Outside of cleaning up debris and not leaving pet mice out, are their any good methods to keeping snakes out of ones yard. Its centeral florida area. Helping out a friend who lost a dog recently. Thanks.
Hunting & Fishing Snake proofing a yard
- Thread starter winniedonkey
- Start date
I saw one in action as a kid. Still remember how cool those are. Whatever it was fucked up a 70 lb dog, shit got bloody, dog died of toxic shock. Im going tomorrow to clean up the debris and check out some spots. Not much you can do but there is always something that can be better. Hell the pythons are eating our gators here.
Don't know about Florida but Moth Balls have worked real well in my sheds.
If it was bloody and killed the dog what makes you think it’s a snake?
That for sure ain’t any sort of python. Florida have rattle snakes?
That for sure ain’t any sort of python. Florida have rattle snakes?
1/4" hardware cloth attached to the fence with the bottom edge embedded in a continuous concrete curb. The curb should be about 1.5 or 2 inches deep and pass under the opening for all gates. Each gate will need a length of the same hardware cloth that extends over both sides of the gate opening on the side the gate opens. The gates tale a lot of fitting and need to be maintained as the cloth flexes slightly.
Get a roll of 1/4" hardware cloth it's typically about three feet wide, cut the coil down the middle. Take each half and wire it to you fence if it wire like chain link fencing or nailed to a wood fence with he cut side down. Keep the edge at the ground surface or as close as possible. It is easier to have the curb footer formed up and read before applying the hardware cloth.
I spent several years as a dam operator on remote sites in snake country, we used this method to keep snakes out of our yard. The only problems were keeping up with the wire around the gates. When a snake hits the fence it will move along the fence until it finds a way through.
Get a roll of 1/4" hardware cloth it's typically about three feet wide, cut the coil down the middle. Take each half and wire it to you fence if it wire like chain link fencing or nailed to a wood fence with he cut side down. Keep the edge at the ground surface or as close as possible. It is easier to have the curb footer formed up and read before applying the hardware cloth.
I spent several years as a dam operator on remote sites in snake country, we used this method to keep snakes out of our yard. The only problems were keeping up with the wire around the gates. When a snake hits the fence it will move along the fence until it finds a way through.
D
Deleted member 10043
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No shit, some of the biggest damn eastern diamond backs I have ever seen were from Florida.
I have no idea. Not from Florida but in Texas it’s akways a rattlesnake getting at dogs.
I’m south of you, the constant rain floods them out of they’re holes and they seem to just wander until the water goes down. I stomped a Pygmy in my driveway the other day, the diamondbacks here are everywhere every year when the rain starts. I don’t know of any surefire way to keep them out, the sneaky little bastards are pretty good at getting where they’re going no matter what’s in the way.
Usually big dogs like you say. Pits seem to love to get bit and your right. Their head gets HUGE but they act normal. Had a friends dog got bit in the chest and it rotted about 1/2 of the dogs chest muscles away. The hair also came back in almost clear. Very weird.
We do. The dogs face was found swelled and foaming, shaking badly. I'm hearing second hand, eyes on tomorrow.
I lost my first dog to a snake, as far as I'm concerned it's my God given duty to kill every snake I come across.
My grand father used to use sulphur to keep them out of his buildings. A commercial product is available- moth balls with some sulphur.
T’s Snake-A-Way: A product that is shown to have a 91% repellent rate. Made from 7% naphthalene and 28% sulfur, this product disrupts the snake’s sensory reception and repels them without actually killing them.
T’s Snake-A-Way: A product that is shown to have a 91% repellent rate. Made from 7% naphthalene and 28% sulfur, this product disrupts the snake’s sensory reception and repels them without actually killing them.
Have your dogs vaccinated against rattlesnake bites at your friendly local veterinarian's. Won't help you though!
Time to start stocking up on Sulfur for the bad times, seems it has endless uses both defensively and offensively.
That's terrible. Sorry to hear that they lost the dog. Snake proofing a yard is really difficult. I grew up in West Texas and still have a ranch there. Rattlers are a constant problem. Few thoughts for you...
- Snake fences are an option. I have heard they work, but do not have any personal knowledge of them. I have used a low clipped hot fence to deter them in the past, but can be dangerous for small children, and not 100% effective.
- I have used the snakeaway powder a lot, but again is not 100% effective and does not last long. You have to constantly reapply.
