Mole Trapping-What to Charge$$$

[coachtmoore]

What do you charge customers to remove moles with traps? I was think either by a per/mole basis or by a weekly monitoring fee? I need some figures to go by. Thanks.

[IBGreen]

HEHEHE, a per mole basis.:D LMAO

[65hoss]

Originally posted by IBGreen
HEHEHE, a per mole basis.:D LMAO


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That's funny. I got all choked up.

Good luck, those little suckers are almost impossible to catch.

[hoffmanlandscaping]

If you can find a productive way to trap moles you won't need to do anything else but bring in the $$$. Is it me or do those suckers seem to be getting worse by the year. I've tried traping with little success and I don't want to use any peticide to kill the grub because I have a well I ue for water and don't want to kill the good critters "Night crawler, Earthworm, ect.". The best way I've found in ee one working get out the shotgun and BOOOOM!

[LAWNGODFATHER]

To put mole traps out commercially (getting paid) you will need to be licensed in wild life control.

Traps, find the main run tunnel.

There are a few co's around here charging $49.99 a mole.

[hoffmanlandscaping]

What style off traps do you prefer to use?

[GroundKprs]

Control of vertebrate pests in landscapes can be licensed depending on your state. If the pest is any type of game species, regulated by state hunting laws, you may need special permission to trap, even live trapping, from your area conservation officer. Sometimes this is just a verbal OK from the officer (again depends on your state).

The bible of wildlife control is Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage, joint effort of Univ of NE and USDA. It covers almost 100 wildlife species. The book is currently out of print, but is published in entirety on the web at http://wildlifedamage.unl.edu/handbook/handbook/ . It was also published on CD-ROM, and a few of them are available at http://wildlifedamage.unl.edu/showPage.shtml?menuID=966800293 .

Pricing for any animal depends on the time involved. I have learned how to trap, and can usually get the mole in one setting of trap. Best time was 8-10 minutes after setting (wish it was always so easy, LOL). For regular maintenance clients, I only charge $20-30 per mole, because I want my properties to look good. For anyone else, price would be double or triple. I teach homeowners how to do it themselves for $35-50, depending on time involved.

What to use? I like the spear traps, but the newer Victor's seem to have shorter spears than the ones from 15 years ago. The Victor Out-O-Sight for deeper running moles is also used. I don't care for the choker type traps, but some others I know have good success with them. Main trick is to learn the biology of your target, just like with weeds, insects and diseases, and all you need for wildlife is in the above mentioned handbook.

[bastalker]

GET RID OF THE GRUBS!!!!!!! The moles will go away!! Moles are like the road runner, just cant be caught...If ya stick a whole bunch a traps everywhere and dont catch any what are ya gonna tell the customer?

I tell the customers "the reason you have a mole problem is quite simple...you have grubs..I will kill the grubs for you an the moles will look elsewhere" I explain to them that I will have to maintain the grub control or they will return.....Need I say more?
:drinkup:

[LAWNGODFATHER]

The best way to control something is to learn about it.

Moles eat worms, grub is a delicacy. Getting rid of the grub is not a 100% solution. There is no 100% solution, if there was, some one would be an instant millionaire.

Jim will post some links to a site on moles I am sure.

You must learn it's habit.

[Mike Bradbury]

Originally posted by bastalker
GET RID OF THE GRUBS!!!!!!! The moles will go away!! Moles are like the road runner, just cant be caught...If ya stick a whole bunch a traps everywhere and dont catch any what are ya gonna tell the customer?

I tell the customers "the reason you have a mole problem is quite simple...you have grubs..I will kill the grubs for you an the moles will look elsewhere" I explain to them that I will have to maintain the grub control or they will return.....Need I say more?
:drinkup:

Just not valid

[Awilkinson]

You sould charge 5 a pelt! That is the going rate for a good mole coat, 30 pelts per, 150! LOL
Don't let the trading post give you any less!

[Mr.Ziffel]

The two best easily available sources of information on this are at moleman.com and at the Purdue University Extension Cooperative service, pamphlet ADM-10, Mole Control. Purdue's pamphlet doesn't seem to be available online anymore, but do a search of their extension service and you can order it for a dollar.

