Dylan Harapat, a nine-year-old Minnesota entrepreneur, has made a business out of trapping gophers posing a nuisance to homeowners, Fox 9 reported.
His entrepreneurial attitude has earned him notoriety in his hometown, according to the outlet.
“I’ve caught more than 10 gophers,” the young entrepreneur Fox 9 on Wednesday. The young man reportedly estimated that he made “about $78” from his summertime business. (RELATED: Margie’s Bakery’s MAGA Hat Cookies Led To Wave Of Criticism Online, Manager Says)
This summer in Sherburne County, some homeowners are turning to an unorthodox solution in their fight against destructive rodents. https://t.co/gjPTehBrQa
— FOX 9 (@FOX9) July 18, 2024
Homeowner Jennifer Clotter vouched for the young man’s can-do spirit and effective methods, Fox 9 reported. “Dylan is my new best friend, he’s amazing,” she told the outlet. She reportedly related how gophers tore up her yard when they tunneled underground and ruined her grass. “I just [didn’t] have a yard anymore,” she told Fox 9..
Clotter told Fox 9 that when she “saw a little head perk out,” she called Dylan. Dylan has likely saved homeowners from paying hundreds of dollars on exterminators, the outlet noted.
Dylan, flushed with success, has raised his service fee. “It was two dollars per gopher, right now it’s five dollars per gopher,” the young man told Fox 9.
Aaron Harapat, Dylan’s father, told the outlet that all his son’s customers contacted him first and that his son did not have a Facebook account. “He sits down with a clipboard and we try to organize our customers on a spreadsheet. If I had to guess, Dylan’s probably booked out for at least two weeks,” Aaron told Fox 9.
Gopher populations left unchecked near properties can cause great damage to trees, gardens and yards, according to Ehrlich Pest Control. “[G]ophers will damage plants and slice underground roots. Gophers can also damage rubber, plastic piping, and garden hoses,” the website noted.
