Bloody Snakes!

[Clyde]

If you know where the snake is for sure, can he be relocated? You might have to jump up and down, tell them about your fears for your daughter and your dogs, animals etc. He is in your house yard after all.

The wires people told me snakes love aggy's and dig/hide under them Is there any way they can be safely removed with the wires guys? Just rip it all out until they find him?? I don't know really, just my thoughts.

I am so sorry for the loss of your chooks, I know how much you love them xx

Thanks Nic. The snake is literally about 4 metres from the house, so way too close to comfort. I also have to rush out when clients arrive and redirect them to my work area so that their dogs are not at risk. I am worried a clients dog will stick its nose in the garden bed like they always do and be bitten for his troubles. We have pretty much been living in lock down here for the past week. Wires have said the snake needs to be out for them to catch it. They've said they cant do anything once he goes down his hole under his boulder. I'd quite happily enlist someone to blow his brains out, illegal or not, but I wouldn't put that on someone elses shoulders and don't want a gun. I have no qualms doing what I feel is necessary to protect what is mine.

I didnt realise that about the Agapanthas. All my elderly ' clients last week have said 'oh, that's why they're called Snake Hiders'. I am going to rip the whole lot out but it's a big job and requires a man and a bobcat machine thingo and largish $$'s.

I went and bought my daughter 4 pairs of gumboots last week and have a pair stationed at each exit. Do you think she can remember to put them on going outside? *mad eye rolly man*

[Bow Wow]

I don't know if this sounds like a silly idea Clyde, but when snakey goes down his hole. Can you block it up? Permanently. Or probably more humane is when he is away from his hole block it so that he has no where to hide and might move on? I am in suburbia and get both brown and rb here. Hate them with a passion .

[YOLO]

shotgun

just saying

Stoopid idea.

Just saying

Actually no, shotguns with the correct load are extremely effective against snakes. Asuming the shooter is properly trained, this is probably the safest and easiest method of dealing with a problem snake.

The alternative, of allowing a child or pet to be fatally bitten is "stoopid."

Edited March 10, 2013 by Big D

[YOLO]

If you know where the snake is for sure, can he be relocated? You might have to jump up and down, tell them about your fears for your daughter and your dogs, animals etc. He is in your house yard after all.

The wires people told me snakes love aggy's and dig/hide under them Is there any way they can be safely removed with the wires guys? Just rip it all out until they find him?? I don't know really, just my thoughts.

I am so sorry for the loss of your chooks, I know how much you love them xx

Thanks Nic. The snake is literally about 4 metres from the house, so way too close to comfort. I also have to rush out when clients arrive and redirect them to my work area so that their dogs are not at risk. I am worried a clients dog will stick its nose in the garden bed like they always do and be bitten for his troubles. We have pretty much been living in lock down here for the past week. Wires have said the snake needs to be out for them to catch it. They've said they cant do anything once he goes down his hole under his boulder. I'd quite happily enlist someone to blow his brains out, illegal or not, but I wouldn't put that on someone elses shoulders and don't want a gun. I have no qualms doing what I feel is necessary to protect what is mine.

I didnt realise that about the Agapanthas. All my elderly ' clients last week have said 'oh, that's why they're called Snake Hiders'. I am going to rip the whole lot out but it's a big job and requires a man and a bobcat machine thingo and largish $$'s.

I went and bought my daughter 4 pairs of gumboots last week and have a pair stationed at each exit. Do you think she can remember to put them on going outside? *mad eye rolly man*

Can snakes be flushed out with water? If you put a hose down the hole and fill it with water, would that possibly cause it to come out and allow the catchers to do their stuff?

What about a trap? I know reserachers use some form of pipe trap to catch snakes for research purposes.

[Nic.B]

If you know where the snake is for sure, can he be relocated? You might have to jump up and down, tell them about your fears for your daughter and your dogs, animals etc. He is in your house yard after all.

The wires people told me snakes love aggy's and dig/hide under them Is there any way they can be safely removed with the wires guys? Just rip it all out until they find him?? I don't know really, just my thoughts.

