We are infested with copperhead snakes...help!

[lovepicasso]

Although we live in a gated community, 26,000 acres, we are located in the Ouachita Mountains and that means a lot of forest and woodlands and our house is surrounded by woods, creeks and hollows......well Steve killed two copperheads in our front yard last night and tonight killed three and a fourth got away, so we got in the golf cart and went copperhead hunting, but found none......we are invested, how can we stop these from coming into our yard?.....Steve really hated to kill them, but when they are getting into your garage and on your front door steps they have to be killed....any advice?

 

[stacy76]

im not familiar with your area,but try a little research on kingsnakes..are there any types native to you,and etc..there are some snakes that eat snakes,even copperheads and rattlesnakes that are poisonous,but the kingsnakes are not...just a thought...

 

[lovepicasso]

im not familiar with your area,but try a little research on kingsnakes..are there any types native to you,and etc..there are some snakes that eat snakes,even copperheads and rattlesnakes that are poisonous,but the kingsnakes are not...just a thought...

Steve said if he can find a king snake he will catch it and let it live here,in the yard or under the house......we do have plenty of those in Arkansas.

 

[stacy76]

i have also heard that sulfur is a deterrent for them..not sure how true this is but people use it to outline their yard as a border for the snakes...you could probly call a pest co. and ask for advice too...or a wildlife conservation.

 

[Tatertot]

I had this same issue the summer before this last. With the drought the midwest and south has been having (surprisingly this year so far not so much), the rabbits, squirrels, field mice ect..., go searching for different food since the corn and other crops were dried-up.

Anyway, we live next to an old farmer who's lived out here his entire life so being that he's only 200acres away we figured he'd be having the same issue so we went to check on him and ensure he was ok between the heat & snakes. He was fine and was having absolutely no snake issue which dumbfounded us. Then he let us in on his "secret".

Here's what works for him and what we do now because it does work!

Go to a local barbershop and pick up the scrap hair that they cut for a couple days or weeks depending on the amount of traffic at the barber. Spread it around the parameter of the property. The human hair has a ton of scent which keep the critterthat the snakes hunt away and in turn durastically cuts down on the snakes (this also works for if you have an issue with deer eating crop seed). I explain the reaction as being like a forcefield lol.

This is what works for us & we have not only copperheads but cottonmouths along with coyotes, feral hogs & even the occasional bear in the area but haven't had an issue with any of the above since using this method.

Hope you get your issue taken care of. Copperheads are aggressive & getting bit is no fun. Let me tell you.

 

[lovepicasso]

i have also heard that sulfur is a deterrent for them..not sure how true this is but people use it to outline their yard as a border for the snakes...you could probly call a pest co. and ask for advice too...or a wildlife conservation.

I have heard about sulfur and think a trip to get some today is a good idea.

I had this same issue the summer before this last. With the drought the midwest and south has been having (surprisingly this year so far not so much), the rabbits, squirrels, field mice ect..., go searching for different food since the corn and other crops were dried-up.

Anyway, we live next to an old farmer who's lived out here his entire life so being that he's only 200acres away we figured he'd be having the same issue so we went to check on him and ensure he was ok between the heat & snakes. He was fine and was having absolutely no snake issue which dumbfounded us. Then he let us in on his "secret".

Here's what works for him and what we do now because it does work!

Go to a local barbershop and pick up the scrap hair that they cut for a couple days or weeks depending on the amount of traffic at the barber. Spread it around the parameter of the property. The human hair has a ton of scent which keep the critterthat the snakes hunt away and in turn durastically cuts down on the snakes (this also works for if you have an issue with deer eating crop seed). I explain the reaction as being like a forcefield lol.

This is what works for us & we have not only copperheads but cottonmouths along with coyotes, feral hogs & even the occasional bear in the area but haven't had an issue with any of the above since using this method.

Hope you get your issue taken care of. Copperheads are aggressive & getting bit is no fun. Let me tell you.

Thanks for the great info Craig....I have heard about hair for the coyotes, very interesting about the others....will talk to my hair dresser and ask if she will keep some hair for me.......Steve saw another copperhead last night go under an old standing stump in the front yard,we use it to place a flower pot on, so today he is going to pour some gas into the hole and light it up.

 

[Solid Snake]

Actually, it sounds like the copperheads are infested with humans...


What you want to do, is grab them by the base of their head.

To do this, grab the end of their tail first, and pull them along slowly, until they seem relaxed.

Then grab the base of their head, and put them in a bag.

You can then release the copperhead in an appropriate area.


Have fun.

 

[Decadancin]

Actually, it sounds like the copperheads are infested with humans...


What you want to do, is grab them by the base of their head.

To do this, grab the end of their tail first, and pull them along slowly, until they seem relaxed.

Then grab the base of their head, and put them in a bag.

You can then release the copperhead in an appropriate area.


Have fun.

Ah yes... catch and release! The ultimate sport!

 

[rcdrivertim]

Actually, it sounds like the copperheads are infested with humans...


What you want to do, is grab them by the base of their head.

