snake in the feed barn

[sbennett]

i'm feeding up for my husband (he had surgery last week) until his weight restrictions are lifted - yesterday i found a snake in our feed barn. i don't know what kind it was, it moved and i went out of the barn. we keep all the feed in bins (think rubbermaid bins) so that aniamls can't get in it... what can i put out to keep the snakes away? i have go to feed up later and i'm dreading it b/c i know that snake is out there.

we got moth balls yesterday after i saw it and i'll toss those out i guess - anything else i can do? do we need to worry about snakes getting the birds? i'm thinking maybe this is why we haven't had as many eggs recently?

 

[Mahonri]

Snakes will go after small birds and eggs but are usually there for the rodents.

 

[sbennett]

what can i do to keep them away?

 

[AngieChick]

To be honest, I would just watch my step when I go in there and thank my lucky stars for that snake. Your feed barn is exactly where you want him, away from your chicks and eggs and but where rodents congregate. Unless he's venomous, a better, cleaner and quieter mouse/rat trap doesn't exist.

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

Good advice above.

Leave him be. He's eating the rodents that are coming out at night to eat the spilled feed.

Get rid of the snake and you'll have a rodent problem.

 

[ranchhand]

I agree with the above, but I encourage you to look up photos of snakes in your state online and identify it. Also keep in mind that mothballs are extremely toxic to everything, as is the residue they leave behind when they break down.