I am so sorry for the loss of your chooks, I know how much you love them xx

Thanks Nic. The snake is literally about 4 metres from the house, so way too close to comfort. I also have to rush out when clients arrive and redirect them to my work area so that their dogs are not at risk. I am worried a clients dog will stick its nose in the garden bed like they always do and be bitten for his troubles. We have pretty much been living in lock down here for the past week. Wires have said the snake needs to be out for them to catch it. They've said they cant do anything once he goes down his hole under his boulder. I'd quite happily enlist someone to blow his brains out, illegal or not, but I wouldn't put that on someone elses shoulders and don't want a gun. I have no qualms doing what I feel is necessary to protect what is mine.

I didnt realise that about the Agapanthas. All my elderly ' clients last week have said 'oh, that's why they're called Snake Hiders'. I am going to rip the whole lot out but it's a big job and requires a man and a bobcat machine thingo and largish $$'s.

I went and bought my daughter 4 pairs of gumboots last week and have a pair stationed at each exit. Do you think she can remember to put them on going outside? *mad eye rolly man*

terrible, I really feel for you Clyde. I didnt know about aggy's either, the wires guys told me and when I thought about it it made sense as aggy's also have those long bulby bits tangled around each other at the bottom.

I have a number here the police gave me last time, I will see if I can find it for you.

I know what it is like to be living on edge, I hope the weather cools down soon though it is probably better to remove it before then as you might have the same problem next summer if it stays there.

Thank goodness for gumboots! though yes the hard part is making sure they put them on

I have given my kids a serious snake phobia (poor buggers) I would rather they are scared to death of them than not though!

I wish I was closer as I would try to help you, though I have a tendancy to swear, scream and jump if I see a snake :laugh:

[Nic.B]

Hope your dogs will be ok Nic B !

Its a worry where we live too, however our cavs are mostly inside. Altho it only takes one time i guess being outside!

Some people have those solar snake repellers around here, but i have heard mixed reports about how effecient they are.

Thanks Jules, so far so good. I they should be fine.

The only thing that has saved the dogs over and over again is supervision. I do a yard check first and then stay with them.

Stay with your bub's Jules, at least that way we can intervene, recall or worst case, at least we know they have been bitten and can get to our vets.

Fingers crossed no more snakes for any of us!

[Kajirin]

The snake catchers here recommend 'vermin mesh' around the perimeter of any dog yards, house yards etc. Apparently the 5mm squares will even prevent juvenile browns from entering.

[megan_]

They can easily climb fences and walls though.

Might sound stupid but is it possible to make a section away from the house attractive to snakes? They are going to be there anyway... That way you can keep away from that spot. The snake catcher said that snakes are territorial and it is better to have a resident big one who keeps others away. They'll also learn your movements and steer clear

[jerojath]

shotgun

just saying

Stoopid idea.

Just saying

Actually no, shotguns with the correct load are extremely effective against snakes. Asuming the shooter is properly trained, this is probably the safest and easiest method of dealing with a problem snake.

The alternative, of allowing a child or pet to be fatally bitten is "stoopid."

I'm going to assume Big D is short for Big Dope, and I'm not even going to try educating you.

I deal with dopes every day and just find we go round and round in circles.

So frustrating sometimes.

[_PL_]

We always had Red Bellies around the place as kids. Nobody ever got bitten (animals included) and they didn't seem to be interested in anything except getting the best sunbaking spot. I actually thought they were quite shy. Maybe it was just the population in that area? Even the chooks were only lost to foxes or hawks...and one particularly hungry diamond python who pigged out so badly he couldn't escape the coop without help.

eta: do they eat brown snakes or is that a myth?

Edited March 11, 2013 by Powerlegs

[Nic.B]

I believe it is a myth Powerlegs. We had a brown early summer in the house yard

I agree RRB are "well behaved" (as far as snakes go) but with little kids and animals it is a great concern.

Don't understand why they come into the house yard? We have a massive dam at the front and our neighbours also have dams. So there is three tone of water, frogs and goodness knows what else all the way around this place.

