There含羞草研究社檚 a well-documented business rule that suggests you should never hire your friends as employees.

Your pets? That含羞草研究社檚 another story.

Courtenay entrepreneur Cameron Ezzy has started his own pest control business, with some rather quacky employees: his pet ducks.

Slugs n含羞草研究社� Bugs For Lunch is a new pest control business in the Comox Valley, and the employees have quite an appetite for their work.

Ezzy said the transition from duck owner to business owner came about naturally, and nearly instantly.

含羞草研究社淢y landlady said I could get ducks so I got the ducks,含羞草研究社� he explained. 含羞草研究社淚 knew there was a slug problem in the area that I lived, and I my landlady was the one who said 含羞草研究社榶ou know, ducks are really good at eating slugs含羞草研究社� and that was it. So I didn含羞草研究社檛 buy the ducks specifically for the business, but once I saw this, the business idea came to me immediately.含羞草研究社�

Ezzy brings the ducks to a residence, and from there, his fine-feathered employees do the rest.

He currently has four employees - Rosie, Aretha Franklin, Willow, and Jaco the lone drake (named after legendary bassist Jaco Pastorius), - and is hopeful some offspring will add to his empire in time.

含羞草研究社淚 am looking to build my flock up to a dozen,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淩osie 含羞草研究社� who is named after my mom 含羞草研究社� has been laying eggs and I haven含羞草研究社檛 been touching them, so I am hoping she is going to sit on those eggs very shortly, and hatch them.含羞草研究社�

Ezzy said although he has had his ducks for nearly a year, he含羞草研究社檚 still learning the ins and outs of being a 含羞草研究社渄uck master.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淚 am a first-time duck owner, so I am learning as I go. I am not an authority on the industry. But I do know one thing; this makes people smile, and that the most satisfying thing,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淭he environmental part of it - pest control without chemicals - is really good, but the best part of it is how you feel and how you smile by just watching the ducks. It含羞草研究社檚 all about them.

含羞草研究社淭his is my way of doing an environmentally friendly job, giving people a reason to smile, and hopefully teaching kids that there are alternatives.含羞草研究社�

His Facebook page is Slugnsnbugs For Lunch and he can also be found on Instagram at @slugsnbugscanada

terry.farrell@blackpress.ca
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