Water work

Using a boat is more effective than a land vehicle when controlling aquatic weeds.Photo Credit: Southern Aquatic ManagementAaron Church admits he’s a little hesitant about speaking with Lawn & Landscape about how landscapers can add aquatic weed control to their business. The president of Southern Aquatic Management in Sanford, Fla., says he’s already seen an uptick in competition from landscapers and LCOs who’ve jumped into the aquatic weed control world. 

Since landscapers and LCOs are familiar with working with chemicals, it shouldn’t be too overwhelming to learn about aquatic chemicals, even though they are a different set of herbicides that need an aquatic label. “It wouldn’t be like someone working as a banker and deciding to get into the aquatics field,” he says.

“These guys are probably working around herbicides on a daily basis anyways, so they would already have a pretty good background.”

When Church started his company four years ago, he says it cost him about $15,000 start to finish, including the fee to incorporate and the cost of insurance. He already owned a truck, so he used that to pull the boat. Church says a landscaper looking to add the service would cost, assuming they have a truck to pull the boat, about $6,000 total – $5,000 for the boat and $1,000 for products and other equipment like sprayers.

“It’s not an expensive endeavor if you already have an existing landscaping outfit,” he says.”

While the transition may not be hard, Church says a lot of contractors he’s seen add it on aren’t treating the weeds with the amount of product they should be, which has gotten him some clean-up jobs. If someone needs $100 worth of herbicides, but the bid only called for $75, then the customer will not get the amount needed.

“You as the applicator have total control as to how much or how little product you’re putting in the water,” Church says.

From book study to actually getting on-site training, it would take about six months for someone to learn how to do the applications, Church says.

“Most of our guys are trained. They go out with someone that’s already licensed and train for a minimum of two months before we ever turn them loose on their own,” Church says.

Carlton Layne, executive director of the Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Foundation, says you can also attend the University of Florida aquatic weed short course, which happens May 3-5 in Coral Springs, Fla. Layne says most states have reciprocal agreements with Florida when it comes to the aquatic weed category.

Layne says certification can cost anywhere from $25-$300, and normally is good for three to five years.

“Of course they’d have to comply with whatever their local business requirements were,” Layne says. “If they’re already in the lawn care business, though, adding another service probably isn’t going to change their business license.”

Aquatic weed control is most popular in the Southeast, Church says, with Florida being the biggest draw for the business. “There’s quite a bit of work up through Coastal Georgia and the Coastal Carolinas,” Church says.

“Once you get up north obviously it’s a whole different type of ball game. You don’t need someone to be out there once a month to spray.”

Church says he’s seen some contractors only using an ATV to spray aquatics, but it’s best to use a boat. You most likely won’t be able to get weeds in the middle of the water with land vehicles.

“You can do anything from a half-acre pond to a 30-acre lake out of a boat. It’s universal, you can use it anywhere,” says Church, adding that one employee with a boat can complete about five jobs a day.

Church says he charges about $70 per hour, plus whatever chemicals he has to use. Church tries to keep chemical costs at 30 percent of the monthly cost. So, if a job takes $100 a month to spray two ponds, he wouldn’t want to exceed $30 a month in chemical use.

Overall, Church advises any landscaper or LCO who wants to add the service to commit to it.

“If you’re going to do it, go all the way and build yourself a couple of boats or at least a boat,” he says. “And be able to get out on the water to do it.”
 

The author is an associate editor at Lawn & Landscape. He can be reached at bhorn@gie.net.