Unlike other species, snakes can be a little difficult to control. For example, with mammals, trapping often provides an easy and effective method of control. Snakes however, often require one to change the habitat around your home to prevent entry. While trapping is effective to control snakes, it is not AS effective as it is when trapping mammals. We at Wildlife Damage Control don't want you to be discouraged, just realistic. We hope the information provided will be beneficial. As always, tell us how we can do more.
Our first advice is to try to get you the homeowner to live with the snakes. Snakes living under your front steps or cruising through your back yard is not really anything to worry about. Unlike other animals, snakes don't damage property.
If you still can’t handle the sight of snakes, there are a few things you can do to reduce their presence around your property. First, keep the lawn low cut and clean. Snakes need cover to hunt in and protect themselves. If they don’t have places to hide they are less likely to be around. Don’t leave wood or brush piles sit in one spot for years on end. Cut grass short and keep leaves and other debris picked up.
Second, repair cracks along your foundation and fill holes around pipes. Snakes only need about a ¼ inch crack to get inside. Fill the hole before they decide to set up a brood nest there.
Third, just because you see a snake on your property doesn’t mean you have to kill it. As most of you know, I am not an animal rights activist. But just because it is not wrong to exercise dominion over creation doesn’t mean than we must exercise it at every opportunity. Proper dominion only occurs when the ruler understands his/her subjects. Try to take the opportunity to learn about the snake. Watch him. There is a reason why God made him that way. To give you a head start, these snakes are designed to hunt creatures living in tight quarters. Can you think of any other reasons why the snake is built the way he is?
One e-mailer wondered, "If you think guinea fowl would be helpful." WDC would be interested in any comments regarding the effectiveness of Guinea fowl to keep away snakes.
One e-mailer writes, Take it for what it is worth Readers. But WDC is thankful for the response.
Having grown up on a farm, I have observed a lot of different animals' interactions with snakes. First off, the guinea pen was more of an attractant to snakes than a repellent. Eggs and chicks were constantly disappearing with only slightly more noise from the guineas than usual. If directed to do so, the rat terrier and border collie would play tug of war with and eventually destroy a snake. Of the farm animals, the best deterrent by far was the pigs. The pigs would go into a killing frenzy whenever a snake had the misfortune of entering their pens.
As for rodents, the rat terrier was a much better deterrent than any of the barn cats. The rodent population grew immensely after his death, regardless of the cat population. Now pack rats have caused $1200.00 damage in 1 night to one of the 4 vehicles they've nested in. They're a little too crafty to fall for any of the traps or poison that has been put near their nests, so vehicles parked there now have their hoods left up and work lights hung under the hoods. Control of raccoons and opossums was much easier, usually involving an electric fence around the garden and a nearby farmer with a shotgun!
Hope some of the preceding info will be useful. Michelle
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