The moleman's web site has excellent information and confirms what a few recent posters say about the fallacy of grub control. From his website:

On Moles & Misconceptions - There is no importance to the order.

"I spray every year for grubs and I still have moles!." Pesticide manufacturers have in the past targeted white grub as the moles chief source of food, which their chemicals might control. In fact 80 to 90% of the moles daily diet is met by the organically beneficial, gardener approved soil maker the earthworm. The rest of the moles diet can be millipedes in mulch, ants, pillbugs and other insects found around home foundations, rocks and landscaping timbers. In some areas of the east and midwest moles can feed heavily on periodic cicada (17 and 13 year locust) for the better part of the cicada's life span. Mole populations will decrease significantly after cicada have emerged and in residential properties, may not be problems for 9 to 10 years after the cicada have emerged"

Good luck. I recommend that you charge by the carcass and show them to the homeowner so they can see what they're getting for their money. Will M>

[bastalker]

Alright I will specify...If you are killing the grubs with whatever you chose to use, it will 99% of the time get rid of all moles delicacies, be it worms or whatever. I have a few yards that were mole infested, and if you take away their food supply they will move to greener pastures....

Mole traps just dont work...IMO....I have put 4 of them in 1 yard to no avail. Yes and I put them in the main tunnels.

You guys can say what you want but if you cut off any animals food supply they will look elsewhere.. Its not rocket science...

[GroundKprs]

Purdue just recently reorganized some of web addresses. ADM-10 is now here: http://www.entm.purdue.edu/entomology/ext/targets/ADM/ADMPDF/ADM-10.pdf . Don't ask why it's now in the entomology section - maybe to give a thrill to the grub storytellers.

It's OK for some people to still rave about killing the grubs to control moles. After all, we still have people who believe the world is flat. Most in the trade know the real reason for the grub/mole connection - to sell another pricey application, not to control the moles.

The NE handbook mentioned above deals with moles at http://wildlifedamage.unl.edu/handbook/handbook/mammals/mam_d51.pdf . It spends a paragraph describing control of grubs, because of the economic interest of those who argue the grub story. But then it spends almost three pages describing the proper setting of various traps. Decide for yourself what is best - make a fast buck or solve the problem for sure and also make a buck. Even if another mole comes in the next day, nobody can argue against the carcass you provide with a trap.

And take a good look at the mole pictured on front page of the NE handbook. What is he eating? lol, LOL!

[GroundKprs]

Whooo, Double A, I missed your post before. Where in IN is this trading post???? Bob would love to know. He traps 30-60 moles a year in a few properties next to a wild area. He does set multiple traps, can get 2-3 on one property at a time. Really dense mole population there, they are usually just one per ½ to 1 acre. If I could point him to just $2 a pelt, that would be good for a couple of breakfasts for me. LOL.

[Quail Creek LC]

Guys in my area start out at a $100 a 1 year fee. For each mole that is caught he gets $30 per mole. This guy traps alot of my clients and does rather well.

[Russ]

I trap several of my properties. I get a $50.00 yearly set up fee and $20.00 extra per month to monitor the traps and I know that is too cheap but I'm already at the property and often I'm more concerned with the damage than the owner. Set up consist of 2-10 traps depending on activity. When control is acceptable I reduce the number of traps to 2 to reduce recolonization. I use Victor spear traps and Out of Sight traps depending on the activity. I will trap 30-70 moles per year (they seem to run in cycles). One of the properties is 5 acres surrounded by woods and a creek. This property is always the source of the greatest yield. On a side note I had a guy from SOSMole Trappers trying to sell me a franchise tells me he gets $400.00 per acre up front for seasonal control. Sure wish I could sell that program.

[lawn jockey]

Here in Grand Rapids we have to companies who do this 1 charges 30.0o each and the other charges 25.00 each,but they dont use traps they more or less hunt them. It is my understanding that they spear them. I know one of the guys if you would like I could get his number for you. Email me if interested crad2828@aol.com

[coachtmoore]

Thanks for the info. It has helped very much.

