That one week where every tower I touched had roaches inside

Last Tuesday I opened up a client's Dell tower and a family of roaches just scattered across my bench. I swear I screamed louder than the time I shocked myself on a CRT. Then Wednesday I find a dead mouse wedged between the power supply and the drive cage on another rig. By Friday I was wearing gloves and a mask before even touching a side panel. I think I need to start charging a biohazard fee or something. Has anyone else dealt with wildlife inside PC cases?

3 comments

3 Comments

ruby_henderson364d ago

Start by asking what the customer thinks about paying extra. I had a guy last year get mad when I tried to charge him extra for cleaning out a nest of baby roaches from his tower. He said it was just "normal dust" and refused to pay the cleanup fee. So now I just tell people upfront if I see signs of bugs or mice before I start working. Most folks are cool about it once they realize what we're dealing with.

torres.thea5d ago

People act like a little dirt is the end of the world but honestly that stuff is free pest control. Roaches eat other bugs and dead mice are just a sad fact of life when you leave a warm computer running in a basement. You want to wear gloves and a mask? Fine, but you're missing out on building character (and immunity). I've seen way worse in restaurant kitchens and nobody charges a fee for a few crumbs in a toaster. A little nature inside a PC just means the customer is living their life.

kelly.charlie4d ago

Huh, I gotta say @torres.thea that's a pretty relaxed take on things. I mean, isn't a dead mouse in a computer basically a fire hazard waiting to happen? All those little bones and dried out bits can short something out, plus the smell when that thing finally gets hot. I get that a few dust bunnies aren't the end of the world, but there's a pretty big difference between a crumb in a toaster and a rodent carcass marinating on a power supply.