Author Topic: Snakes (Read 5744 times)

sushi · « **on:** June 01, 2008, 02:53:59 AM »

Forget about the Heron, What do you do about snakes? This week the heron was caught 2 times near my pond. My biggest wakin is gone and a few other big ones. Yesterday while doing a water change and weeding I saw orange flopping around in the pond. Well I got to it and saw a snaked chomping down on one of my wakin, and rolling in the water. I screamed for my husband (at 7:30 am) and caught the 2 in the net. The snake let the fish go and I let it out of the net. Hubby cut it's head off and I put the fish back in and it was OK. Hubby says "whats this lump?" Well I pushed on it and one of my wakin babies from last year came out....dead. It was so gross. My body was shaking from head to toe. Did I mention I HATE snakes. It was a black water snake from the swamp out back. We have been over run with snakes this spring (mostly garter snakes). I can live with them until they eat my fish. I'm missing quite a few. What do I do? I have fishing line all around for the heron, but how do you deter a snake? I get the willies just thinking about this again.

Sunbeam56 · « **Reply #1 on:** June 01, 2008, 05:24:27 AM »

Net the pond.

sushi · « **Reply #2 on:** June 01, 2008, 06:40:11 AM »

wouldn't it get through the net?

luvmyasagis · « **Reply #3 on:** June 01, 2008, 06:45:37 AM »

Yes net it like she said. I have that netting that you buy for fruits and vegies to keep birds off. Last year I caught two snakes in it. It works like Chinese hand cuffs ( the little straw tubes you can get at fairs and stuff) they get in but can not get out. My mom caught a couple of cotton mouths in hers. One of the ones I caught was a large brown water snake no venom but they have a very bad attitude. Now if I go out and smell that musky mixed with mothball sent you better believe I start looking for a snake.

luvmyasagis · « **Reply #4 on:** June 01, 2008, 06:53:22 AM »

Here is the pictures.

sushi · « **Reply #5 on:** June 01, 2008, 08:19:34 AM »

Gawd....that's just wrong. I'll try the net. I'm just so bummed. It's too early to put on a net

Thanks for the help girls

Ruthie · « **Reply #6 on:** June 01, 2008, 10:02:36 AM »

Yes!!! The net works! I keep a net on 24/7 because we live in the middle of a swamp (for real). Last year I was catching them almost daily. They would get on top of the net and then when they would try to dive, they could not. I use the pond nets with the smaller holes...they sell it at PetSmart and most pond supply catalogs. I had to cut out one baby king snake who had worked himself into the mesh (we turned him loose) but the rest were too big to fit through the holes. I would pin them with the skimmer net and grab them...then relocate them somewhere far away. This year we have had zero snakes in the pond. There are easier meals to be had elsewhere, I guess.

luvmyasagis · « **Reply #7 on:** June 01, 2008, 11:53:02 AM »

So far I have had none this year, the brown one was really angry you can see him trying to coil back, should have seen me trying to get him loose.

Julles · « **Reply #8 on:** June 02, 2008, 08:50:50 AM »

Don't the fish get caught in the net? Do you let it drape down to touch the surface of the water? Below the water? How much weight do you need on the ends, to keep it in place?

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #9 on:** June 02, 2008, 02:07:07 PM »

Sushi thanks for the descriptive details of the snake your DH caught!

Sooo happy I don't have snakes in my yard....I hope.

sushi · « **Reply #10 on:** June 02, 2008, 04:45:22 PM »

Hey, I caught it, he killed it

Vickie · « **Reply #11 on:** June 02, 2008, 04:49:17 PM »

A shovel works best. Works everytime, and they don't return.

Cedric · « **Reply #12 on:** June 02, 2008, 06:27:59 PM »

Killing snakes is wrong. Just wrong. Leave them alone. What's one watkin heavens alive. if your fish are so precious keep them in a fish house, or get natives ones that can out swim a snake at best and at worse provide a healthy snack for a hungry snake.

Bonnie · « **Reply #13 on:** June 02, 2008, 07:58:44 PM »

I usually stay away from posts about Spiders or Snakes because I am chicken..

BUT Ann do you think it was a water moccasin?

Cedric, what's one Wakin? One leads to two, three, four, etc...

Jonna · « **Reply #14 on:** June 02, 2008, 11:20:56 PM »

Sorry, I have the same rule for snakes as I do for insects. You stay out in the wild, you live. You come into my house or yard, you die. Simple. I have this spot at the top of the food chain and I'm using it!

