Mole control, charges?

[sparky the hunter 72]

Hi Guys 

I have been mole trapping for a while now as favours for the landowners on my shooting permissions.  Im now getting asked to trap for the public and other farmers but i have not got a clue what the going rates are.  As im just a few years off from when i hope i can retire im thinking this could be a nice sideline.  If you could give me any advice i would appreciate it.

Regards, Master tech

[comanche 2,957]

Forget what others charge. Decide how much you need to charge to make it worth your while . Better a couple of jobs from good payers than a load of phone calls , lots of driving about and the stress involved in doing too many cheap jobs. I'm sure there are other things you would rather be doing during your retirement.

Edited September 11, 2019 by comanche

[bunnyboiler 1,052]

12 hours ago, sparky the hunter said:

Hi Guys 

I have been mole trapping for a while now as favours for the landowners on my shooting permissions.  Im now getting asked to trap for the public and other farmers but i have not got a clue what the going rates are.  As im just a few years off from when i hope i can retire im thinking this could be a nice sideline.  If you could give me any advice i would appreciate it.

Regards, Master tech

Obviously the farmers would get it done as a favour as you would want to shoot on there land as well as for the public what ever you feels right for you charge by the mole  or a set up fee plus the moles the worlds your oyster

[Nicepix 5,650]

There is no easy way to calculate your fees as far as I am aware. It depends on whether you have lots of competition or no competition. It depends on the type of customer that you have. Some areas are more affluent than others. Also, garden size and types has got to play a part. I prefer a set payment for the job and no extra charge per mole or if the job takes longer than expected. That way the customer isn't worried about the final bill being too high.

What I will advise though is to think wider in respect of retaining customers and securing a steady income. If a customer has moles it is likely that they will have had them for a while and will get them again. So after you have cleared the current problem ask them if they would be interested in a monthly contract whereby you will call at least twice a month to check the garden and also deal with anything that occurs between visits ASAP on receiving a call or message. This takes away the uncertainty from the customers point of view as now they don't know how many times they will need to pay for clearance, whereas with the contract they know exactly what it is going to cost them each year.

If they agree set up a standing order if you are going legit' or agree a monthly or quarterly cash payment if not. Once they see the garden mole free for a few months or so they will not want to go back to the old way. In the past four years I have only lost customers through them moving. Nobody has decided to stop the service for financial or other reasons.

[trappa 518]

You can only charge what your competition charges, a little more if your better than them. Farmland you can charge from £20 an hour to £50+ depending on your location, or from £5 a mole to £20, its all to do with your competition.

[sparky the hunter 72]

Thanks for the feedback guys.  Any additions to the subject will be more than welcome.

Regards, Mastertech

[DIDO.1 22,661]

I often get asked about 'going rates'. 

Put the going rate out of your head and price it yourself. Yes it's hard, yes it's scary but you need to work it out for yourself. Any business that bases its accounts and costs on what others charge is starting off on a back foot. What's it worth to YOU

[Phil Lloyd 10,738]

That is sane and sensible advice.

If you work for yourself, you need to establish, just how much, you think you are worth...

Mole trapping is a diverse occupation, and there are many variables to consider...

[stormyboy 1,352]

I certainly wouldn't allow competitors to dictate my prices- if "Fred down the road will do it cheap", crack on....

[LuckOrJudgement 437]

If you sit down and work out the time and costs associated with trapping a single mole at x location, it becomes quite sobering. 

I would encourage you to do that, write it all down and then work out the hourly rate for a given tariff of charges to see if you're actually making money.

My advice would be to advertise locally and do local (I am emphasising local) work at a fair price, and grow your business by offering a great service close to home.  That way you won't be spending hours sat in traffic. If you do need to cover a larger catchment area however, you need to be mercilessly realistic about your charges for outlying clients. Time and fuel need to be well covered or you'll be on less than minimum wage before you know it.

That said, if you've got a reliable set of knees, it ain't a bad life

[sparky the hunter 72]

Thanks for the feedback guys.  Any additions to the subject will be more than welcome.

Regards, Mastertech

[sparky the hunter 72]

Thanks for the advice guys. I have been working in a garage for 35 years now so I'm looking forward to getting some fresh air in my lungs!