Been doing some moving around in the garage to get the car ready for bodywork, this morning I go into the garage to get dog food, my rottie was checking things out then jumps up runs out of the garage. There, in the middle of the floor a small foot long rattler curled up ready to strike. Got real nervous, wondering where's momma rattler. Anybody have this problem? Never really had to think about it, now I'm kind nervous of being surprised while I'm there. Repellents? Traps? What's the family way of snakes, do small snakes leave mom early, travel in groups, I'm still wondering where the big one is. I'm hoping my boy didn't get bit. BTW I put it in a can and kept it to identify it when i get home, little bastard was feisty. Rey
give it a viagra pill..it will get stiff and you will not have to worry about reptile disfunction any longer
I understand that there is black snake down your way that eats other snakes and vermin and is harmless to humans and animals. I would try to cultivate a few of them around your garage.
get a couple sacks of lime , pour it around your shop , garage , fence or house , snakes hate the stuff and wont crawl over it .. its always worked for me , i have a creek on the backside of my property and we get a surprise from time to time when i forget to put the crap down for awhile..
Man, I'm glad we don't have those things up North. that would scare the shit out of me.. http://www.aaanimalcontrol.com/Professional-Trapper/howtogetridofsnakes.htm Here's good info on the young... http://www.desertusa.com/may96/du_rattle.html
man im glad i dont have to deal with the venomous snake or anything poisonous issue up here..(we do have nothern rattlers) but not around me I would be one of those texans with a 357 on my hip loadded with those special shells that have small steel shot in them..screw getting bit and having to deal with all of that..good luck on that i hope your dog didnt get bit
Get the dog food and water out of the garage-they attract rodents, rodents attract snakes. Right now, water is a HUGE attraction for wild animals. Be careful of small rattlers. Their venom isn't more potent as some say, but they are unable to control their bite, and will inject the whole load of venom, while an older snake may not. Best cure in my opinion is a cat. Never heard of using lime, might give it a try. Call your county extension agent.
The cat idea is a sound one..Ive watched cats play with snakes and scorpions down in south america..its sport for them..and when they are done smacking them around they get a nice little snack out of the deal
I have diamondback rattlesnakes in my yard frequently. You learn to make noises as you walk by, they prefer to sneak off rather than confront you. I give them about 2 minutes to leave, then I shoot them. Kinda sucks, 'cause they are rather majestic creatures and deserve respect. But so do my kids.
They've been written about on here a lot, and though I'm not a cat person, get a cat. We've come up with three now, and they're all outside cats. We have NO mice, moles, chipmunks or rats in our 1/2-acre yard, squirrels and rabbits are in short supply, and little lizards are all but extinct. As others said, snakes go where the food is. Behind my house and the lot next door is a 1/2-acre deep woods, with a stream running through it, and the other side is a completely undeveloped lot, so there's plenty of habitat for rodents and the snakes that eat them. With three cats hunting it, we don't get ANYTHING up around the house or in the shop. Even if you don't like cats, get one, get it fixed, and put it outside. It's a fantastic piece of shop and yard equipment. You might even get a cool one. One of ours hangs out in the shop at a respectable distance and just enjoys being in the same room as you, rather than under your feet. -Brad
You're more generious than I would be. I'd give them about 2 seconds, then BAM! Shot dead. Majestic and dead works just as well for me....
dam straight! hell I'd be out there shooting them just for practice..but than again I am one of those gun crazy types..right? hope you thiefs are paying attention..heh heh heh
As Belair said, keep the dog food, water, rodents out and it won't be so attractive to snakes. Also, tighten up the garage if you're able to adjust door gaps, etc. so it's not so easy for them to get in. I'm in Socal, and anything that doesn't sit dead flat on the garage floor, gets stored on elevated shelves so there isn't any hiding spaces at floor level/along the walls of the garage. Even my work benches have toe kicks and sliding wood panels underneath to keep them closed in.
We get a rattler in the yard every few years, but if we had a baby one in the garage I'd be worried. I don't have a gun (and I'd probably miss if I did), but a shovel works real good to cut the head off. I like the cat idea, but no one else in the family wants to get a cat just to feed it to the coyotes, and I won't have one in the house. We used to have one that lived in the barn but died several years ago...and the rodents have gotten worse since then.
Listen to Doc..he knows of what he speaks. During my short 6 weeks there, I saw so many poisonous things I was surprised anyone lives in Oz
my friend in texas puts golf balls all over. the snakes eat the golf balls thinking they are eggs, then they get lodged in snake and the snake dies. the small snakes are far more dangerous, because they haven't learned to control the vennom, they release all they have with the first bite. good luck cadillac dave
Cat is best because its presence deters critters; nothing else will discourage future intruders as well as the one you have today. If you have coyotes, get an indoor cat and put it in garage at night...cut his rations whenever you need more deterrance! The coyotes increase your defensive perimeter and eat lots of critters before they get within cat range. Cat handles anything that gets through the wire...
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