Snakes - what on earth do i do?

[Sparrow]

Are Guineas able to safely take out a venomous snake? Iknow Guineas are tough and fast, but our Rattlers strike lightening fast and they are very muscular. Would it just endanger your Guineas to let the go after venomous snakes? I've never owned Guineas so I'm curious!

If you went with the frozen mouse method, you would have to order them shipped in bulk from a dealer. I order mine for my pet snakes from RodentPro.com in bags of 50 mice for about $15-$20. Much cheaper than buying them at the pet store.

 

[XL506]

Quote:
Do NOT do this. Unless you want to do it ALL the time. Snakes are very habit forming. And if they get use to getting meals on your property. They will come back all the time. and when they do, and there is not rat.. Well, there are chickens lol

 

[Cetawin]

Well after reading all of the posts, I can tell you what I have done or heard works.

Guineas...are notorious rattlesnake killers

Sulphur as a perimeter works...according to my grandfather, they will not cross it because it burns their bellies. We had a perimeter around our bunny house and never had a loss. Of course he sang to them also (long story).

Glueboards and/or a snake fence (instructions below)

I would be searching for a den or nest...It sounds like you have a family nearby and most likely on the property near the house.

Are you sure it is a diamondback? Their venom is a neurotoxin.

There are 7 species of poisonous snake found in New Mexico. Here is the info on them...

The Rock Rattlesnake occurs in isolated mountain ranges in Southern New Mexico. This snake may be found in pine-oak forests, but mostly inhabits mountains with rugged, rocky terrain. It is variable in color and may be brown-black, greenish, or gray.

The Western Diamondback Rattlesnake is found throughout much of New Mexico, and is the species most often seen. It lives in flat plains and rocky canyons, from grassland deserts to pine-oak forests. The western diamondback is one of the largest of all rattlesnake species and the largest found in New Mexico (up to 6 ft long). Their color is most often gray-brown, although color often depends on the matching background color—many New Mexico snakes have a reddish to pinkish-gray color. This species has black and white rings on its tail, so it is commonly called the “coon-tail” rattlesnake.

The Western (Prairie) Rattlesnake is distributed across New Mexico, much of the western U.S., and into Canada. In eastern New Mexico, it is often called “sand rattler” and lives in a variety of habitats, from grassland desert to pine-oak forest. This species is generally more active after dark, except at high altitudes. Western prairie rattlesnakes are often greenish-gray or pale brown, with a series of light-colored rings on the tail that darken with maturity.

The Mojave Rattlesnake is found in extreme Southern New Mexico, although it is more common in southern California Nevada, Arizona and Texas and is more widely distributed in the Chihuahua Desert than the Mojave Desert. It lives in desert or low grassland habitats, often on flat terrain. The Mojave rattlesnake is often greenish-gray or olive green, with a white belly. Its venom is highly potent.

The Black-tailed Rattlesnake is distributed in southwestern and central New Mexico. It lives mostly in rocky mountainous areas, and is found occasionally in lower desert habitats. It is often colored a greenish or steel gray (but can be sulphur yellow or rust), with a dark brown or black tail. Generally considered mild mannered, this rattlesnake can nonetheless be quick to rattle and raise its head. It has been seen several feet off the ground in trees.

The Massasauga is distributed across southern, central, and eastern New Mexico where it occupies desert grassland, often in very sandy areas. This snake is relatively small (less than 4 ft long) and pale brown, and generally has pairs of spots on its head. Although not usually fatal to humans, bites from this species can be extremely painful.

The Ridge-nose Rattlesnake is listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a threatened species in New Mexico. It inhabits only a small part of the southwestern boot heel of the state, living in pine-oak woodlands, open grassy hillsides, and humid canyon bottoms. Its color is reddish brown, yellowish brown, or gray. Ridge-nose rattlesnakes are generally active day or night and tend to have a mild temperament.

