Comments on: Well, For Goodness Snakes Alive http://backtobasicliving.com/blog/well-for-goodness-snakes-alive/ Our adventure into Homesteading and getting back to basic living. Life is tough, but living doesn't have to be. Sat, 19 May 2012 15:58:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: basicliving http://backtobasicliving.com/blog/well-for-goodness-snakes-alive/comment-page-1/#comment-7037 basicliving Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:34:29 +0000 http://backtobasicliving.com/blog/well-for-goodness-snakes-alive/#comment-7037 Hey Julie - I haven't found any in the coop, but that is my definitely my fear. I'm going to try the moth balls in the jar thing and place them around the coop..... just in case. Thanks for the tip! Hey Julie – I haven’t found any in the coop, but that is my definitely my fear. I’m going to try the moth balls in the jar thing and place them around the coop….. just in case. Thanks for the tip!

]]> By: Julie http://backtobasicliving.com/blog/well-for-goodness-snakes-alive/comment-page-1/#comment-7035 Julie Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:05:17 +0000 http://backtobasicliving.com/blog/well-for-goodness-snakes-alive/#comment-7035 Hey Penny! Boy the comments have grown since I looked last, anyway....it didn't dawn on me until now, duh...the best and really effective way to keep snakes away is putting out mothballs! No kidding, I put them around my small fish pond and under the house. the thing is you can't close the area in completely unless you know absolutely for sure there isn't a snake inside of the perimeter. They have to have a way out. Some snakes lay under the soft sand or ground so make sure or leave them a way out. Once out they will not return. I put one or two mothballs into a piece of old pantyhose and tie it up that way nothing takes it off although the way they smell you really don't have to worry about that anyway. And you don't have to put them close, one every few feet or so. I found a rat snake in my chicken nest with an egg in it's throat (pics on my nature post) so I out the mothballs went but I put them in small jars with holes in the top to let the smell out and placed them every few feet around my chicken pen and so far no more snakes:-) Also make sure you wear some type of disposable gloves, it's not good to get this on your skin. Shew...did I leave anything out???? Hey Penny!
Boy the comments have grown since I looked last, anyway….it didn’t dawn on me until now, duh…the best and really effective way to keep snakes away is putting out mothballs! No kidding, I put them around my small fish pond and under the house. the thing is you can’t close the area in completely unless you know absolutely for sure there isn’t a snake inside of the perimeter. They have to have a way out. Some snakes lay under the soft sand or ground so make sure or leave them a way out. Once out they will not return. I put one or two mothballs into a piece of old pantyhose and tie it up that way nothing takes it off although the way they smell you really don’t have to worry about that anyway. And you don’t have to put them close, one every few feet or so. I found a rat snake in my chicken nest with an egg in it’s throat (pics on my nature post) so I out the mothballs went but I put them in small jars with holes in the top to let the smell out and placed them every few feet around my chicken pen and so far no more snakes:-) Also make sure you wear some type of disposable gloves, it’s not good to get this on your skin. Shew…did I leave anything out????

]]> By: basicliving http://backtobasicliving.com/blog/well-for-goodness-snakes-alive/comment-page-1/#comment-6971 basicliving Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:41:22 +0000 http://backtobasicliving.com/blog/well-for-goodness-snakes-alive/#comment-6971 Karey B - I wasn't as close as it looks. I was probably a foot away. He was under a lot of brush - I'm really not THAT brave! But thanks for pointing that out ;-) CeeCee - We LOVE Mike Rowe and Dirty Jobs. Watch it all the time. But we must have missed the making-snakes-puke episode. Dammit. Even if we had watched it, I'm not sure I could have been as brave as you. I might have tried it, but if I failed you would have never known. I damn sure wouldn't have blogged about that ;-) Well, maybe I would have...... Either way, you really are awesome. Karey B – I wasn’t as close as it looks. I was probably a foot away. He was under a lot of brush – I’m really not THAT brave! But thanks for pointing that out ;-)

CeeCee – We LOVE Mike Rowe and Dirty Jobs. Watch it all the time. But we must have missed the making-snakes-puke episode. Dammit. Even if we had watched it, I’m not sure I could have been as brave as you. I might have tried it, but if I failed you would have never known. I damn sure wouldn’t have blogged about that ;-) Well, maybe I would have…… Either way, you really are awesome.

]]> By: CeeCee http://backtobasicliving.com/blog/well-for-goodness-snakes-alive/comment-page-1/#comment-6965 CeeCee Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:09:46 +0000 http://backtobasicliving.com/blog/well-for-goodness-snakes-alive/#comment-6965 It only occurred to me to do it because of a TV show. I watch Dirty Jobs on the Discovery channel. Mike was doing a spot on a snake researcher in Lake Erie. Here's a recap from the Discovery channel: Snake Researcher Travel with Mike to the Lake Erie Water Snake Outreach Center and become a snake researcher for a day. After wrangling snakes from nearby lakes and shores, Mike returns to the lab to get a dirty lesson on how to make snakes regurgitate their lunch. I guess I learn a lot of nifty stuff from crazy shows. :) It only occurred to me to do it because of a TV show. I watch Dirty Jobs on the Discovery channel. Mike was doing a spot on a snake researcher in Lake Erie.
Here’s a recap from the Discovery channel:
Snake Researcher
Travel with Mike to the Lake Erie Water Snake Outreach Center and become a snake researcher for a day. After wrangling snakes from nearby lakes and shores, Mike returns to the lab to get a dirty lesson on how to make snakes regurgitate their lunch.

I guess I learn a lot of nifty stuff from crazy shows. :)

]]> By: Karey B http://backtobasicliving.com/blog/well-for-goodness-snakes-alive/comment-page-1/#comment-6964 Karey B Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:05:39 +0000 http://backtobasicliving.com/blog/well-for-goodness-snakes-alive/#comment-6964 Holy COW! How close was your face to that snake?! Holy COW! How close was your face to that snake?!

]]> By: basicliving http://backtobasicliving.com/blog/well-for-goodness-snakes-alive/comment-page-1/#comment-6952 basicliving Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:42:42 +0000 http://backtobasicliving.com/blog/well-for-goodness-snakes-alive/#comment-6952 Hi CeeCee - Bernie said the same thing - that the snake would probably regurgitate it. I really hope so. Poor fella. And I also want my plastic egg back! I only had five. Even though I like snakes, I can't believe you picked one up and squeezed your fake egg out of him! I'd like to think I could have done that, but I'm just not sure. You are my hero. Hi CeeCee – Bernie said the same thing – that the snake would probably regurgitate it. I really hope so. Poor fella. And I also want my plastic egg back! I only had five.

Even though I like snakes, I can’t believe you picked one up and squeezed your fake egg out of him! I’d like to think I could have done that, but I’m just not sure. You are my hero.

]]> By: CeeCee http://backtobasicliving.com/blog/well-for-goodness-snakes-alive/comment-page-1/#comment-6950 CeeCee Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:17:13 +0000 http://backtobasicliving.com/blog/well-for-goodness-snakes-alive/#comment-6950 Oh, that's too bad that he got away. It's likely he'll regurgitate it. I once had the very same thing happen, only with an old peacock egg that was as hard as rock (I used it in the same way you use the plastic egg). I gathered up Mr. Rat Snake and proceeded to squeeze him gently from tail to head. He slowly gave up the peacock egg. He was none too happy, but I'm sure he was glad I didn't just kill him. I found out later that rat snakes eat the egg, crush it while it's inside them, and then spit up the shell. Your boy will try and try to crush his plastic egg and probably barf it up for you to find later. Unfortunately, they do like chicks as well. I didn't have any at the time, and so simply relocated the snakes I found (4 in one summer). I do want my egg, afterall. Oh, that’s too bad that he got away. It’s likely he’ll regurgitate it.
I once had the very same thing happen, only with an old peacock egg that was as hard as rock (I used it in the same way you use the plastic egg).
I gathered up Mr. Rat Snake and proceeded to squeeze him gently from tail to head. He slowly gave up the peacock egg. He was none too happy, but I’m sure he was glad I didn’t just kill him.
I found out later that rat snakes eat the egg, crush it while it’s inside them, and then spit up the shell. Your boy will try and try to crush his plastic egg and probably barf it up for you to find later.
Unfortunately, they do like chicks as well. I didn’t have any at the time, and so simply relocated the snakes I found (4 in one summer). I do want my egg, afterall.

]]> By: basicliving http://backtobasicliving.com/blog/well-for-goodness-snakes-alive/comment-page-1/#comment-6949 basicliving Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:25:35 +0000 http://backtobasicliving.com/blog/well-for-goodness-snakes-alive/#comment-6949 Hey Charlotte - I know what you mean. We have a true collection of snake skins down at the cabin. Living with non-venomous snakes doesn't alarm me at all - except that some eat baby chicks! But I haven't lost any chicks yet (knock on wood) and heaven knows we need some help with the mouse population around here! Hey Charlotte – I know what you mean. We have a true collection of snake skins down at the cabin. Living with non-venomous snakes doesn’t alarm me at all – except that some eat baby chicks! But I haven’t lost any chicks yet (knock on wood) and heaven knows we need some help with the mouse population around here!

]]> By: charlotte http://backtobasicliving.com/blog/well-for-goodness-snakes-alive/comment-page-1/#comment-6945 charlotte Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:48:38 +0000 http://backtobasicliving.com/blog/well-for-goodness-snakes-alive/#comment-6945 Hey Penny I like snakes too. we have a few around our place. I seen 3 or 4 black snakes when we first moved in, they high tailed it as soon as Bob O' went out for his morning run. I had a little grader snake on the car port for 4 days until Tex messed with it. And we had a nice long snake skin on the back patio until Tex weed wacked. Tex never payed any mind to it . I think he is a lot like me. Snakes is just something you learn to live with out in the country. Hey Penny I like snakes too. we have a few around our place. I seen 3 or 4 black snakes when we first moved in, they high tailed it as soon as Bob O’ went out for his morning run. I had a little grader snake on the car port for 4 days until Tex messed with it.
And we had a nice long snake skin on the back patio until Tex weed wacked. Tex never payed any mind to it . I think he is a lot like me. Snakes is just something you learn to live with out in the country.

]]> By: basicliving http://backtobasicliving.com/blog/well-for-goodness-snakes-alive/comment-page-1/#comment-6941 basicliving Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:37:04 +0000 http://backtobasicliving.com/blog/well-for-goodness-snakes-alive/#comment-6941 Hey Nicole - I'm not surprised your rooster kept the wildlife out of the yard! Duke is pretty fierce and although I've never seen him around a snake, based on his ability to tackle and pen down chicken hawks, I'm gonna say he'd probably be a pretty good opponent for most wildlife that ventured in the yard. And, other than this snake in the nest, I've never seen another in the yard. So maybe he is a snake attacking rooster! Hey Nicole – I’m not surprised your rooster kept the wildlife out of the yard! Duke is pretty fierce and although I’ve never seen him around a snake, based on his ability to tackle and pen down chicken hawks, I’m gonna say he’d probably be a pretty good opponent for most wildlife that ventured in the yard. And, other than this snake in the nest, I’ve never seen another in the yard. So maybe he is a snake attacking rooster!

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