- I have stopped shooting pigs on the ranch for this reason. lol They are the best natural deterant for the rattlers around here.
- The safest place for a dog to be bitten is in the face. The worst place is in the leg. There is not much tissue or vascular in the face so the venom does not travel far. Also the snakes usually cannot get good penetration so they do not apply a full dose. Most dogs will survive a face bit without medication. On the contrary, a bite in the leg is usually very deadly. The penetration is good, and the veins are large and strait to the heart.
- You can have your dog vaccinated for snake bites. Good idea if you are in a high snake population area. You can also have them trained for snake avoidance. They usually get bit trying to play with them.
- If your dog is bit you can have the vet give them a medicine we call Plasma around here. It is an alternative to antivenom, and a fraction of the cost; usually about $200. It works miracles.
- The only known anti venom for the North American viper is Crofab. This is the same for humans or animals. It is about $4k a vial and takes several vials. A rattlesnake bite on a human will cost usually $25k - $50k to treat, depending on severity. That's why the plasma alternative is so attractive for your pet.
- Snake fences are an option. I have heard they work, but do not have any personal knowledge of them. I have used a low clipped hot fence to deter them in the past, but can be dangerous for small children, and not 100% effective.
- I have used the snakeaway powder a lot, but again is not 100% effective and does not last long. You have to constantly reapply.
- I have stopped shooting pigs on the ranch for this reason. lol They are the best natural deterant for the rattlers around here.
- The safest place for a dog to be bitten is in the face. The worst place is in the leg. There is not much tissue or vascular in the face so the venom does not travel far. Also the snakes usually cannot get good penetration so they do not apply a full dose. Most dogs will survive a face bit without medication. On the contrary, a bite in the leg is usually very deadly. The penetration is good, and the veins are large and strait to the heart.
- You can have your dog vaccinated for snake bites. Good idea if you are in a high snake population area. You can also have them trained for snake avoidance. They usually get bit trying to play with them.
- If your dog is bit you can have the vet give them a medicine we call Plasma around here. It is an alternative to antivenom, and a fraction of the cost; usually about $200. It works miracles.
- The only known anti venom for the North American viper is Crofab. This is the same for humans or animals. It is about $4k a vial and takes several vials. A rattlesnake bite on a human will cost usually $25k - $50k to treat, depending on severity. That's why the plasma alternative is so attractive for your pet.
D
Deleted member 10043
Guest
I greatly appreciate the info learned from this. Not just for a friend but my family included.
I'm not sure about the chickens but guineas definitely do the job. I've watched a couple of my moms guineas kill a good size timber rattler a couple years ago. That's the whole reason she keeps the noisy bastards with the chickens.
Cats, guineas or geese will all go after snakes. I’ve seen some terriers that were awesome snake hunters. Problem was they would always bring their kills back to the house sometimes still had a little life left in them.
Little kids will kill snakes as well. Snakes only strike when hunting or threatened. Little kids aren't threatening. Snakes will let them pick them up and play with them. Then the little kids practice surgery on them and the snake is dead. The only way I know this is because of photos of my brother and me doing it when we were 4-5 years old. A big female snake has a lots of eggs when you open it up to see what's inside.
I've seen articles of people bitten that were billed $150k+ for rattlesnake treatment. Maybe those cases were extreme and outside the norm.
Crofab is around $2500/vial and a loading dose is 6-8 vials then 3 maintenance doses of 2 vials each. Pts usually have to be rebolused several times with the loading dose. Easily $25-50k in drug cost alone. Pretty easy to rack up $150-200k in hospital bills when one drug is costing you $50k plus ICU time.
I got bit by a copperhead last year in my yard. I'm a timber appraiser by trade been in the woods for 36 years working and get popped while at home. Tetanus shot and ammoxacellan all I was given.
I don’t think sending your kids outside to try and find rattlesnakes is the best of ideas...
Have you considered buying a mongoose or a few cats?
If you're going to get bit by a venomous snake (at least in the US), copperhead would be the best one. I know a couple of folks that have been bitten and they didn't need major treatment either. On the other hand, another local fellow bit by a copperhead went into anaphylactic shock and died before he could get to the ER.
Would a few king snakes be an option? They’ll take on any snakes you don’t want around and they’re immune to other snakes’ venoms. You can look up videos of king snakes attacking/eating venomous snakes.
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