lead the way.

We are also a leader in coyote intervention – that’s what I like to call what we do.. In addition to consulting homeowners on how to protect their property and pets from these wild canids, we are hired by cities to assess coyote activity and develop strategic response plans.

As with all wildlife conflicts, the root cause is human behavior, and coyote conflicts are no different. To see a change in coyote behavior we must shift human behavior, for example, empowering citizens with the knowledge and tools to respond to coyote encounters appropriately, improving waste management practices, and reducing food sources that attract coyotes and other wildlife in the first place.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

My husband of 20 years is my business partner. We met in our hometown of Malibu where he was an electrician for years. It’s his vast constriction background that has allowed us to take on some of the trickier jobs – just ’cause he knows how a building is put together and where animals would likely gain access, but that’s not to say a person with limited handyperson skills could’t be hugely successful in this line of work.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

In fact, lately, I’ve had a number of calls from people inquiring about training, so we’re in the process of developing a mentorship program—one that will eventually be available online.

This work can be incredibly lucrative, but profitability can sometimes attract the wrong people—those more focused on making money than on doing the right thing and so that’s why I believe the core requirement for this work is deep appreciation and respect for animals along with a steadfast commitment to do no harm to them. And that’s exactly what consumers are looking for. So if you love nature and love, love, love animals and if you enjoy detective work and if you’re okay getting your hands a bit dirty, this work might be for you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://humanecontrol.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/humane_wildlife_control/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/humanewildlifecontrol/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/100565050/admin/page-posts/published/
• Twitter: https://x.com/Humane_Wildlife
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@humanewildlifecontrolinc
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/humane-wildlife-control-moss-landing-2
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/humane_wildlife_control
• Other: https://maps.app.goo.gl/zabzMn19sLAenqC48

  LIVE OWL CAM (one of the boxes we installed years ago): https://www.youtube.com/live/sP8ATz_c-7w?feature=shared