ENVR How To Keep Snakes Away?

SuElPo

SuElPo

Veteran Member
We had a copper head snake on our front porch stairs today. It got away before we could kill it. I am getting a new machete tomorrow, and snake deterrent is forthcoming with my little dog around. My son has mowed our yard, and is either going to weed eat right next to our house or use this stuff that kills weeds, but not flowers or animals.

Bless his heart, he built me shelves across rails on my front porch to set all my planters of flowers, and other plants like sweet peppers etc. He built two extra lower shelves kitty corner at one end. He went over the wood with polyurethane twice for now. Now I have my own little garden area for all my containers. He fixed them to help me from having to bend over a lot. I like sitting out there to read while little Bonnie is playing.

What do you all do to keep snakes away, and also out of your house? I read they can even come up a pipe into the bathroom toilet.
I hate snakes, and we live in a wooded area.
Thanks for reading this.
Susan
 
oops

oops

Veteran Member
Gran ...mom...n I always bought a new box of mothballs every spring religiously...threw a handful or two in the barn...garage..cellar...n scattered them outside around the house...under the house n anywhere we were gona be regularly outside...rarely had snakes n the yard n never close to the buildins...n we have cooperheads... water mocs (yeah even on a ridge)...n rattlers (dumb@ss at work would catch n release locally...)...
 
M

Marthanoir

TB Fanatic
:p

St._Patrick_2048x.jpg
 
L

Luddite

Veteran Member
A garden hoe or the back side of a rake might be more efficient than a machete.

Keeps you back a few more feet.

I have spread a few cans of the "snake away" products sold in stores like Lowes or Walmart. I don't know that they are worth the cost. Moth balls have (or had) the same active ingredient.

Weed killer will definitely minimize their hiding spots. I try to keep rat&mouse poison out. Minimizes their food source.

Death is the best option.
 
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patriotgal

patriotgal

Veteran Member
Outdoor cats. A hoe if copperhead. A gun. Machete is too up close, especially if you are dealing with a cotton mouth. For them you need the gun. Their striking distance is wicked. Never had much luck here with mothballs. When we had outdoor cats, we never saw snakes around the house.
 
R

raven

TB Fanatic
1. rake the leaves in the yard in the winter before:
a) snakes come out of hibernation
b) before your start futzing in the yard.

2. Keep the grass mowed and weeds around the house cut back.
Think of it as a kill zone that allows birds and other critters to see them and eat them.

3. Wear shoes and gloves.

4. I have never killed a snake that died without a struggle.
Shoot em and they still strike and snap. Don't shoot yourself in the foot.
Chop em and they still strike and snap.

Not going to tell you how to kill a snake because I do not want to be required to write a over long legal disclaimer to relieve myself from legal liability when you get bit.
 
M

marsofold

Veteran Member
The only states that don't have snakes are Hawaii, Alaska, and Maine. We had some copperheads around the house after a bunch of old logs next to our sheep shed was cleared out. Used a double barreled 20 gauge shotgun on them. Cut the head off of one, left it on the side porch overnight to dry out, and the next morning it was gone. Something had absconded with it in the night, undoubtedly to eat it. Probably a possum. We now have three outdoor cats and now have seen no sign of any snakes. Get a good spayed female outdoor cat(s) and the problem will likely go away.
 
changed

changed

Preferred pronouns: dude/bro
marsofold said:
The only states that don't have snakes are Hawaii, Alaska, and Maine. We had some copperheads around the house after a bunch of old logs next to our sheep shed was cleared out. Used a double barreled 20 gauge shotgun on them. Cut the head off of one, left it on the side porch overnight to dry out, and the next morning it was gone. Something had absconded with it in the night, undoubtedly to eat it. Probably a possum. We now have three outdoor cats and now have seen no sign of any snakes. Get a good spayed female outdoor cat(s) and the problem will likely go away.
Click to expand...
Maine doesn't have garter snakes?
 
Kathy in FL

Kathy in FL

Administrator
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You can get it at Home Depot and Lowe's. We've used the Snake Away effectively for years now. Just be careful you aren't getting rid of beneficial snakes on top of the "bad" ones. They all serve their purpose. They just might not serve your purpose. LOL
 
20Gauge

20Gauge

TB Fanatic
SuElPo said:
We had a copper head snake on our front porch stairs today. It got away before we could kill it. I am getting a new machete tomorrow, and snake deterrent is forthcoming with my little dog around. My son has mowed our yard, and is either going to weed eat right next to our house or use this stuff that kills weeds, but not flowers or animals.

Bless his heart, he built me shelves across rails on my front porch to set all my planters of flowers, and other plants like sweet peppers etc. He built two extra lower shelves kitty corner at one end. He went over the wood with polyurethane twice for now. Now I have my own little garden area for all my containers. He fixed them to help me from having to bend over a lot. I like sitting out there to read while little Bonnie is playing.

What do you all do to keep snakes away, and also out of your house? I read they can even come up a pipe into the bathroom toilet.
I hate snakes, and we live in a wooded area.
Thanks for reading this.
Susan
Click to expand...
Our cats do that job.
 
H

hd5574

Veteran Member
The barn cats get ours....and the field mice too
Years ago DH ran over the biggest copperhead I ever saw mowing the field...had to be max size for one....cut it completely in two...he came in the house and got me...even after he walked back in and we walked back out ...the front part of that snake was still trying to strike...just saying be careful even if you cut one in two...
 
CaryC

CaryC

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Like moles, keeping their food supply down, mostly mice, and rats, is the big thing.

All that stuff you buy as snake deterrent isn't worth much if you've got mice. For moles, its grub worms.

Even killing off ALL of their food source doesn't mean they won't wander through. Even moles. They don't have ESPN so don't get the broadcast on their food source.

