How far to relocate rat snakes? (Graphic)

Wrooster

Songster
9 Years
Apr 13, 2013
163
63
161
Northern Florida
We'd seen snakes around our chickens so rarely it was an event until recently. Then within a few days there were 3 of them. I walked one about 100 yards away, one bit me and did not survive and the other got away. I don't mind sharing an egg once in a while but I suspect there are more where these came from, and neither the chickens nor my wife nor I like finding them in the nexting boxes. I'm going to build a few traps and see what I get.

Question: Does anybody have any real knowledge about how far away you have to move a rat snake to expect it to stay gone? I won't kill them if I don't have to and I can go 80-100 yards in woods easily enough but after that it's a lot more difficult.
 
I've lost a good share of eggs to snakes but I don't hate them.
However, my brooders are in snake proof buildings.
I'm just very appreciative of their job as rodent controllers. Much more effective than barn cats.
 
...Be careful, I've never been bitten in nearly 70 years but I'm extremely careful.
I'm older than that so I guess it was time. It was in the nesting box facing me. I was grabbing it from the front. I got it about 3 inches behind the head but it was able to turn enough to grab me. It was not a serious bite but those little teeth are very sharp and angled back, so they do not come out as easily as they go in.
 

Attachments

  • Snake_20210711_095345r.jpg
    Snake_20210711_095345r.jpg
    121.4 KB · Views: 37
Relocating is not the answer. It just makes it someone else's problem.
In general that's true. It can also move an animal from a location where it's established and comfortable into a situation where it is prey for everything that's already there. In this case I would be moving snakes from one side of my rural and wooded 2 acres to the other side, where they would be nearly 100 yards from the chickens and adjacent to a neighbor's wooded 10 acres. If they will stay there, no one will care.

The alternative - if I don't relocate them or if they come back - is that I'll kill them.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom