If you are thinking about pricing...

It is expected that employee contributions toward payroll tax (fica) will reset to 2010 levels.....so your take home pay will be $1000 less on 50k in income.

If the financial cliff prevails, then perhaps income tax will be higher....lowering take home pay more.

Dave, our CPA is taking no chances. The orders were; post no more income until after the first and pay every bill, contribution, bonus, and anything else you can think of, before the 1st.

I was figuring to maximize the income in 2012....then buy equip in 2013.

Because I live in luray, doesn't mean I work in luray.

I drive 6 hours a day, have a 2011 truck with 96000 miles on it. Bought it last Jan. when you figure in miles and traffic time, you can't afford to do jobs for less.

You guys keep talking about set up fee's but how many mole traps are you putting on an avg lawn?

3-4 sets (3-4 oos or 6-8 albano) usually suffices for a residential yard down here. Typical yard more or less 1/4 acre and setting on the most recent activity on active runs.

Depends on the activity level.Two to four dozen traps isnt uncommon to gang set for a good harvest on the first check. Typically 2-4 checks with some new sets added each check as needed we have cleaned an area out.We get some big jobs with alot of old and new activity.

All this talk of moles and I am seriously considering dropping moles completely. The biggest problem I have with moles is the type of client. A client that freaks out over a single mole tunnel is a client that will freak over anything and I don't need all the drama.

Everyone is talking about cleaning out a property in a couple checks. Does anyone get those jobs that after cleaning out 1-4 moles the activty stops then in the next couple weeks they are back? It seems that half of the jobs in up with a on going program. Does anyone have longer services and if so whats the best way to price that? The customers are willing to remove the first batch but dont want to move to a longer maintence program.

Im finding that those properties back up to a natural wooded area or a open pasture, It seems like a homerun as far a on going service but Im facing alot of rejection which is puzzling.

Where I am in Mi. is about the same as Bob Jameson, I will stay as long as I am catching moles.
But I charge per mole.

What's your per mole price?

What about when the owner wants to mow the lawn do you pull traps ,or set up after there done,I could mow my lawn every 3 or 4 days sometimes.
Sgs about where in nh our you , north, south ,seacoast?

They mow around them....unless the landscapers mow over the flags. Blue flags help. I think all landscapers have red green colorblindness. With the no mole traps, they do not get harmed....just set off.

Right outside of Concord and Manchester on the rt.4 corridor to the seacoast.

I just ask people not to remove the flags but can mow as close as they want, I use Steve's traps.
I am going to use some Out Of Sites this year, better not hit them with a mower. I will let the lawn guy's know about them, will also put a pot over them. I am going to get white flags with name and phone number them.
Ev.

In some cases you have to coordinate with lawn care or the consumer on their mowing habits. I require at least 7 days preferably 10 days to trap. If they cant oblige us we just dont work with them. In that case I guess their mole problem isnt really a problem and I have said that to the customer many times in my days.

We have a box to fill in that states they owe $xx for any lost, stolen, or broken traps. We let them know up front, then they will watch lawn guys closer if they know they have to pay for traps. We get a few hit every year by lawn companies, but don't have a huge problem. I flag all traps also. Although on a golf course the stupid deer were eating the flags off the wire several years ago, why I have no idea.

Bob, when you say 7 to 10 days, does that mean 7 to 10 days checked every day, or checked two or three times in 7 to 10 days?

That is total time on site. Including set up day and pull day. Typically we have 3 checks in that time frame.