Snake trap?

[kikescove.com]

Here is one example. Lift it up and there they sit. This is behind my main chicken house.

 

[Pagemaker]

Quote:
You are mistaken... the snake disapears with your fake eggs, but he very rarely ever dies from a fake egg. They just throw them back up. I have watched them do it.
I use golf balls in my nest to keep the hens laying in them while I take their eggs every day. And occasionally I will find a golf ball out of the nest laying in the yard somewhere. I have even caught a snake with the eggs still inside him and when I grabbed him he at once spit out the eggs very quickly.
Its a nice thought.. but don't believe that its actually killing the snake.

 

[Bridget399]

If you tied the string to something, what would keep the snake from just throwing up the dead chick and moving on? Someone posted a pic on here a few days ago of a chicken that a snake had regertated(sp!) right outside the coop.

My Dad told me that he once caught a water snake in a minnow trap. The minnows swim in through a cone that gets skinnier at the end, so that they can't get back through, and then their trapped inside the cage. If you could make a cage like this from hardware cloth, maybe you would have more luck.

I've had so many snakes on my property, but never one in my coop (yet). I swear by mothballs.
Good Luck!

 

[Appaloosa Hill Farm]

When I worked in a pet store years ago, this is what we suggested to snake owners whose snakes escaped and were running willy nilly in the house: glue boards. They work like a charm. Lay them about, put the bait on the center of the trap and check daily. The snakes can't free themselves and will be stuck fast. If you want to relocate them, douse them in veg or olive oil and they'll come off the trap. If not, well, you know. For larger snakes, I'd get a piece of plywood or something of large size and considerable weight and nail the traps down to form a large surface. Put the bait in the center and leave it in the snakes' path. Good luck!

 

[OneGoodEgg]

All great ideas...we're building a snake trap now! I did try the moth balls, but no success with keeping the rat snakes away. I like the wire/plastic netting trap! Will keep you posted as to the results. We just lost eight serama eggs to one rat snake two nights ago and my favorite hen a few weeks ago to a giant rat snake...it's war now! Thanks again for all the smart ideas!

 

[2boxers]

Giant water snakes!?!?! Oh please Lord, tell me you do not live in Virginia

I'm sorry you're losing birds and eggs. I hate snakes. I've found that the best way to deal with them is with honey. It works like this:

"HONEY!!!! THERE'S A SNAKE! KILL IT!!!!"

Works for me every time.