Creating a Lake

[caver]

What I think is a black rat snake at my place Labor Day weekend.
I measured him out at about 5.5 feet plus.
http://caver.smugmug.com/photos/157348225-M.jpg
Possibly its mate the previous day going after barn swallows.
It was only about 3.5 feet long
http://caver.smugmug.com/photos/157348190-M.jpg

 

[EddieWalker]

Thank you everyone!!!!

Steph did a bunch of online searches for cotton mouths and water mocisins without finding any good matches. We didn't think it was a cotton mouth because we didn't see any fangs, and it's belly was too white.

After doing a google search for black rat snake, we don't have any doubts that's what it was. This is a HUGE relief for Steph as she was terrified that the kids might have come across a poisonous snake and never seen it.

The kids are 10 and almost 7, which means they lack common sense and don't pay attention to what they are doing, or where they are going. WE realize that anything is possible out here, but it's still a relief to know it wasn't dangerous.

Thank you.

Eddie

 

[RobJ]

The kids are 10 and almost 7, which means they lack common sense and don't pay attention to what they are doing, or where they are going.

Don't count the young ones totally out. My son spotted 2 copperheads one year while setting up and checking feeders. One was about 2' to my side. He was about 8-9 years old and not very tall. I guess if you are 4' tall or less you see the world differently than my 6'2". Same kid at 18 is aproaching 6' these days...

See snakes...kill snakes is my motto...sorry.

 

[patrick_g]

Don't count the young ones totally out. My son spotted 2 copperheads one year while setting up and checking feeders. One was about 2' to my side. He was about 8-9 years old and not very tall. I guess if you are 4' tall or less you see the world differently than my 6'2". Same kid at 18 is aproaching 6' these days...

See snakes...kill snakes is my motto...sorry.

Hope you don't mind the extra rat population you have and all the diseased fleas they carry and so forth. Tick larvae are hosted by rats. It is no big deal, they don't range too widely and most of the excess will be where the snakes are removed.

About spotting snakes... When I as about 13 and a friend and I were gathering up a mess of bull frogs for our two families to eat in a shared dinner, we were walking the edge of this one pond intent on discovering the location of a bullfrog we could here (sounded really big) but couldn't spot. Our dads were waiting off to one side and started pointing and hollering. We thought they had spotted the frog of interest so we looked at the part of the pond whee they pointed and edged back and forth some to try to get sight of it.

The real deal was that there was a huge cottonmouth right by us and we were practically walking on it while our attention was averted to the pond. Eventually we got the message and we both shot about the same time with our .22 single shot squirrel (frog?) guns. We were very fortunate that one or both of us didn't take a hit from that monster.

Pat

 

[EddieWalker]

I really like the Jaguar rat and mouse poison that they sell at Tractor Supply to keep down the population. Snakes can eat all the vermin they want away from the house, but around it, I'm using poison. When I saw that snake, one of the things I thought about was that I hadn't put any poison out in awhile. I figure the snake was here because there's food for it to eat. I've put out poison again and expect it to work pretty well at eliminating the food source. No food for the snakes, then no snakes.

Eddie

 

[patrick_g]

Eddie, One downside is collateral damage. Raptors, sitting there atop the foodchain tend to end up eating poisoned rats before they hide away and die. This is not a good thing for the raptors. Then you may be one of the old school who shoot all the birds of prey they can so poisoning them may be a bonus for you.

I have bought snake repellent in granular form by the gallon jug. It works pretty good and goes straight to the intended target. Doesn't kill them but makes them not want to be where the stuff is placed. Doesn't kill beneficial animals like rat eating critters who fly or slither.

Pat

 

[RobJ]

Hope you don't mind the extra rat population you have and all the diseased fleas they carry and so forth. Tick larvae are hosted by rats. It is no big deal, they don't range too widely and most of the excess will be where the snakes are removed.

I don't have a problem with them now. A few cats roam the area and might happen upon a meal. Or when we are up there my little mini dauchund will locate them. There are not many places to hide around our weekend place. I've got no problems with any rats in the fields. But ANY snake under my BH or FM, they make that mistake once. I'm at the top of the food chain around my place!!

 

[patrick_g]

I don't have a problem with them now.
I'm at the top of the food chain around my place!!

Only if you eat what you kill.

Pat

 

[Renze]

The company i work at is in a small industrial area. The place next to us used to be a waste and recycling business. It was taken over by a competitor last spring, and now the company is moved to the headquarters of the new owner, a few km away.

The waste service used to have a dog around, which was released between the fences over night, to keep rats under control.

Last month they cleared the whole area and moved the 2x2 meter big concrete plates on which the waste was stored. The whole area was channeled under by rats.

The last 2 weeks we saw skinny rats walking around, sometimes we find a dead one on the premises in the morning. The critters dont have anything to eat anymore since the waste is gone.

 

[Spiveyman]

Only if you eat what you kill.

Good point, perhaps more aptly put, Rob is at the top of the predator chain at his place. This is also a position I hold on mine, though I do tend to leave things alone that I don't expect will bother my 3 year old. If there's a doubt though, I don't have a problem taking care of the situation.