They don't understand property lines, and they trust no one, so have to check for themselves.

If it's a NON-poisonous snake just let them wander through, who knows they may even catch a stray mouse you didn't know about. And they will be gone in a day or two. Cuz like if they don't they will die from starvation.

It may be spookcontagious when you see it, but blame that on Eve.

Anyway if it is a POISONOUS snake, you can't take that chance. A machete will put you to close. A hoe, and it sharp, is best. Buy one to have around in case. A .410 will also work, but I'm sure you don't want to put holes in your porch. A practice I use is: I watch the snake, and call SB to get what ever, gun in most cases, but there are times when that won't do, so call for the hoe. If you are by yourself, more than with someone. Use a hoe as a walking stick. ALL the old folks use to do that.

And most important, if you live in an area, where POISONOUS snakes are known to inhabit, make it a practice to walk with head down watching the ground, instead of looking out and about. BTW if you're in a fire ant environment, that works for that as well. As has been said several times over the last week or two, WATCH WHERE YOU STEP.

Instead of depending on store bought deterrent, you'd best learn how to deal with them yourself. Just saying.
 
Bubble Head

Bubble Head

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Never use a machete to kill a venomous snake. They strike at the heat your hand gives off. Even a shovel is not safe although I have used them on rattlesnakes while irrigating. Had one I struck the shovel at its head but it struck at me at the same time. The shovel gave it balance to strike further than normal and stopped just below my hand. Scared me enough to stop using shovels and just shoot them ln the head with bird shot from my 22 pistol. Easy carry and quick fix.
 
W

workhorse

Veteran Member
marsofold said:
The only states that don't have snakes are Hawaii, Alaska, and Maine. We had some copperheads around the house after a bunch of old logs next to our sheep shed was cleared out. Used a double barreled 20 gauge shotgun on them. Cut the head off of one, left it on the side porch overnight to dry out, and the next morning it was gone. Something had absconded with it in the night, undoubtedly to eat it. Probably a possum. We now have three outdoor cats and now have seen no sign of any snakes. Get a good spayed female outdoor cat(s) and the problem will likely go away.
Click to expand...
Maine has snakes at least Southern Maine does.
 
buttie

buttie

Veteran Member
Luddite said:
A garden hoe or the back side of a rake might be more efficient than a machete.

Keeps you back a few more feet.

I have spread a few cans of the "snake away" products sold in stores like Lowes or Walmart. I don't know that they are worth the cost. Moth balls have (or had) the same active ingredient.

Weed killer will definitely minimize their hiding spots. I try to keep rat&mouse poison out. Minimizes their food source.

Death is the best option.
Click to expand...
A square shovel works well for rattle snakes.
 
F

FireDance

TB Fanatic
Luddite said:
A garden hoe or the back side of a rake might be more efficient than a machete.

Keeps you back a few more feet.

I have spread a few cans of the "snake away" products sold in stores like Lowes or Walmart. I don't know that they are worth the cost. Moth balls have (or had) the same active ingredient.

Weed killer will definitely minimize their hiding spots. I try to keep rat&mouse poison out. Minimizes their food source.

Death is the best option.
Click to expand...
I use a hoe. And yes, it’s because I am farther away. But be SURE to buy a decent one and sharpen it. My last one bent while chopping weeds one day. Hate cheap Chinese junk.

There is almost NO WAY I would use a machete as my weapon. Toooooo close. I’d only use as a last resort.
 
CaryC

CaryC

Has No Life - Lives on TB
FireDance said:
I use a hoe. And yes, it’s because I am farther away. But be SURE to buy a decent one and sharpen it. My last one bent while chopping weeds one day. Hate cheap Chinese junk.

There is almost NO WAY I would use a machete as my weapon. Toooooo close. I’d only use as a last resort.
Click to expand...
The point in using a hoe, instead of a shovel, in the old days, don't know about today's hoes, is the handle was a good bit longer, thus further away. And lighter to swing harder, especially for a woman, in the garden, hoeing her peas, or cotton as the job at hand, dictated.

Still had to bend over some, but not as much as a shovel.
 
Texican

Texican

Live Free & Die Free.... God Freedom Country....
Luddite said:
Death is the best option.
Click to expand...

We have killed two snakes so far this spring.

The first snake was a copper head that the dogs had one corned in the drive which I dispatched with a square pointed shovel.

Yesterday, the second snake was a large chicken snake that was taking eggs for the last week which the DW and a friend of the grandson finally saw. The snake hid behind a partial plywood wall and was trapped and struck several times with a heavy duty floor floor scrapper mounted on a heavy duty wooden handle. The grandson's friend dug under the plywood while I had the snake pinned and pulled the snake out by the tail and out in the open I pinned the snake down while the grandson's friend cut the head off with a kurki.

We have had chicken snakes thru the years that would hide in the purlins in the chicken barn. I used a hook on a wooden pole to pull them out of the purlins and dispatched with a sharpened shovel.

As the DW states: "A good snake is a dead snake..."

Texican....
 
L

Lei

Veteran Member
oops said:
Gran ...mom...n I always bought a new box of mothballs every spring religiously...threw a handful or two in the barn...garage..cellar...n scattered them outside around the house...under the house n anywhere we were gona be regularly outside...rarely had snakes n the yard n never close to the buildins...n we have cooperheads... water mocs (yeah even on a ridge)...n rattlers (dumb@ss at work would catch n release locally...)...
Click to expand...
I did this when I lived in Florida near the Okeefenokee (sp ?) swamp. Worked good and they also kept the rabbits out of my flower and garden beds. We put mothballs in the attic here in Hawaii to keep out the tree rats.
 
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