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

[Sassafras]

Quote:
Aren't the moth balls harmful to your chickens too? The box says do not breath the vapors.

 

[Elwood Lightfoot]

I would think the mothballs would be toxic I've never used them myself not even in storing things in boxes I have used cedar for that, I just don't like the smell of mothballs really,

I have a set of snake tongs that I use to grab the snakes once I get the trap open, with the copperheads I'm just extra careful opening the trap, I suppose that shooting the snake in the trap would be okay might damage the wire some though, there have been several good suggestions about how to get them out, shooting, freezing, drowning ect.. I would think freezing would be the most humane if you weren't going to relocate them. For the poisonous snakes I freeze them after I take them out of the trap I don't relocate them, I'm not making my problem someone else's problem.

I have caught several more snakes since I first posted I'm at 9 for copperheads 3 pigmy rattlers a couple more rat snakes one king snake and a garter snake LOL not sure what it was doing hanging out around the chickens nothing there for it to eat. I have lost count on the total snakes somewhere around 15 so far the trap does seem to do it's job well,

 

[duckduckturkey]

Forgive me if I veer off topic, I have to say, this reminds me for some reason over a tv special where a couple were devoting their lives to rescuing black mambas to release them in the wild. (It takes all types is all I can say on that topic.)

The other is, we don't snakes in our area that get big enough to prey on chickens, but we do have rats. Do you think this would work on rats?

Thanks!

 

[ctbagley]

We just received our two minnow traps today and I set them this afternoon. I knew we had snakes eating the eggs right from under out broody hens...but nothing prepared my husband and I for what we saw this evening. We went to check on the chickens (in our barn) and there was a rat snake who had completely wrapped itself around our broody hen "constrictor style" and she was upside down in her nest. I thought she must be dead. My husband told me to get a bucket and he bravely grabbed the head of this 5 1/2 foot snake, I grabbed the body and we made it unwrap from the poor hen. Unbelievably she was still alive! Needless to say this snake is now headless! I've seen them get eggs, but to actually wrap around the hen, never seen that (I forgot to say she is a serama so is pretty small) He had to climb four feet of stall wall to get to her too. He avoided the minnow traps but that is because of the tasty about to hatch eggs above...I heard one egg peeping, so put it under another broody hen, hope he/she makes it. Mom is alive but she is tired from fighting the snake, so did not want to stress her with babies. Has anyone else ever seen a rat snake "act like a constrictor"? He also bit her enough to tear out about 1/3 of her downy feathers! I pray the minnow traps will do their job...this was such a horrible experience, I cannot sleep! I believe I will be buying some of the "bird mesh' too. Now this is war!

 

[Joycats]

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Yes, snakes will kill bantam chickens even if they can't eat them. Some dead chickens have been found partially covered in a "slime" from where the snake tried to eat it and couldn't. I have lots of friends who have lost bantams to big snakes. I have actually killed a 9' snake here, it ate 5 of my peafowl eggs that were due to hatch in days. The peahen tried to kill it but the snake was just too big. The same snake had eaten 8 guinea keets just a week earlier.

 

[just2rosey]

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I had a black snake do that a couple of weeks ago, it got into the brooder in my house!!! I still haven't figured out how it got in. I had 3 LF chicks, that were about 4-6 wks old, I had just bought in the house in large rubber maid tub for quarantine, and the snake got in with them. I heard the commotion from the next room and went to see what it was. I couldn't get the snake off, I couldn't even find the head it was wound up so tight. I grabbed the chick, and tossed it snake and all, into a empty tub and dashed for the back door. I grabbed a huge pair of utility scissors planning to cut it up to get it off, but the snake let go in the commotion and and came out of the tub as I hit the side walk. Luckily I had a hoe just outside the door. I keep loosing silkie babies to snakes. I have killed 3 large black snakes in the last month. I need to find a minnow trap or two I think. I will definitely be freezing them, especially any copperheads I might catch!

 

[epeavey1]

Quote:
Aren't the moth balls harmful to your chickens too? The box says do not breath the vapors.

Moth balls are not harmful as long as you have good vents working in your coop like I do and keep the windows open all the time and the door all day long, I have a locking screen door on the front of the coop. So far moth balls have been my answer to snakes they have stayed away, I have one broody hen right now sitting on three eggs. So I'm hopeful that I can keep the snakes out of the coop.

 

[NanaKat]

Would be nice to hear from some of you who purchased the minnow traps as to your successes.

We've set out one minnow trap and caught one black snake so far. We have lost two ceramic eggs to snakes. Found one of those snakes dead the other day and steralized the egg to be used again.

For those who asked, Minnow traps are actually two parts that have a clip that holds the two pieces together. When you unclip it, the two parts separate, I keep limb lopers handy and dispatch the snake quickly. If it's in the hen house, its a dead snake.

 

[Wisher1000]

I have lost two large wooden eggs to snakes the past week. DH bought me a minnow trap, that I set yesterday. I'll keep you posted!

 

[trooper]

I like the ideas on catching the snakes.You won't get rid of the snakes unless you do some preventive maintenance.As long as snakes have a place to live comfortable they will be there.If there is things for them to get under for shade and protection they will live there.Sometimes our yards get cluttered with potential project materials that never take place and this gives them a home.Sometimes tho they are just traveling thru and stop at the chicken dinner.