To do this, grab the end of their tail first, and pull them along slowly, until they seem relaxed.

Then grab the base of their head, and put them in a bag.

You can then release the copperhead in an appropriate area.


Have fun.

Are you insane? Telling someone to grab a poisonous snake in any place never mind the head. People sometimes amaze me with their responses, joking or not.

I would talk to a pest company and see what they say. I am sure you are smart enough not to try to pick one up.

 

[Coded]

Even though they are poisonous, copperheads are not known to be very aggressive and their bit is rarely fatal. The problem is they blend in to the ground coverage pretty well and most bites are from almost stepping on one. You have to watch where you walk and always carry a flashlight at night when you are outside. If they are invading your home they need to be dispatched and the easiest most effective way to do that is to take a shovel and decapitate them. There may be a den nearby if you are noticing a lot of them, and if so you may want to contact a snake expert to locate the den and try and have as many as possible relocated so that you do continually fight them for territory, as they will keep coming back.

 

[stacy76]

Actually, it sounds like the copperheads are infested with humans...


What you want to do, is grab them by the base of their head.

To do this, grab the end of their tail first, and pull them along slowly, until they seem relaxed.

Then grab the base of their head, and put them in a bag.

You can then release the copperhead in an appropriate area.


Have fun.

i would never recommend to anyone to pick up a venomous snake...let it to the professionals..

 

[Solid Snake]

i would never recommend to anyone to pick up a venomous snake...let it to the professionals..

How do you think the professionals become professionals?

 

[Trace]

What you want to do, is grab them by the base of their head.

To do this, grab the end of their tail first, and pull them along slowly, until they seem relaxed.

Then grab the base of their head, and put them in a bag.

You can then release the copperhead in an appropriate area.


Have fun.

How do you think the professionals become professionals?

Yeah, they train or mentor under experienced hot keepers for years and don't take advice from people on forums that are about chameleons. Joking or not that is one of the most irresponsible things I've read on any forum in a long time.

 

[Cainschams]

Damn! I cant find a damn Copperhead for the life of me. I just want to take pics and let them be but all kinds of people tell me "I just killed so many the other day"

I understand venomous snakes being trouble around a house especially with kids and animals around. We did, however, invade on them so its our job to call the proper authorities/professional to come catch them and release them in the proper habitat even if it costs a bit. Snakes are really good pest control and the Southern Copperheads venom is being researched for a cure for breast cancer. Save the snakes!!!! They could save us one day!

 

[Coded]

Temperament and Defense

I have found Copperheads to employ two primary means of defense when first encountered. One is to freeze completely, likely in hopes that they will remain invisible to any potential harm. Two is that they dart away in a hasty retreat.
When first grabbed by tongs, I have found Copperheads are sometimes quick to swing around and even bite the tongs. I can imagine that anyone attempting to "grab the snake by the tail" as it was retreating would be in serious danger of snake bite.

It is sometimes extremely difficult to get a Copperhead to "stay put" while I am taking pictures. They seem to always want to crawl away rather than stand their ground. If disturbed enough, they will vibrate their tail and emit a foul-smelling musk.

http://www.herpsofarkansas.com/Snake/AgkistrodonContortrix

 

[lovepicasso]

I thank each and everyone who posted on this thread, it is very appreciated and I know Steve would rather relocate than kill, even this being a poisonous snake.......Steve did pull up an old tree stump this morning and blew all the old leaves away from the edges of the house, also bought some snake repellant to spread around the yard, we did call a snake expert to come to the house and see if there was anything he could do, but during the daytime they are hard to find unless you went into the woods and tried to find them, we are surrounded by woods on every side of the house, he suggested the repellent and also mothballs and not to water for a few days......Steve really hates to have to kill these things, but on our front door steps, in our garage and so many in the yard, well that is just too close and dangerous for us and our dogs.......we will see what happens tonight.

 

[kinyonga]

You can get something that makes a vibration that repels them. It works on a pulse that is felt by the snake through the ground.
Go to....
http://www.stop-snakes.com

 

[stacy76]

How do you think the professionals become professionals?

IMHO telling someone to do such an irresponsible thing on the chamelon is crazy...there are children in here that read these threads too...and i think the professionals have training and mentoring..people can research these threads for years to come,so lets hope you dont have children reading that thread or grandchildren in the years that will do so...sorry for being harsh...but if my child read that id be quite upset...

 

[Solid Snake]

Yeah, they train or mentor under experienced hot keepers for years and don't take advice from people on forums that are about chameleons. Joking or not that is one of the most irresponsible things I've read on any forum in a long time.

Well, I guess I have to agree.

It does seem like everyone understood that it was mostly joking.

In an emergency situation though, if someone absolutely had to handle one, they should know not to just grab it like Chuck Norris yes?

Could be helpful yes?

You know?

No?

 

[lovepicasso]

No snakes tonight, maybe the repellent worked or they got scared, but anyway, Steve made a snake catcher and a keeper box, he was going to catch them tonight and release them a mile or so down the road tomorrow....lets see if they will stay away.......thanks everyone!