Best way I've found yet to deal with snake problems!!

[tarajane]

Thanks for not thinking I was rude, it was just so detail oriented I was curious.

 

[finnfur]

I have seen a Black snake constrict and eat a copperhead 1/2 its size. I know we have a lot of first posts from the Snake Humane Society to not use the shovel but how do you think the chick feels when he gets taken by a snake.
Nature is pretty but not always nice and we are part of the ecosystem too.
If its a problem Black snake I would relocate if possible and if a copperhead its DOA. That said I have never had a problem black snake and the copperheads don't live long enough to become a problem.
One less snake is better than a chance of child , dog , chicken or adult getting bitten.
JMHO

ETA BTW Elwood great idea and thanks for the post - like the hat band idea - may need to try that on my next Copperhead- you just skin and dry or do you need to process it in some way.?

 

[Elwood Lightfoot]

I have seen a Black snake constrict and eat a copperhead 1/2 its size. I know we have a lot of first posts from the Snake Humane Society to not use the shovel but how do you think the chick feels when he gets taken by a snake.
Nature is pretty but not always nice and we are part of the ecosystem too.
If its a problem Black snake I would relocate if possible and if a copperhead its DOA. That said I have never had a problem black snake and the copperheads don't live long enough to become a problem.
One less snake is better than a chance of child , dog , chicken or adult getting bitten.
JMHO

ETA BTW Elwood great idea and thanks for the post - like the hat band idea - may need to try that on my next Copperhead- you just skin and dry or do you need to process it in some way.?

Thanks, I bought a kit from a leather company a long time ago the last time I tanned some skins it worked great, I was told once that anti-freeze was a good way to tan but the only time I tried it it turned the skins a translucent greenish color it was interesting but not so useful really, I might not have used the right type of fluid though, what was mentioned was that it had the right stuff in it, like glycerin, alcohol, and ethylene glycol I am not sure what is really required for the "right" way to tan, other than tannic acids that came with the kit, (wish I still had the box it came in to list the chemicals), I have a few skins that I will do one of these days and will look up the best way to do it when I am ready

 

[Elwood Lightfoot]

The place I bought the tanning kit from was Tandy Leather but, I can't find that they sell a tanning kit anymore, I was going to link the site but looks like will have to shop somewhere else for the supplies to do the tanning next time.

 

[osagegirl580]

place in water and drown them

 

[finnfur]

place in water and drown them

thats what the minnow frap does

 

[niknarn]

Regarding recognizing which snake is which - I'm not an expert but based on my life experience here's some info:
Copperheads' heads and other poisonous snakes native to the US are shaped like the old fashioned pine box coffins you see in old movies - it's why we call them coffin-heads here in the south where I live. It's that wide jaw that narrows in a squared fashion toward the mouth that makes the shape like the head and shoulders end of the old fashioned coffins. The non-poisonous snakes have a more oval shaped head. Also, poisonous snakes have more slit-like eye shape (like a narrow oval) and non-poisonous are round-eyed. Also, if a copperhead is nearby, you often can smell them. They smell like cucumbers, but weird cucumbers. If you ever smell it and know it's a copperhead, you'll know what I mean.

It's my understanding (but I'm not a herpetologist) that poisonous and non-poisonous snakes can't cross breed; one has live babies and one lays eggs. Again, I'm not an expert, but if this is true and you learn to recognize the head and eye shape, you should know when to detach the snake's head, if you choose to let the non-poisonous ones live. And be careful, just because its head is detached doesn't mean it can't still bite. It can't strike any distance if it's body isn't attached but if you touch or get too close to it, the head can still bite until the nerves are completely dead.

But my philosophy is "see snake, kill snake" and "the only good snake is one that's been separated from its head and disposed of". I'm not going out to hunt them down, but if they move into my territory, they are fair game. I'm don't want to routinely walk across one that I've let stay in the neighborhood and have to analyze its head every time I see it to determine if it's poisonous or not. And if you catch it near your hen house or other food source they like, it's probably been there a while and/or is planning to stay as long as the food supply is there. If they have shelter and food, why would they move on? And catch and release elsewhere (unless you drive very, very, very far, they'll just come back. And then, seems to me, you are just dumping your problem onto someone else.