[Runner]

The mole control around here is done with aluminum phosphate. The companies get $125 per 1/2 acre lot for a visit, and $200 for the season contract. This stuff works, but there are only three companies in our whole tri-county area that are licensed to do this. VERY expensive venture to get into. This is why there aren't very many people doing it.

[Mike Bradbury]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by bastalker
[B]Alright I will specify...If you are killing the grubs with whatever you chose to use, it will 99% of the time get rid of all moles delicacies, be it worms or whatever. I have a few yards that were mole infested, and if you take away their food supply they will move to greener pastures....


And you just wiped out the ecosystem of the whole site treating ONE problem. a little science never hurt anyone....:dizzy:

[morturf]

OK,
I have said this before and I will say it again. I trap upwards of 700 moles a year. I have been catching this many moles for more than 30 years. I don't live in a huge city. I take care of about 250 lawns. It is just a sidebar to the work. If I don't take care of them nobody else will. I don't charge extra for it. I never miss a mole if it is still around. Never. If you aren't catching them, and there is still damage on the property, then you are doing something wrong. The only sure thing is a trap. I prefer the Victor spear trap, they have changed it over the last few years and it is not as good as it used to be be but that is another matter.

If anybody else says get rid of the grubs and you get rid of the moles they should be flogged. This is not going to happen. Now if you try to get rid of the earthworms you will have to break some serious laws, and endanger yourself. Not to mention that it would be irresponsible to try because of the good those worms do. Moles are not very sedentary. They roam for food. The yard the mole happens into is fate. Now let me say this, irrigated yards are much more prone to mole infestations. This only makes sense because the worms are more prevalent in moist soil.

You will need at least 2 traps, more is much better.

This is my method to set a trap for a shallow run. It is not the way most will set a trap but it works for me. There is a little trick to it. Do it a few times and you will get good at it. As you will notice I stick my finger into the business end of the trap. TRY IT AT YOUR OWN RISK. I can set this way from start to finish in less than 15 seconds.

Setting a Spear Trap
1. Locate main runs. to do this look at the pattern of the runs and try to visualize where the branches run out. Don't walk on the runs!!
2. Select the set site. DON'T step on the place you want to set the trap!!!
3. Use a finger and jab it into the run. If the run is hard you can use on of the ground spikes on the trap to make a pilot hole
4. Locate the direction of the run with your finger in it. sometimes the run underground and the mounded run on top are not in the same plane. make sure you notice where the hole runs.
5. Hook your finger in the hole and pull the soil out of the hole. making a bigger hole and folding back the sod in about a 6"x6" area.
6. Now loosen the soil around the hole and and fill the area you just pulled out with the loose dirt you created leveling it at ground level. Don't pack it in!!
7. Fold the sod over the top covering the dirt
8. Now indent the spot very lightly, not more then half an inch.
9. Making sure the trap is not set. Place the trap over the hole push it into the ground until the strike plate hits the ground.
10. Use the heal of one hand on the side of the harp that the trigger is on to keep the trap in the ground at the same spot.
11. Pull the plunger up with the other hand until the flat catches on the trigger and slide your finger from the hand on the harp down the side to hold the trigger firmly.
12. Using the hand that pulled the plunger, push the foot into the soil slightly. this makes sure there is good contact with the ground. make sure the foot has good contact with the trigger also.
13. Remove the finger from the foot.
14. Remove the hand from the trigger quickly to avoid a misfire.

Well good luck, catch as many of these bastards as you can!! I hate moles.

Mike

[lasher66]

Mole traps do work! With some skill and playing a little detective, I have killed quite a few moles with them. First of all the first thing I did when I got home with my trap was sharpened all the spikes on the trap with my grinder to a needle point. Then you have to watch what tunnels they use most. Usually one that runs along a drive or sidewalk. You have to make sure to press the spikes into and out of the ground several times, so there is no friction when the trap goes off. They dont catch them every time but if you set them right and put them on a active tunnel, they will work. Also, I have had customers treat for grubs and everything else that lives in the ground and this has never worked. The only way is to hunt them down and kill them .

Lasher

[morturf]

Mike Bradbury,
You hit it on the head. Thanks for saying that!!