Hating snakes, but just the bad ones

[Yankeesouth]

I hate snakes, especially copperheads and rattlers.  I know snames are good to keep the rodents, bugs and other annoying critters at bay and I wish I could just invite black snakes gardenr snakes to hang around.   I have read some stuff about mothballs around rocks and denning places.   Also read some stuff about snake repellent.  I have some youngsters around the place and they like to crawl on the rocks.  Anyone know if mothballs work or of any other of a way to deter snakes from visiting your property or nesting areas?  I know the more we are there the less likely the slithery suckers will come around.   

[glenn kangiser]

Hmmm .... well..... some say they taste like chicken...

[MelFol]

I tend to not like the poisonous ones either.  Several times I almost stepped on rattlers. I was lucky they never struck.
Don't know about mothballs.  Some other thoughts:
•You mentioned activity.  I'm wondering if mowing a bit every day will help. Two fold... keeps their habitat down and running machinery seems to deter them. 
•Hindering their food source in your area would probably deter them also. 
•Get a dog that doesn't like snakes.
•Move to Alaska.  No snakes up there. 
Good luck.

[dug]

It seems our rattlesnake population has gone down since we got a few cats. Cats= no rats.   Also they are usually the first to alert us to them should one be lurking, curiosity killing the cat and all..

[glenn kangiser]

Last spring I had a 3 foot long Rattle snake I found in 2 foot tall grass while weed eating.

I slapped him to death with the weed eater.

If away from the place - like me in their house, I leave them alone.  If near the house where we may accidentally get bit they have to go.  Killed two 3 footers and two one footers last year as I recall.

You got that right, dug.  If you have rats, mice and gophers you will have snakes.

[Texas Tornado]

I live where it was called "Rattlesnake Hill"...I have cats and would never live without them here. The few snakes I have seen in the last few years have been what the mama cats bring up to train the babies with!

[peternap]

Mothballs work but dissolve fast so they really aren't much an option.

Snakes are a part of nature. Get used to them because you can't get rid of them and like it or not, they have a place.

I don't care for snakes at all but leave them alone unless they're near the house. Every year I'll get 2 or three copperheads that take up residence close to my yard. They get killed.
They like leaves, brush and sticks, old lumber..in general a mess...so clean it up to help get rid of them.

Copperheads are pretty docile unless it's mating season or you make them mad.
Rattlesnakes are more aggressive.

Good Luck!

[muldoon]

I see more snakes geocaching than out in the country.  In my experience nearly all snakes are docile and dont really want any part of you either.  The mistakes people make are getting too close to the snake and not realizing it.  Like picking up a piece of wood with a snake under it, or reaching into a burrow or doghouse or the like without thinking of what may be inside there.  Or stepping on them in high grass, or something to that effect.  So keeping your house area cleaned up will help a bit.  Kick stuff to see whats under it before picking it up, etc. 

As others said, snakes follow mice.  So keeping your open area clear of mice will again help with snakes.  I also found that opening up pastures keeps their numbers low because the overhead birds can spot the snakes easier. 

I see roughly 10 snakes a month in the summer in town, I have probably only killed four of them in the past 5 or 6 years. 
But I have only seen 3 snakes in three years at my place in the country.  I don't kill it if it isn't poisonous.  I don't eat them.

[Redoverfarm]

The only snakes that I don't care for are the ones that I don't see before they see me.   .  Like others I usually leave them alone unless they are close to the house.  Black snakes I try to avoid killing as they are more benifical than harmful.  Most poisonous snakes on the mountain pretty well go unseen unless their water supply runs short.  Then they go on the move to lower ground for water like this one last year.



These are the ones that really scare me.

[Yankeesouth]

Red
That's what scares me! I have some little ones running around.   I guess an ounce of prevention, or education, is worth a pound of cure.  I'll be learnen the youngns right.

[Sassy]

The only snakes that I don't care for are the ones that I don't see before they see me.   .  Like others I usually leave them alone unless they are close to the house.  Black snakes I try to avoid killing as they are more benifical than harmful.  Most poisonous snakes on the mountain pretty well go unseen unless their water supply runs short.  Then they go on the move to lower ground for water like this one last year.



These are the ones that really scare me.

That gives me the willys!  I don't mind snakes except for rattlesnakes - those are the only ones that are poisonous that I know of around here.  2-3 yrs ago I was weeding & had pulled out some grass at least 3x's in one area when I saw a baby rattlesnake right where I was putting my hand    I went to get a shovel but then couldn't find it. 

Last year I was walking out in the garden by the house & there's 2 ways to walk around the elevated beds - thank God I went one way cuz I was standing out there thinking I heard a hose spraying & then I saw the rattlesnake curled up a couple feet from me - I would have walked right on it if I'd gone around the other way as it would have been hidden by the rock wall - I yelled really loud for Glenn (he was on the other side of the hill at the sawmill.  He recognized my yell of urgency    and came running - killed it with a shovel - it had 11 rattles.

When we 1st bought the property, we were at the top of the hill exploring - we walked over some rocks, on our way back (just a couple minutes later) I saw a big rattler curled up right where we had just stepped over between the rocks - yikes!!!     Those episodes sure give me a good adrenalin rush!!! 

[MushCreek]

I don't really mind them, but would rather not have poisonous ones around. Our dog used to kill them- Pounce, shake, fling. They'd be dead before they hit the ground. I couldn't figure out where the dead snakes were coming from until I saw her do it one day. I've heard that pigs will kill and eat every snake around.

[Don_P]

They will try, but as a kid I pulled my cousin out of a hog waller we were playing in because I saw a snake in there with us, I guess nobody told him  

I'm usually the one who doesn't see them, my wife is always pointing out the one I've just walked by or even sat on one while we were scrambling up a cliff. She met him still dazed and confused at eye level  .

There's a couple of big rat snakes under the floor of the sawmill, the mice like to nest in between stickered piles of lumber. We have an agreement, they can stay as long as they stay out of the way. I have seen my dog do the same as MushCreek's to a few. Everyone around thinks our place has alot of rattlers, I just agree with them.

This one came from up near the WV state line, one of our plumbers friends caught it.

[rwanders]

   I moved to snakeless Alaska in 1967, but it took a few years before I finally stopped looking over fallen logs for snakes before I would step over them. However, I then had to start looking out for bears and moose hiding in the alder thickets----amazing how a 1000+ pound bear or moose can hide a few yards away from you and you just walk by and never see them. A very large brown bear followed me around while I was staking out potential oil well sites---he would pull down the orange survey ribbon I was using. I could hear him occasionally, but didn't actually see him until the next day. He was a nine footer and watched us often, but never was aggressive---just curious I guess. He did cause us a little paranoia though.

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

Good gravy, your pictures make me paranoid!!  My suggestion is to get chickens and/or guineas.  Our chickens and guineas have DRASTICALLY reduced the snake population (and the tick and scorpion population) since we moved here.  I have watched even the little banty hens shake a snake until it is dead.  The first year here, I pulled up two different snakes pulling weeds (barehanded both times.)  First year we spotted probably a grand total of 30-40 snakes.  Second summer here, maybe only around 20.  Already this spring, I've seen the chickens kill at least three little snakes, and twice as many mice (while digging out the compost bin, I hit a nest of mice, and you should have seen the game that ensued after mice scattered everywhere.)  I tell the kids to leave the black rat snakes and bullsnakes and king snakes alone (and garter snakes, but that goes without saying.)  If they see a copperhead (most common around here) or anything else venomous to get me or dad immediately.  At the end of last summer, we all had a good laugh at ourselves when my oldest two daughters came running into the house and told me breathlessly that there was a rattle snake coiled up under an old clay pot by the pine tree... I grabbed a sharp hoe and followed them back to the "snake".  I stared at it for several seconds, trying to see if I could detect any movement.  Finally, I gently nudged the pot away and there was a HUGE sphinx moth of some sort, with the perfect replica of rattle snake skin on its wings.  Good dog, cat, and poultry will significatly reduce your snake population. 

[backattheshack]

just came in from 4 wheelin at dark seen this one in driveway... let my little girl cap em with 22 rifle she was little leary it kept twitchin and wiggle in...while were trying to get pic she said its gonna bite me i said kinda hard when you blew its frickin head off!!!! we leave the black snakes they keep the copperheads run off

[Sassy]

Good shot!