Cedric · « **Reply #15 on:** June 03, 2008, 12:24:34 AM »

Don't be sorry stop doing it. You will feel much better.
I love all wildlife and it's welcome in my garden. With the exception of exotic species that threaten to overthrow the local fauns and flora.

Snakes are a vital part of the food chain, keeping many pest species under control. Humans who don't respect this are simply putting their own fears above all logical reason, leading to a destruction of the natural balance, vital for all our well being. So much destruction so very little thought.

If a snake croc or turtle is being a nuisance just catch it and relocate it, very simple. Killing out of fear is Neanderthal.

sushi · « **Reply #16 on:** June 03, 2008, 02:41:12 AM »

Cedric,
you are entitled to your opinion. I had been relocating snakes, it's not working. It is becoming a big problem. I love wildlife also. I am not usually a killer and relocate whenever possible. It wasn't 1 wakin, it was about 10. The snake we killed was in the process of eating my fish and I understand all about the food chain. I am bigger on the food chain than the snake. If it's anything to you, I have not netted my pond because I don't want to see anymore snakes killed. I am keeping a close watch on my fish, and if there is 1 more sighting or missing fish I will net the pond. Please don't judge me, you don't even know me. I have gone to great lengths to save animals, and this snake was a threat to me and mine. I didn't enjoy it or do it for sport, and that's all I'm going to say about it.

Cedric · « **Reply #17 on:** June 03, 2008, 03:07:47 AM »

Sushi I wasn't judging you I was replying to Jonna. Anacondas are bigger than her in the food chain so I suppose it's perfectly reasonable that they eat her too.

So what are you going to do? Kill them all till there are none left? Are native fish so very unattractive?

sushi · « **Reply #18 on:** June 03, 2008, 04:02:25 AM »

I think you should reread my post. I'm going to avoid killing them. Yes, I will kill them if they continue to eat my fish. The snake we killed is a northern black snake. Not piosonous but will give you a nasty bite. I am in the pond all the time and I don't want to be bitten. I'm with Jonna on this one. If it's threatening me, I will kill it. And if an Anaconda can catch her, it's only fair it eats her. The food chain rule applys to all

I hope your fast Jonna

And yes, Native fish around here are ugly

I don't want this to turn into an argument..............we all have our own opinions. Lets leave it at that please.

Cedric · « **Reply #19 on:** June 03, 2008, 05:51:14 AM »

Quote from: sushi on June 03, 2008, 04:02:25 AM

if an Anaconda can catch her, it's only fair it eats her.

Fair enough

Bonnie · « **Reply #20 on:** June 03, 2008, 07:02:02 AM »

I agree with Ann on this one because I do occasionally kill a snake, rodent and insect.

We are all animal and nature lovers here.. and some of us think of our fish as our pets and will do what we have to do to keep them safe. We don't think of them as "just" a fish or "just" one fish...

Everyone has their own opinions and no problem with disagreeing as long as we don't get personal.

Good luck with your snake problem Ann, hope you don't lose anymore of your beauties.

Jonna · « **Reply #21 on:** June 03, 2008, 09:37:26 AM »

Cedric, the 'sorry' in my post was not about killing creatures that invade my space it was a polite way of saying I disagree with you. I don't have to run faster than the anaconda, I am smarter than it is and that, much more than speed or size, is what puts me on top of this food chain. I'm not at all sorry for killing spiders, snakes, bugs, scorpions, mosquitoes, fleas, ticks and anything else that invades my home including humans if I had to. So, I disagree and I think you are being rather pedantic about it. We do not all see the world the same way.

I have a friend who lives down in the jungle south of us where there are a lot of snakes, including some that are poisonous and some pretty big boa's. First off, she likes snakes and second, she has purposely built her house in the midst of a wild area disturbing as little as possible. She tries very hard not to kill snakes that are not poisonous. She has a hard time with the Mayan man who works for her, he wants to kill any snake he sees. She's spent a lot of time getting books that show the different snakes and trying to educate him on which are good and which aren't. Frankly, I think he still kills every one he finds when she is not around, he just doesn't bring them to her to show her. Wanting to live like that is her choice and I respect her for it. I make other choices including the fact that I would not live in that kind of wild environment, it's not where I want to live. So, in my environment, I have no problem killing anything that 1) harms me, my pets or my plants or 2) just plain creeps me out (all spiders fall in this category.) Instead of saying 'sorry', I should maybe just say 'tough sh*t'.

sushi · « **Reply #22 on:** June 03, 2008, 01:57:11 PM »

Jonna, I like your attitude

I haven't seen a snake since Friday

luvmyasagis · « **Reply #23 on:** June 03, 2008, 03:29:05 PM »

I will kill them should they come here , we have some very nasty ones cotton mouths and rattle snakes . The brown one we had was not poisonous but they are mean. If they want to live they will stay away from my koi. My koi are my pets they hand feed and will even let me pet them .Not to mention several of them are worth a bit of money.
Julles the nets come with stakes you just pull it tight and stake it down, that way it is up out of the water.

