rat snake

[deejeff442]

i just found this forum today. all i have been doing is reading. seem to have some great people here.i had a 6 foot long rat snake in an egg box a couple weeks ago. i hate snakes . i dont mind rats ,spiders or the scorpions. but snakes heck no. but my 22 rifle took care of the problem.havnt had one since. we keep rat poisen,moth balls and cedar chips all around the coops but the snake dont care i guess

 

[NYSAHMof3]

I think I might keal over and die if I saw that! Where are you that you have snakes so big?

 

[deejeff442]

i am a bit north of fort worth in texas. i see you are in NY. i grew up in buffalo.my whole family is there.

 

[Naunnie]

Howdy! and welcome to BYC. I don"t do snakes either! I always say, "if they let me see it, then it's time to die" LOL I know some are beneficial but my near "heart attack" reaction is always the same no matter what kind it is. Here in Georgia, a 6 foot rat snake is very common. Usually, if we stumble upon one, there will be another show up soon after. My sons says, when they get that large, they are a pair. I do not know if that's true, but we always stay on high alert after we find the first one.

We have had some success with moth balls, but they do have to be replaced often, especially after a lot of rain. They are toxic to pets so we only put them where the dogs can't get to them. I have read plants that are aromatic will also help deter snakes and rodents. I am experimenting with Marigolds all the way around my aviary this summer. I also relocated some Rosemary and Lemon Grass. So far, so good!

I think the best way to deter snakes is to keep the area all clean and free of any debris. I keep the grass mowed and mulch with small rocks. I try to make sure there is no place for them to hide. I also do not leave feed out after dark for the rodents to find. If the mice and rats are not attracted to the area, the snakes won't be attracted either.

I'm not sure of how your coop is built, but 1/2" hardware cloth from the ground up 2 to 3 feet will also help keep larger snakes and rats out.

 

[bugglesmommy]

, when they get that large, they are a pair. I do not know if that's true, but we always stay on high alert after we find the first one.

How very interesting. A few weeks ago there was a 6 1/2 foot one in a nest box. After it was taken care of and hubby pulled it out, guess what was under it? A 4 ft. one. The last time (Besides your post) I heard of another big one it also had a partner. I think your son may be right.

 

[NYSAHMof3]

OMG I always dreamed of getting out of the snow, but NY is sounding better and better. I was telling my husband how son and I found a "big" garden snake the other day. It was, maybe, a whopping 24", LMHO.

 

[Naunnie]

For got to mention this; my Great Grandmother always keep her goats with her chickens. She said if you have goats, you won't have snakes! This also may be true. We had goats several years ago, that lived with the horses and we never encountered a snake. We have been talking about getting some goats to help control the vegetation in the pasture....

I also just purchased some Guinea keets. From what I have read, they are quite the alarmists for snakes. I can't wait until they are old enough to earn their keep!

 

[bugglesmommy]

The coops are in the goat pen here. Snakes have never been deterred. I am afraid I'm going to have to call that one a myth.

 

[Judy]

Rat snakes, or chicken snakes, are non poisonous. Their usual diet is rats and mice. We relocated one the other day who had probably been eating eggs, so he would go back to his natural diet of mice.

 

[Naunnie]

I'm not ready to write goats off for snake deterrent yet. Maybe it depends on the type of goat....I good friend lives on Georgia Mt. in Alabama. Their 10 acres of land is really rocky and they had a problem with Rattlesnakes. They had also heard that goats would kill snakes, so they bought 3 Nubians. Worked very well for them. I personally have not seen it, but they have told many stories about how the goats would act as a team and stomp the snakes to death. They claim, they haven't seen any kind of snake, in over 17 years and give the goats all the credit.