When I was a kid we had browns mostly, cranky things. Lucky we were so athletic and savy in the bush!

[_PL_]

God yes you'd have to be athletic! I saw my first really angry brown snake in Canberra and must have broken the sound barrier getting the hell away from it

No wonder you're on patrol.

[Kajirin]

With the hot weather, snakes do tend to hang around houses more. Where ever it is more so cooler. Do believe that they can easily die if they get too hot, just like us.

[Alyosha]

Resident blacks over a certain size won't tolerate browns in their territory. So although browns will still come through - they can be very mobile sometimes - they won't stick around.

A dear friend in Qld lost her far too young borzoi (that I bred) to a snake just the other night - and the speed with which he was gone makes me think Coastal Taipan. Am glad we don't have those guys!!

Big bluetongues are great too - if you can train the dogs to leave them alone. They will certainly take on a brown snake that enters their territory.

[shihtzufan]

I only see carpet snakes.

[Nic.B]

Resident blacks over a certain size won't tolerate browns in their territory. So although browns will still come through - they can be very mobile sometimes - they won't stick around.

A dear friend in Qld lost her far too young borzoi (that I bred) to a snake just the other night - and the speed with which he was gone makes me think Coastal Taipan. Am glad we don't have those guys!!

Big bluetongues are great too - if you can train the dogs to leave them alone. They will certainly take on a brown snake that enters their territory.

I am so sorry for your loss Alyosha That is my worst nightmare.

I know how much you adore your dogs. Run free boy

[Sparassidae]

I believe it is a myth Powerlegs. We had a brown early summer in the house yard

RBBS will active chase away Eastern Browns - you're better off having RBBS around than browns.

Also baby RBBS are independent from birth, so one doesn't necessarily mean more, they're born at around 10-15cm and leave the nest almost immediately.

[corvus]

At least you know where it is likely to be. I came home a couple of weeks ago to find a snake on my front doorstep. It made off before I could ID it, sadly. I went looking but they can vanish in the tinniest amount of cover. I assumed it was something highly venomous and nervy and took appropriate precautions. Haven't seen it since. I've always said I imagined they were around, but it's taken 4 years of being here before I actually saw one. My dogs are extremely curious about snakes, especially the little guy. Gives me heart palpitations.

Incidentally, one time in Los Angeles I ran into a very warm, very large rattlesnake. The noise that thing could make scared the bejesus out of me. I suddenly understood why they are considered a scary snake despite them not being technically all that deadly in the scheme of things. Nice of them to warn you they are around, but the very loud rattle sound made my legs a bit wobbly! Amusing that I'd just spent 2 months in remote northern Mexico and didn't see a rattlesnake until I came back to LA.

[zeebie]

We use to keep massive goannas on our property which did excellent job of deterring/removing any other reptile. Also keep an area of property with an artificially created (fenced off to keep dogs other livestock out but haven for reptiles)provide small dug out area place heavy duty plastic create mini fish pond/dam, plant lots of shrubbery natives etc, put in stumps rocks etc we even buried open ended pipes (no PVC available back then)but it worked really well as attracted insects and mice and other juicy snake food, also provided home and water and snakes would naturally gravitate to this NO GO for human and dogs area. We also kept poultry sited well away from main house area and while the goanna family were more of a problem to the eggs, never ever had snakes any where near the coop only foxes/dingoes and goanna. a small second fine wire enclosure on outskirts of inner pen with a electric current fed to this effectively prevented many attacks.

Have used rubber snakes to train my dogs to "leave it" and have had 100% success with this process on rubber cane toads as well. Neither dog (different breeds) will stay anywhere in vicinity of any reptile they come across if out walking or around yard area.

[LisaCC]

Argh Bloody snakes!! Had to rush my partners dog to the Vet today, She had a very very odd symptoms. 6hrs later still with negative blood tests and they only now are seeing symptoms related to a snake bite! I gave them the go ahead for anti-venom I'll know soon enough.

She would of gotten bitten in a time frame of half an hour this morning at his house.