Cedric · « **Reply #24 on:** June 03, 2008, 08:26:03 PM »

Quote from: Jonna on June 03, 2008, 09:37:26 AM

She tries very hard not to kill snakes that are not poisonous. She has a hard time with the Mayan man who works for her, he wants to kill any snake he sees. She's spent a lot of time getting books that show the different snakes and trying to educate him on which are good and which aren't.

There is no such thing as a good and a bad snake heavens alive, there are all good. Killing snakes is just futile and detrimental to the environment. Its the quickest way to forcing a species into extinction. How is that in any way a good thing?

Obviously accidents do happen, but most people get bitten while interfering with the things or trying to kill them, second most common cause of death by snake bite are bare foot field and farm workers.

Anacondas are ambush predators they don't chase, so you wont have time to run BB. But if it it helps you they emit a strong foul odour like rotting meat.

Derrick · « **Reply #25 on:** June 04, 2008, 07:35:15 AM »

I would NOT hesitate to shoot or otherwise kill any animal that was attacking any one of my pets, fish included. I consider my pets as part of my family, as they should be considered. If I were not willing to do whatever is necessary to protect my pet, a member of my family, then I shouldn't have any pets. I took on the responsibility of looking after them, and that certainly includes keeping something from eating them! I would not willingly let predator kill my cats, or my dogs, or my fish. I suspect that my fish that is about to be eaten would not consider me intervening futile!

Jonna · « **Reply #26 on:** June 04, 2008, 01:25:36 PM »

I consider bad snakes to be those whose bite is poisonous and can either kill or cause you discomfort, also snakes that eat anything that I consider a pet or that I want to keep around. Good snakes, are the ones that eat critters I don't want to keep around and that aren't aggressive towards humans or pets and aren't poisonous. You can define it any way you want, but those are my definitions and they work for me.

I'm less tolerant than most of the good people on this board, I know I probably shocked some when I was looking for something to kill the butterfly larvae that were eating my passionvine. Well, it didn't work and they killed the vine. I wish I'd found a way to kill them first but, I didn't. I am already trying to figure out a way to keep the leafcutter ants out of my yard in Merida, that's probably a never ending battle too but I'll try whatever I can.

I think that it would be at the very least stupid of me to move out into the jungle and try and keep out the snakes and bugs. I enjoy visiting my friend who lives out there and camping in these areas but I have no desire to live there. When we are out camping in the boondocks, I kill any bug that gets into the RV and I leave all the ones that stay outside alone. Seems like a fair deal to me. When I decided I wanted to buy a house again, I knew I wanted to live in a city. I'm a city girl, so my choice of living place goes well with my killer mentality I guess

lorraine1960 · « **Reply #27 on:** June 04, 2008, 05:37:11 PM »

my fish count was going down i had 18 koi when winter started and i caught a 5 ft real thick cottom mouth and he would get a fish then go under my shed...must of been there a couple years cause i have 4 koi left and some goldfish missing also....well he won't eat anything ever again......lorraine

Cedric · « **Reply #28 on:** June 04, 2008, 10:34:59 PM »

Quote from: Derrick on June 04, 2008, 07:35:15 AM

I would NOT hesitate to shoot or otherwise kill any animal that was attacking any one of my pets, fish included. I took on the responsibility of looking after them, and that certainly includes keeping something from eating them! I would not willingly let predator kill my cats, or my dogs, or my fish.

Hmm lets hope Obama can do something about those gun laws where no one else could.

You are quite right, if your pet is being eaten you have failed in your responsibility towards it. If you live in a snake prone area move if you don't like them. If you want fish keep them in a fish house, or use a device that prevents them getting to your pets without harming the snake like a net that they can't get entangled in.

The snakes were there before you and your pets chum and are more entitled to live there and to a good healthy meal as you are.

It might help if you think of them as the great diversity of American wildlife.

Derrick · « **Reply #29 on:** June 05, 2008, 04:17:47 AM »

Yeah, it might, IF I lived in America, or gave a rat's a** what Obama does or doesn't do, since that is a different country. Sheeesh

Derrick