And by the way, in my head-separating experience, a rounded end shovel works best and gives you the most strength in striking. A flat edged shovel will work in a pinch but takes more muscle because that flat end just doesn't cut like that rounded edged shovel. Another good choice is a sturdy floor scraper - it's like a hoe but sturdier and the blade doesn't bend 90 degrees at the end but is straight in line with the handle and gives you good striking power. A hoe by design puts your arm strength at a disadvantage, having to reach out far from your body and strike down with little muscle power behind it. A shovel (my favorite) can be held to reach out quite far with your arms still pretty close to your body and your muscle power is a downward-angle strike that you can put some weight behind. I have a relative that prefers a hoe, and sometimes her strikes on a snake's neck just bounce off and she has to keep trying. They are pure muscle under that scaly skin. I don't want to have to hit it repeatedly while it's trying to strike or run, so a hoe for me is a last resort.

There are snake repellents out there but I've read extensively about them and found that some just irritate the snakes and not in the way that makes them flee. So I'd have to be positive I had the repellent that actually repels the snakes. Otherwise, you're just setting yourself up to encounter a mad copperhead instead of one that's sated on eggs or whatever else it's in the area to consume. Dr. T's is supposed to be the best (http://www.havahart.com/snake-a-way-repellent-granular) but I'VE NEVER USED IT PERSONALLY. I read somewhere they have the military contract for use overseas where our troops live in tents in snake infested areas and it's supposed to be 99% effective. It's a combo of ingredients that cause the snake's sense of smell to be jolted to the point that it's automatic reaction is to flee. But flee how far? If it's 200 feet, it's still on my property and I can't cover acres of ground with an expensive repellent. But if a small area is all you need, that might be the answer for you. Also read the reviews for it on Amazon, they're about 60+% favorable.

In my research, the repellents that aren't Dr. T's specific combo of ingredients (but only 1 ingredient or different ingredients) you get the irritated snake instead of the fleeing snake. So I can't recommend any certain one but it's an avenue you can pursue and make your own decision.

Hope this info helps.

 

[Campfirequeen]

Well, they are in a minnow bucket.....just drown em

 

[Diannastarr]

HI Elwood Lightfoot great name you have there...!!! I think i live in that same town HA

but WOW that is some great info about snakes THAT I NEVER KNEW SO THANKS

i remember copper heads from living in NY & CT, but in southern AZ we have mainly rattle snakes & one that comes out at night called a side winder & i almost stepped on 2 of them in the Dark at 2 separate times, but lucky for me i can feel snakes near me & it makes all the hair on the back of my neck stand up & ITS A CREEPY FEELING so i know when im near a snake when I feel that, so this feeling made me stop walking forward in the dark one night, when I was just 12 inches away from stepping on a sidewinder each time , but years ago when we bought this place , after the neighbors told us that they have rattle snakes under their cars every morning, i started to encourage AZ kings snakes to come live & hunt on our land & since that time we never had any snake here in 15 years , so last fall when i almost stepped on a baby sidewinder & we killed it , but then a few nights after i almost stepped on a big sidewinder in that same area in the dark & was stunned to see these snakes living here & i was thinking that maybe our king snakes had gone off over the years & went chasing snakes on other peoples land around here , thats when i asked nature to send my king snakes back to kill off the side winders , so the very next night & exactly in the same spot , hanging from above were i encountered the first small sidewinder & then the larger one in that same area & what we believe was the baby sidewinders mother, so on this next night ,i was sooo glad to find a giant king snake in that exact same area & hanging from above hunting those sidewinders so glory be & thank goodness for this beautiful snake & for AZ king snakes so here is my guardian angle AZ King snake it is such a beautiful snake & i sooo wanted to give him a pet...lol.. but didn't want to scare him away wile he was hunting & i like snakes as long as they dont bite HA

so thank goodness he is out every night protecting us & hunting the bad guys , gotta love nature for how it always works with us & helps us, even if we dont know it

 

[Beadie eye]

Hi there,
I'm in the North of Australia, Queensland and we have our fair share of 'legless lizards' both highly poisonous and constrictors.

I am curious to know of your experiences as to what the chickens do when they see a snake?

I have seen my friends chickens just freeze when a small tree snake (harmless) has wormed its way through the middle of them.

Those of you who have seen Crazy Urban Chickens, and who hasn't! will recall the man who chickens are came running over when he yelled out in shock, and proceeded to 'herd' the snake away. Amazing.

CYA