Coral Snake

The Arizona coral snake is found in extreme southwest Catron County and western Hidalgo and Grant counties. Although coral snakes rarely bite, their venom is highly poisonous and they should not be handled. The Arizona coral snake has a black nose and is brightly colored with broad alternating rings of red and black, separated by narrower rings of white or yellow. These markings encircle the body, although they are less bright on the belly.

In New Mexico, other snakes with similar markings are the New Mexico milk snake, Arizona mountain king snake, and the long-nosed snake. The narrower red bands are bordered by black on the New Mexico milk snake and Arizona mountain king snake, while the Arizona coral snake has broad red bands with yellow borders. The long-nosed snake is pale compared to the Arizona coral snake, with stripes that do not extend around the body and white spots on the side of the snake’s black bands.

An easy way to determine whether a red, yellow, and black snake is a coral snake is to remember that red touches yellow on a coral snake, and red touches black on non-poisonous species.


The old rhyme "Red touches yellow I'm a bad fellow, Red touches Black I'm alright"

Here is some info that may help also:

Snakes often live in cool, dark places where food is abundant. Likely places to find snakes around homes include:

Firewood or haystacks directly on the ground.

Old lumber or junk piles.

Gardens and flower beds with heavy mulch.

Untrimmed shrubs and shrubs growing next to a foundation.

Unmowed and unkempt lawns, abandoned lots, and fields with tall vegetation.

Pond and stream banks where there is abundant debris or trash.

Cluttered basements and attics with rodent, bird, or bat problems.

Feed storage areas in barn haylofts where rodents may be abundant.

Inside a home they can be found in places such as:

Under sinks, under sub-flooring, near water heaters and in any area where there is stacked furniture or items.



Here is some info on building a snake fence if that is possible...

Construct snake-proof fences of 1/4” hardware cloth at least 36” wide. Bury the lower 6“ underground, and slant the fence outward at a 30° angle. To make the fence more sturdy, place supporting stakes inside the fence and attach wires from the fence to the stakes. Make sure all gates fit tightly; they should open to the inside because of the outward slope of the fence. Be sure to keep grass and weeds around the fence mowed close to the ground to prevent snakes from using them to crawl over the fence.


Here is how to construct a glueboard for to catch them...

Another effective method of capturing snakes inside a home, under porches, in crawl spaces, or under mobile homes is to use a glueboard purchased from an agriculture supply or hardware store. Most small snakes can be captured using a single glueboard placed against a wall, away from pipes or other objects a snake could use for leverage to escape.

To capture larger snakes, make a large glueboard with purchased glueboards. Construct the trap using a 16” x 24” piece of 1/4” plywood. Drill a 3/4” hole in one comer of the board. When you need to remove the board, use a hook on the end of a long stick to grab the comer through the hole. Fasten or securely glue two to four glueboards along one side of the plywood board. This type of trap, when placed against a wall, is capable of capturing snakes up to 5 or 6 ft long.

Use glueboards only indoors or under structures where children, pets, and other wildlife cannot reach them; the glue is quite messy and hard to remove. Use common cooking or vegetable oil to remove animals from the glue. Once the unwanted guests have been removed, be sure to close any holes or entrances so the snakes do not return.


Goodluck with them.

 

[cherrychicken]

Ok, first get rid of all water and food outside such as birdseed or dog's water bowl. Don't kill the snake, please. do you know where the snakes are living? keep track of where the animals and kids are, to prevent bites. after you do all this wait to see if the rattlesnake is still living with you. Next time you see it call (505) 735 9505 to talk to someone at the Espanola wildlife center. they will direct you to someone near you who will relocate the snake free of charge.

 

[Beekissed]

Don't kill the snake? :|

 

[Sparrow]

The main trouble I have with encouraging people to kill them is the fact that unless you have a gun you want to use, you have to get very close to the snake to kill it. I never encourage anyone to get close to a venomous snake for any reason, because a lot of times their striking range/capabilities are vastly underestimated.

In your case, I would highly recommend that you call the wildlife center that was recommended, or your local animal control/removal center. Usually, in your area of the U.S., they have professionals trained in removing venomous snakes from your property. It keeps you and all other living things safe!

