Snake in my pond ~ how to remove?

[lil'turkeymama]

Very nice pond.I have had the same problem myself.I like snakes,alot.But I count my goldfish like I do my chickens and everything else.I know when they start disapearing.And I lost several very nice fish to a water snake.I got really mad and yanked out all my plants and when it couldn't hide anymore me and the kids ran it out and removed it.We made a terrible mess of the pond but the plants were very forgiving and everything went back to normal.That did work for me but well is was a mess.I learned to catch water snakes by accident while trapping minnows for fishing.They will go in after minnows and get trapped also.The only thing is they will drown if your trap is completly under water.You do need fish to bait your trap.They kinda put out a distress call/vibration that the snake can home in on.I like my goldfish to much to use them,it would work,but I would probably catch some minnows from the creek.Good luck and kept us posted.

 

[ekemily]

This is what water snakes do to goldfish. This was a fairly large fish, too. We caught him in the act, munching away on our little pet. If you plan on relocating him, take him far away.

 

[sgtmom52]

Quote:
Ugh ~ I guess I better try to get him today. DH will be upset if he finds something like that. He already says he thinks we are a couple of fish low. Our fish are just basic gold fish as we live in the woods and I refuse to buy $10. koi to be sushi for herons and raccoons. We lost quite a few last fall to a heron.

 

[GrumpyOldMan]

Quote:
Ugh ~ I guess I better try to get him today. DH will be upset if he finds something like that. He already says he thinks we are a couple of fish low. Our fish are just basic gold fish as we live in the woods and I refuse to buy $10. koi to be sushi for herons and raccoons. We lost quite a few last fall to a heron.

Herron and Raccoon... sounds like the makings for a good stew.

 

[katharinad]

I just relocated some garter snakes. 2 females and one male to be exact. They seem to love our decorative pond. Our fish are to large for them to eat, but the females tend to pull them out of the water and then just leave them on the soil to die. I had it with them so I now catch them and release them near another lake. Had to do the same for a bull frog. They will eat gold fish. Anything that fits into their mouth even birds.
Katharina

 

[wateboe]

We had several Nothern water snakes in our ponds at my office a few years ago. Our clients were not so thrilled and the snakes did a real number on our goldfish population. I called a friend who also happens to be a park naturalist in our area. She suggested that we walk the perimeter of the pond several times a day and tap on the edging stones with the handle of a broom/shovel/ whatever long handled tool was handy. The snakes didn't like it AT ALL and they left within a few days.
Not as quick as netting the little sucker, but it did work.

 

[sgtmom52]

Quote:
Thanks for the suggestion ~ I'll start tapping right away & still try the netting too. DH just commented that he hasn't seen the big bull frog the past couple of days. I don't think the snake is big enough to eat him, but it may have left the pond and headed to the stream when the snake moved in.

 

[ranchhand]

Odd as it sounds, the tapping really does work. We got a couple of rat snakes out of the roof by tapping. It irritates them enough that they leave.

 

[anmog]

I had been in this forum years ago when we had chickens and ducks. We then unfortunately moved to the suburbs two years ago. Now we are moving again. YAY! Back to the country. The land we are moving on just had a house moved on it and there are three ponds on the property. I have heard there are water moccasins in this part of Texas.

I am doing all the reading I can on how to remove them from our property naturally. Has anyone made a natural waterfall of some sort to create vibration in the water to deter water snakes? It's just something I read. I was wondering if this would work with other things like building an owl box. Now with building an owl box I will have to worry about my baby chicks, right?

I used to free range my winged friends and I had a call that lead them to the house or back to their pen on command. But with owls in the area....they eat mice and snakes so .... will they be too full for my tasty chickens, chicks, or ducklings?

Will they attack a big chicken? Or just chicks?

I'm full of questions, I'm just trying to learn and see what others have done.

And I am too much of a "chicken" myself to wack a snake with a broom. LOL! I think I would probably faint before I struck it on the head hehehe.

Did you ever get that snake out of your beautiful pond? How did you do it?


THANKS everyone!