Elfer
Songster
Tis the season for the black rat snake to make his and her way to your coop for the buffet. I would like to be one of those women on U-Tube, who hurls them around by the tail, but I'm not there yet. They're often longer than me, so I imagine the front part turning around toward me and wrapping around my ankle. So, here's a way I accidentally found that works for trapping.
You know those Tomcat childproof rat bait dispensers? The ones that the rats love so much that they make cozy nests inside? I always have an empty one around the chicken house,somewhere. When you find a black snake in your chicken house, if you will push one in front of the snake, they will go in it. You will be amazed that it fits, but even a 7 fter. will cram in the large size bait dispenser. I first found this out while chasing one around the outer edge of the chicken house,when the snake decided to hide in the "trap". After they get in there, you can shove "trap" and all into a metal trashcan on it's side, upright, and put on the tight fitting lid. Then dump the "trap" out to retrieve later. Snake will take his own sweet time to get out.
Transfer where you wish, but if you put them in nearby woods or your barn, they will remember where your restaurant is, and go back repeatedly on a fairly predictable schedule. Prodding the same snake into the trap the second time is easy. But, by the third time, they're not having any. So, you might want to give away the repeat offenders, or transfer far away.
Yes, having black snakes may mean that you have less copperheads, but with 100 large commercial chicken houses within a mile of me, I have plenty who haven't discovered my chickens yet. When I dumped a full trap in the woods next to my barn, I came back 15 min. latter, to see if the snake had come out. Not only was the snake out, but it was starting to mate with another snake spread on top.
Not sure if the Tomcat co. will like this info. Do be careful when picking up those traps, I mean. rat bait dispensers. I don't know if other snakes might use them.
You know those Tomcat childproof rat bait dispensers? The ones that the rats love so much that they make cozy nests inside? I always have an empty one around the chicken house,somewhere. When you find a black snake in your chicken house, if you will push one in front of the snake, they will go in it. You will be amazed that it fits, but even a 7 fter. will cram in the large size bait dispenser. I first found this out while chasing one around the outer edge of the chicken house,when the snake decided to hide in the "trap". After they get in there, you can shove "trap" and all into a metal trashcan on it's side, upright, and put on the tight fitting lid. Then dump the "trap" out to retrieve later. Snake will take his own sweet time to get out.
Transfer where you wish, but if you put them in nearby woods or your barn, they will remember where your restaurant is, and go back repeatedly on a fairly predictable schedule. Prodding the same snake into the trap the second time is easy. But, by the third time, they're not having any. So, you might want to give away the repeat offenders, or transfer far away.
Yes, having black snakes may mean that you have less copperheads, but with 100 large commercial chicken houses within a mile of me, I have plenty who haven't discovered my chickens yet. When I dumped a full trap in the woods next to my barn, I came back 15 min. latter, to see if the snake had come out. Not only was the snake out, but it was starting to mate with another snake spread on top.
Not sure if the Tomcat co. will like this info. Do be careful when picking up those traps, I mean. rat bait dispensers. I don't know if other snakes might use them.
