How to deal with a rattle snake

[Willow2253]

Rattle snakes here get the shotgun, or a shovel or stick if it’s more convenient. Bury or throw away the heads so nothing can get at the poison, it remains potent for a long time. We keep the rattles and dispose of the snake.

 

[Tlco]

Snakes and mice have a couple natural predators and that is Cats. If you live in the country I suggest a few barn cats will help a lot. Also some other animals will kill your snakes they are "Foxes and raccoons are common predators of snakes. Guinea hens, turkeys, pigs, and cats will also help keep snakes away. If foxes are indigenous to your area, fox urine is a very good natural repellent for snakes when spread around your property." Here is an article for some other natural ideals to keep them at bay if you don't want to shoot them or try to trap the multitude of possible rodent infestation you may have. https://www.callnorthwest.com/2019/04/home-remedies-to-keep-snakes-away/

 

[Mrs Howey]

I did think about taking a shovel to it but didnt want to risk a bite. We do have people coming out to check the wash on our property to make sure there isn't a den down there. Plus I'm having my husband move around his junk piles during his next days off. I'm surrounded by fields and the snake could have come from any where. I almost stepped on a bull snake a few years ago so I'm always on the look out for them. I just didnt expect a rattler within 2 feet of my front door.

 

[Mrs Howey]

Thank you. Honestly I'm really clueless when it comes to rattle snakes in general. I've never had to worry about poisonous snakes before moving. I just wanted advise from people who have dealt with rattlers before. I generally do kill animals that pose a threat. Other than the shovel idea I didnt really know how to kill it in the moment and I panicked. I screamed and ran away. My husband already told me off for doing that. Said that was the worse possible thing I could have done.

 

[TexasTurkeyMama]

I have seen two rattlesnakes with my eyes in ten years here. Both times the warning rattle had me reverse course and then the snakes were soon on their way. Yes, they are hoping for mice. I would rather not give them chicks and eggs.

 

[Kriscam]

Thank you. Unfortunately, I do have a bad mouse problem that I've been working on since we moved in. My cats catch all the mice that come inside and the mice is why I desided to retire the preexisting coop and build a new one up off the ground. I do kill mice as I see them. the mice were so bad that at one point they would run up to me to bite my shoes. We moved the old coop away from our house and discovered just how bad the colony was under it. I'm seeing fewer mice now that we moved it. i do like the idea of bucket traps. I do have bull snakes that hang out. They help with the mice so I havnt done nothing but chase them away when they get too close to my chickens. I guess I need to ramp up mouse removal.

We've tried everything to get rid of mice and rats and have finally had some luck with the Tom Cat traps that have bait inside a box. When they eat the bait it expands and kills them. We have lots of neighbors' cats as well as wildlife around so we didn't want to use poison, and snap traps were a lot to keep up with. Plus it's depressing to deal with that every day.

 

[cmom]

I had seen a rattle snake around the coops and it went under the coop that was infested with the rats. Since I pretty much got rid of the rats, the snake went away.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

We use snake shot.

 

[BlueBaby]

They also say that there are other snakes that would eat them.

https://animals.mom.com/snakes-can-eat-rattlesnakes-8155.html