Snakes are often an issue particularly on a farm. I’m told today by someone who works in the Texas prison system in central Texas they had 8 inmates working their gardens bitten by snakes today - two in critical condition. “ In Texas, we have 3 groups of these snakes: Copperheads, Cottonmouths, and Rattlesnakes.” I don’t know which did all this biting today.

Other than keeping grass cut short and keeping landscaping at a minimum do you have other snake deterrents that work?





Edit: Are you seeing a lot of snakes this year? We are…

If I had that problem, I would buy some black snakes and build some brush piles around for their home.

https://backwaterreptiles.com/...-snake-for-sale.html

quote:

Other than keeping grass cut short and keeping landscaping at a minimum do you have other snake deterrents that work?

My neighborhood was a 1000 acres of pine forest and swamp 5 years ago. We have had our share rats and snakes. Rat bait stations is something I do as there is no reason for snakes to come around when there are no rats.

I live in a typical city neighborhood, the houses are fairly close to each other.

Couple weeks ago I was in my driveway and saw a coral snake traveling from the street to my neighbor's front yard.

I like having the "good" snakes around, but not the venomous ones, I got to the garage as quickly as I could, to grab a hoe to dispatch the snake, but the snake had disappeared by the time I returned.

Here we only have the good snakes. I haven’t seen one in a while, move them away from the mower if needed.

I did dispatch a copperhead in MO years ago. My snake I.D. possibly less than average. I’m always suspect when not a common, Garter, Copper Belly, or Grass Snake.

The commonly held belief of the populace of the Jerkwater metro region is that around the beginning of August our rattlesnake mating season begins. Everybody redoubles their vigilance because this time of year you not only see more rattlers, but they’re also more fractious. We’ve had some monsoon rains already and are coming off a couple years drought, so I think the next month will be pretty snakey here.

It could be that it’s snake mating time in your area as well.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: arfmel,

quote:

Originally posted by dubya:
Other than keeping grass cut short and keeping landscaping at a minimum do you have other snake deterrents that work?

Remove their food source and they will stay away. This is not a quick fix, but over time you can almost entirely discourage the snakes from coming around. Food source = mostly rodents. Remove rodent habitats, poison them, whatever it takes.
 
Here in AZ, in our particular environment (creosote flats), rodents love to burrow under the creosote and other bushes. You can see their tunnels starting outside the bush and angling down into the root area. For the 2 acres we keep fenced for our dogs, I took my Kubota tractor and pulled out all of the bushes, leaving a desert wasteland. We keep it that way with applications of pre-emergent chemicals and glyphosate for already growing stuff. Rarely have we seen snakes in this area in our 19 years here, but they are plentiful on our other 4 acres and throughout the neighborhood.

A king snake just moved into the neighborhood and is now patrolling our property. Haven’t seen any of our resident copperheads lately. They all must be on vacation.

The herpetoligist (sp?) on a website I frequent (snakes of the appalachians type thing) claim that there are no sprays or pellets (mothballs) that work at all. The only way is to keep the mice and other food items out of your house and yard. No food - no snakes (other than those that are just passing through).

There are pictures of snakes sleeping on top of snake repellents....

I have two black snakes that hang around and found this shed a month or so ago.

I grew up in Tampa, and we had snakes then. When I lived in Hatteras snakes were all over-mostly moccasins.
I’ve seen people use mothballs, snake away and other home brewed stuff…NONE of it works .

You must remove their food source. And I imagine you can’t keep bunnies out of a garden, so there s that.
A kindergarten kid got bit last year in Killeen ISD so our ISD issued snake hooks to staff to go check the playground before kids are released. They haven’t seen one because they don’t have any rats or rabbits to eat at the elementary school.

All snakes have the potential to become a good snake. I have no confidence in folks who call some species "good" snakes. I do have faith in making one a good snake. The best method was mentioned earlier, by the use of a hoe. There are actually fools who like snakes. I like to shoot them or run over them. Makes them good, as in good and dead.

Running over them with the truck or jeep sometimes works. Locking up the brakes as you go over them most assuredly makes them good, or at least smears them along the road. I've been told that snakes will even bite after they're dead. Common sense says locking up the brakes and smearing them until the truck stops 15 feet along will tend to make them less likely to bite anyone or any dog.

Other tidbits, snakes don't like gasoline. But with the current bastard as president, its going to get to over $5 a gallon. A small price to pay for effective snake control.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
I live in a typical city neighborhood, the houses are fairly close to each other.

I got to the garage as quickly as I could, to grab a hoe

I realize you have more than enough ho's in Fla., but do people really keep the extras in the garage?

Black snakes around here, wife hated them until I explained they keep the area safe.

Lucky enough don't see a lot of others yet, but with all the expanding building around here the probability that something we don't normally see showing up has increased.

Good snake, very good snake

quote:

Originally posted by architect:

I realize you have more than enough ho's in Fla., but do people really keep the extras in the garage?

Some of us do. My wife put her foot down when I wanted to bring the ho into the house.

We had a mice problem. They shit everywhere. And little ninjas. I saw one on my counter top and lickety-split the little shitter vaulted onto and into the oven. Pulled it out, shit everywhere, and the were getting into the house from the ground level, and were in the 40-year old (original) attic insulation. Terminix took care of that, and replaced our insulation. Yeah, major hit on the wallet. Used steel wool and caulk to close up the gaps and sealed entries into the kitchen from below. Plenty of glue traps netted another 5 or 6 desperate mice. That was it.

My neighbors must have inherited them as a month or two later they got the same treatment. I still cannot get over how much they shit.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by architect:

I realize you have more than enough ho's in Fla., but do people really keep the extras in the garage?

Some of us do. My wife put her foot down when I wanted to bring the ho into the house.

That ho was way too skinny for my tastes.

Had a 5'+ black rat snake on my patio Sunday afternoon. It usually shows up a couple of times a year here and just heads for the natural areas in my yard. I just hope one of the neighbors doesn't panic and kill it.

I've been told that chickens are hell on snakes.....anyone know if that true ??