Keep in mind that the advice given in this forum may differ in part because there are two common species of moles trapped in the US. The most widespread species is the eastern mole, which is easily distinguished by its bare, pinkish tail. The Brewer’s mole, also called the hairy-tailed mole, is distinguished by its...well....hairy tail. The number of eastern moles per yard is typically way fewer than the Brewer’s. It’s pretty common to see as low as 1-4 easterns in a yard, while I’ve heard stories of 20’s and 30’s of the hairy-tailed in yard after yard. I expect the pricing structure would differ considerably. Barking Waters, the species in Oklahoma is supposedly only the eastern mole (same as where I live), but its best to confirm that.
Others have provided good guidance on what factors to consider when setting a pricing system. I’ll add another factor: Some mole trapping jobs will be incredibly easy and you’ll set traps and clear the yard with minimal effort, while others will be difficult. Don’t underprice the easy jobs. Charge so that you are well compensated. This is not greed, this is having a smart business mindset. You will have some jobs that are a royal pain, and you’ll need some of the earnings from the easy jobs to cover the tough ones.
Also, you are not trapping for the fur price. You are trapping to provide the service of resolving someone’s problem. What is the value to the customer to not wake up each day, look out the window, and see new random mounds of dirt appearing? Many feel powerless to do something, and they reach out to you. You can solve their problem. The solution to that problem takes a skill set that few people possess. The ability to deliver on the solution is valuable. Such a solution should command a premium based upon your ability to deliver results.
One last thought: I mentioned 1-4 eastern’s per yard, which is a good generalization. I have some yards where I net over 20 eastern’s per season. I sometimes provide a discount when it is high volume, but I do not automatically do this. I take time to talk with and get to know my customers. I listen to their comments about the trapping numbers and pay attention to their non-verbal cues. This clues me in to how much they value the results versus the tallied cost. Some are ecstatic to pay full price per mole to have their yard kept clear. With others I can see the strain. I don’t want to lose a customer, so I might decide to bring it up in conversation that we’re catching large numbers this year, and that I’d like to reduce the per mole fee at some particular point. Reading the customer just seems to me to be a good business practice.
Hey, good luck with all of this. Keep asking the questions.
