Bird netting to keep out snakes

[Steph333]

Hi,
I'm thinking about using bird netting to keep out snakes from my coop.
Has anyone used the thin plastic one? (like the stuff you put over fruit trees?). Is it durable enough?
I've seen a lot of posts about people dangling it over the coop so snakes get caught.
I was thinking more of pulling it taught?
How do people us this stuff?

 

[Brooks_]

I don't think it will work for snakes.

 

[Steph333]

I don't think it will work for snakes.

Thanks for your reply. Why do you have this opinion? Have you used it?

 

[neo71665]

Bird netting will only stop birds from entering or exiting. It won't stop any other animal.

 

[raingarden]

I used the light one with black square 1 inch mesh years ago to keep a heron out of a pond. It was a great trap for Black Racers and Brown Water snakes. They would try to crawl through and get all tangled up. I flet bad about killing benificial snakes and threw it away.

 

[Steph333]

I used the light one with black square 1 inch mesh years ago to keep a heron out of a pond. It was a great trap for Black Racers and Brown Water snakes. They would try to crawl through and get all tangled up. I flet bad about killing benificial snakes and threw it away.

Thanks, yeah that’s the problem, I don’t really want to kill them, just stop them from getting in! I had a beautiful python kill a 9 week old hen last night but the bird was too big for her to swallow. I just went down then to put the birds to sleep and The snake was crawling her way towards the cage again

 

[Alohacayo]

I live in rattlesnake country. As in literally up against PRIME rattlesnake territory. We also have several species of constrictors.

A snake that can kill a chicken (but not eat it unless it’s a <1# chicken) in our area would easily be able to get into any flexible netting. There is netting that is much thicker that’ll stop most larger/older snakes, but to stop almost any snake that would actually challenge a chicken you’d need a less than 3/4” opening that can’t be stretched.

Snakes can fit into the same hole that’s a rat (and sometimes mouse) sized hole.

That means for us the rules for rat proofing holds for snake proofing.

To keep our local snakes out of yards, they install a snake barrier that is at least 3’ tall with fencing that has a 3/4” or smaller hole that can’t distort.

I put 1/2” welded wire hardware cloth up 5’ (12” buried) and then put the 3/4” thick plastic bird netting the rest of the way up + the roof.

Electrified netting or a very low electric wire should work for snakes also. When there are other predators around, electricity can keep a lot of them away. That still means though that they have to touch the wire + a ground, so you still have to have really small holes down low, so as they try and go above it the hit the hit wire + still be on the ground.

Unfortunately if you’re talking about this:


That’s simply not small enough hole (because it can distort. Think about what a rat could go through …

I used this on the roof of the hoop coop:

But I also have 5’ walls of 1/2” welded wire hardware cloth.

YMMV, but in my opinion from someone in serious snake country—no, the bird netting that is used over trees will not work to keep snakes out.

 

[neo71665]

3 foot tall aint nothing for a 4 or 5 foot long snake to get over.

 

[Steph333]

I live in rattlesnake country. As in literally up against PRIME rattlesnake territory. We also have several species of constrictors.

A snake that can kill a chicken (but not eat it unless it’s a <1# chicken) in our area would easily be able to get into any flexible netting. There is netting that is much thicker that’ll stop most larger/older snakes, but to stop almost any snake that would actually challenge a chicken you’d need a less than 3/4” opening that can’t be stretched.

Snakes can fit into the same hole that’s a rat (and sometimes mouse) sized hole.

That means for us the rules for rat proofing holds for snake proofing.

To keep our local snakes out of yards, they install a snake barrier that is at least 3’ tall with fencing that has a 3/4” or smaller hole that can’t distort.

I put 1/2” welded wire hardware cloth up 5’ (12” buried) and then put the 3/4” thick plastic bird netting the rest of the way up + the roof.

Electrified netting or a very low electric wire should work for snakes also. When there are other predators around, electricity can keep a lot of them away. That still means though that they have to touch the wire + a ground, so you still have to have really small holes down low, so as they try and go above it the hit the hit wire + still be on the ground.

Unfortunately if you’re talking about this:

View attachment 2966464
That’s simply not small enough hole (because it can distort. Think about what a rat could go through …

I used this on the roof of the hoop coop:


View attachment 2966465

But I also have 5’ walls of 1/2” welded wire hardware cloth.

YMMV, but in my opinion from someone in serious snake country—no, the bird netting that is used over trees will not work to keep snakes out.

Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply. It’s very helpful. I think it’s probably worthwhile me just taking the time to properly snakeproof with good quality solid materials like you use, so I can rest peacefully at night. Thanks

 

[Alohacayo]

3 foot tall aint nothing for a 4 or 5 foot long snake to get over.

Actually it is for all native snakes. If there is no support they can wrap around or use as a wedge, they cannot lift their head/front of body much more than about 24”… and that would have to be a full adult. The snake barrier is put on the outside of the fence, so that it’s smooth, with no way for the snake to find purchase.

1/2” if you’re worried about adult snakes/constrictors that could possibly get a chick/or egg eaters, 1/4” for baby snakes, made out of material that does not flex, installed securely on full vertical or the top slightly tilted towards the direction they are coming from, 24” tall will keep out the vast majority, 36” is recommended.

If you know of a native snake that can lift its head, unsupported 36” from the ground… please share?

All bets are off if there is any type of substantial vegetation within 30” of that surface, or if you place the barrier on the inside/posts outside.

They cannot climb smooth fencing surfaces. They cannot lift their head/body, unsupported by a surface more than abt 30” to get themselves over a properly installed barrier.

I’m from here, my family is from here, we’ve been fencing out dangerous snakes for a really really long time.

Here’s a video from an az fence co-