New Business / New Traps

Here I am on Day 1 with my shiny new Nuisance Wildlife Control License in hand and I started making a list of some supplies to outfit the truck with, and I just as I started to write "Havahart professional" I thought, "why not go to the pro's" and get their opinion? If you were starting a small business today (I have a full time job as well), what would be some of the essential tools and traps you would purchase to deal with the main problem species in my area of New York. I hear from others that it's mostly Moles, Voles, squirrels, chipmonks, raccoons, skunks, beavers, muskrats, and opposums. I will not be working with bats, bee's, mice, or rats. I have a friend in the exterminating business I will be refering the mice, rats, and insects to, and I have no desire to deal with bats. So how about some advice on equipment along with a few reasons why or why not that particular brand. As I said, I started to write Havahart Professional for my first live-catch coon traps, but I've also heard about Tomahawk and others. Just FYI, I have plenty of coil-spring and conibear style traps, I'm looking for QUALITY specialized live catch or humane kill types that you've had success with. All help and advice appreciated. Arrowsmith

Hey arrow smith, Good luck with your startup. I'd say just pick up supplies as you go, A list can go on and on & you find yourself with a lot of crap you don't need. Try sticking to the better cage traps, or you'll buy them twice. I think you'll find more live catch traps out their than kill type traps for nuisance wildlife.

Good advice from trapdye grow as you go.

A somewhat "reasonable" start up cost can be in the thousands of dollars realistically speaking with various types and sizes of traps, excluders, colony traps, mole traps etc. See what kind of work you get called to do and start buying what you need.

It may be a slow grow and go but that is how I did it and probably many on here have done the same over the course of many years.
You will learn tips and tricks as you grow as well. All part of this business.

Catch poles, graspers, bite resistant gloves and a couple of good flashlights and spot lights are a couple of my staple items.

There are a few good live trap makers right on this forum. Come on guy's tot your horns. Here is a guy looking for some good live traps. Buy the best right off the bat it is cheaper in a long run.

I was just about to list cage traps, but realized there are multiple post in the archives on cage traps. Lots of good info on starting out.

Spend some time in the archives, it won't be wasted.

Kurt Temple

Havahart professionals are havajunk in my opinion...a big coon will destroy em...brands that i personally like are tomahawk, comstock, and koonce

I just started as well and agree with the other guys. See what your calls are first before buying a ton of stuff. I have got lots of mile and Vole calls personally and the victor snap traps been working great for voles. No mols from wcs for moles. You will find a lot of the stuff you need isn't necessarily traps. More tools and supplies exclusion type stuff. As someone said above a good light is essential. I bought a good coon hunting light that goes on a hat works great in attics/ looking under porches etc. I have throroughly enjoyed the start up process so much to Learn constantly. This sight has been a major help !

Advantage and Comstock traps have been the only ones I've bought these past few years. They will last you for years.

Thanks for the input. I can always count on this site for good advice. Arrowsmith

Good Luck on your venture!

Imo, I'd buy the "staples" of traps(cages/ lethal traps-tube traps-rodent tanks) so u can handle calls in a timely matter... Grow with ur business with supplies. Best advice I can give u is work is hard as possible to have ur company succeed as if there is someone working hard to take it away.
Jordan

I would say get just enough to take your first few jobs and then start rounding out the arsenal. I started with mostly squirrel jobs so I put together a pretty good collection of Tomohawk pro cages and excluders for them...Then I started getting coon and skunk jobs...started getting Tomohawk pro cages for them...If you deal in skunk you have to have a syringe pole and covers...baits and lures for the appropriate species. A good pair of welders gloves, eye protection, couple good lights...ladder(s)
It will become clear what you need when you need it. No need in buying something just to watch it sit in the garage for a year.

They are called "havajunk" for a reason.

Duke Hvy Duty cages are a good value, and if you buy over $100 worth straight from Duke, shipping is free.
Buy a variety of sizes from them to start.
Contact them via email thru their site.
I have cages of all makes and most are fine......cept the "H" ones.

First, make your inventory shallow and wide. Have what you NEED on hand and order/buy the rest as you need it.

I have, like many others, a pile of gear I knew I would need collecting dust.

Comstocks, advanced trap, and safeguards are a favorite.

Have you checked out http://www.wildlifecontrolsupplies.com/ and http://www.livetrap.com/

mostly good quality on each of these