 

[d.k]

* Maybe, it's not food they are coming for, but water. Just a thought. They may be coming for water, or following their prey as it comes for water. And yes, mothballs are poisonous to chickens. Mothballs are poisonous to everything. However, they do help against snakes. P.S. One more thought-- would an electric fence line work against snakes???

 

[Cara]

We're sure they are Diamondbacks; the only rattlesnakes found in our region are the Prairie and the Diamondback, and thankfully the Prairie rattlesnakes don't typically inhabit this part of the ranch. They are much grumpier than the Diamondbacks and often chase the cowboys when they are horseback. The pattern is quite distinctive on the Diamondback, especially the coon tail. Their pattern stands out a lot more than the Prairie rattlesnake; they are more brown. I'd take a picture of the next one we kill, or one of the ones we did kill i(f the buzzards haven't already taken it), but that might send the snake lovers over the edge.

Relocation is not an option. They are highly dangerous and I will not leave one be around the house for someone to come across. We are so isolated here that it would probably take hours for someone to show up to collect the snake, and I am not going to try and contain or watch one. If someone gets bitten it is a 3hr trip to the nearest hospital with anti-venin. It is not fair to make our problem somebody else's. I want to discourage them from coming around, as by the time we realise another one is here the damage is usually done. They are too big a risk to have around, and if we see one near our house they have to go right then. If they are way out in the pasture we leave them alone, although i'd rather see more hawks and owls and no venomous snakes!

Last summer when we had a problem with them I tried contacting various pest control companies, but none were interested in coming out here. The nearest company is 3 hours away, and they did not feel that they could accomplish much. Their usual methods work well in residential settings, but our house is literally in the middle of a pasture in a canyon. We are surrounded by rocks and brush. The ranch is almost 300,000 acres, and they thought it unlikely that we wouldn't have another snake come along.

Luckily we got our puppy back from the vet and she is doing great. She didn't get much venom, and was suffering from shock more than anything. We found another vet who has the rattlesnake vaccine, so all of our dogs will be receiving that. The dogs are also going for more snakeproofing in a couple of weeks.

I will give the sulphur a try, as it rarely rains here and the perimeter of the yard is a strange shape. I was wondering whether electric poultry fence might help, I don't know how electric fences affect snakes. The dogs have a horse's water tub, it is about 20" tall so keeps most small creatures away. I removed anything in the yard that isn't completely necessary. The doghouses are gone as they are too good a hiding place for a snake, along with their wading pool. They didn't need the doghouses as they have a doggy door to come in if they want to.

I am going to order a flock of guineas too; i'd rather risk getting woken up early or thrown from a horse than get bitten by a snake. We have a new pistol on the way, as I don't feel comfortable with shotguns and wouldn't carry one around with me.

One strange thing did occur to me; last year we had a particularly bad week with rattlesnakes, and it was this same week. I wonder whether rattlesnakes do something that makes them move in closer at this time of year.

 

[Sparrow]

Wow, you guys really do live way out there. It sounds amazing!

If you could string a strand of electric fencing just above the ground it would probably be able to zap a snake I can't imagine a snake would want to have that happen again, so it would probably repel them nicely. Unless the snake doesn't contact the wire until about mid-body, in which case it might just dart forward and get stuck in your yard. Electric poultry fencing with very small holes would work well. Not sure about the sulfur, I don't know what about it repels snakes. They don't smell things the way that we do, they have airborne particulate chemoreceptors in the roofs of their mouths instead, so it's not the stink that would repel them. I curious to know more about this method.

 

[chickenfanatic]

im in new mexico also in the southwestern part i use garlic believe it or not it seems to help but not really well the other thing that does is a snake fence but the hardware cloth idea is insanely expensive i use bird netting they get tangled in it trust me i caught one last night hahaha i even have pics of the lil booger that was bout 3 feet long and meaner than sin hahahaah the bird netting does work and works well i think this was the 12th rattler tangled this yr not to mention all the bullsnakes and what not that i free'd the rattelsnakwes well we will just say i have a few more hatband prospects now hahahh