Snake proof fence

Tom_H · May 15, 2005

The following is true, no joke. Here in the U.S., Chinese restaurants serve chicken chow-mein and pork chow-mein. In China, the rice paddies are filled with snakes. Most chow-mein in China is...., you guessed it, snake chow-mein. The snakes are there, so they put them to good use. I knew a few old timers in the south who liked grilled rattlesnake. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Jimbrown · May 15, 2005

I do not know about Tn snakes but out here in Az a 30% slope would never slow down a snake of any kind. Heck they climb all over rocks and whatever that are a lot steeper than that. An 18 or 24 inch high vertical wall will deter most but not all rattle snakes. That is why you see the little adobe walls around a lot of western houses. Other snakes can climb most walls with ease. Any snake can climb a vert wall half his body length. Rattle snakes are probably the only ones of any threat to dogs as they stike when approached. Copper heads and water mocossins have to actually bite and the dog usually kills it first. We finds cats eat most of the ones in our yard. I actually encourage gopher snakes to stay around as they tend to keep the rattlers away and eat the mice before the rattlers can find them. If you keep the mice and other small rodents under control it will greatly reduce the number of snakes as that is their primary food. There is a new vacine just released last month that is sopposed to protec against rattle snake bites you might want to look at that if you really have any rattlers. If not I got plenty and will give you all you want. My dog was bit right on the nose last month. A good dose of anti venom and he was as good as new the next day. Time is critical on the anti venom and must be given not later than two hourse after the bite. I got mine in at about one hour and other than his nosed swelled up for a day he is just fine.

EastTexFrank · May 15, 2005

( a snake is a snake and the only good one is a dead one )

I tend to agree and I have had a dog bitten by a snake. She dived head first into a hedge around the house when I took them all out late at night. She squeeled and shot back out of there about 4'. As I said, it was late and dark and I couldn't find anything wrong with her so I thought she had just stuck herself on a branch or something. Next morning, her neck was swollen up like a football. Rushed her to the vet and he found 2 puncture marks on the dewlap under her chin. With treatment, she got better in a few days but she learned a lesson. We've also had rattlers around the house. Ratsnakes and copperheads are fairly common. I don't know of a fence that would keep them out, especially 3/8" mesh. Even large snakes can get through really small holes. I've seen one go straight up and over a 3' brick wall without even thinking about it, so even that's not the answer.

I think you may have to rely on the shotgun and the hoe and hope that your wife becomes desensitized over time. It'll be a struggle though because mine never has although now she will stand and scream instead of running and screaming. I suppose that's an improvement.

hitekcountry · May 15, 2005

The wife of one of my neighbors is one of those persons who are comfortable with any of the critters. She likes snakes, spiders, bats and her husband told me he has even seen her pick up a rattle snake. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif I guess if you know what your doing.

I fall into the group that prefers that snakes just stay away. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

When I was a teenager I went with a friend to the house of a couple guys that I didn’t know. we were standing in their living room talking when I noticed the conversation kind of died out and everyone was standing there with this ******* grin on there faces staring at me. I then noticed a slight movement to my left, I turned my head and there, no more that 6” away from my face is the head of a snake coming right at me. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Someone had put their pet snake up on a hanging light fixture and it must have wanted down, and I happened to be right there. Now understand my comfort zone when it comes to snakes is 6’ plus, NOT 6” from my face!!.... that’s one of those times when I can really move! Of course the guys got a big laugh out of that one.

CharlieTn · May 17, 2005

Thanks. Certainly cheaper. I can hope she listens to reason. Hasn't in 23 years but there is the chance the move will help.

Thanks

CharlieTn · May 17, 2005

Thank you. The gentleman we bought the place from lived there for 62 years and his family for a couple of generations. He had similar advice. My wife chooses to believe they are a problem. She stamps her feet and walks slowly. We move in full time in July and I am going to tell her the snakes help with the gnats!

Charlie

CharlieTn · May 17, 2005

Thanks. We will enjoy the area. The LAST thing I want is for the area to change. My wife and I chuckled reading your post. Part of her to-do list for me were LIGHTS. She has allowed me to take them off the list now.

Charlie

CharlieTn · May 17, 2005

Thanks. I agree on the mesh. I can only hope that she will come to her senses about this. Now bribing her with a new hoe and shotgun does have promise.

Charlie

have_blue · May 17, 2005

( I never in my life see so many copperheads. It was so bad, we had to take a step at a time walking to the car... The neighbors, which are quite far apart, told us it was a huge problem for them too and they were born and raised there,,,After that year, enough was enough....We returned to New England area. )

Sounds like your problem wasn't an overpopulation of copperheads, but a shortage of king snakes. Once in a while I will see a moccasin hot footing it across my property, but I know he is on borrowed time, because I have a good population of kings.

LarryRB · May 17, 2005

I was attending Ohio State University at the Ironton branch that year we lived there.. I had brought this up on several occasions about the over abundance of copper heads.. The professors remarks went something like,,, with all the coal strip mining that has gone on and continues to, and the lack of a safe water aquifer, they seem to multiply (snakes) ten fold than normal... If anything, we certainly had a bumper crop of copperheads

DFW · May 17, 2005

Your wife sounds like my MIL, she'll beat any snake to death with her hoe if it's within miles of her. I recently spoke to one of the AG people here and she says this is going to be a bad year for rattlesnakes in No. California, all the rain has the vegetation really high with lots of rodents to feed on. Thankfully that's the only poisonous snakes we get here. Neighbor has already dispatched three. One of my dogs just got bit last week, didn't know it in time to get the anti-venom, but she's on pain killers and anti-biotics so she's doing fine now. That's why your post hit home for me.

As others have said, be careful and hopefully your wife will lessen her fear with time.

eazyduzzit · May 17, 2005

Welcome to East TN.
I wouldn't worry. I've lived here all my life And have only seen a few snakes. I don’t really look for them, but I found a non-poisonous one a couple of weeks ago when I rolled over a log. I’ve never had one do anything but slither away when I got close. I have always hiked, played and worked in the woods, so I don’t really think your dogs will be bothered.

You might be bothered by moonshiners and pot growers though, living in Cocke Co. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Jim

sneaky_pete · May 17, 2005

( You might be bothered by moonshiners and pot growers though, living in Cocke Co. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif)

"You better stay away from Copperhead Road" /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

I learned in the oil business not to go sightseeing down dirt roads in east Texas and Louisiana, if you don't know exactly where you are and who's "property" you might be close to.

tjkadar · May 19, 2005

Our Jack Russells hunt snakes and do a pretty good job of controlling the population. We had a female get bit on the nose a few years ago. Her whole head swelled up like a football. After a couple of days, she was none the worse for wear. Tough little dogs...

Tom_H · May 20, 2005

In India, they have those critters (I don't know the plural of mongoose-mongeese, mongooses, mongeeses??) that dart around, grab cobras by the back of the neck, and whiplash those serpents to death. Wonder if you can buy (even rent) a few from a pet store and let 'em run around the backyard for awhile?

Slamfire · May 20, 2005

Mongeese only grab them cobras because they are a slow striker, pit vipers on the other hand require meerkats. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

CharlieTn · May 23, 2005

Thanks for the welcome.

Is Cocke County really that bad? Since I bought the property I am hearing alot about crime. The property I have has Sevier County on two sides. We are about 12 miles from Newport and 14 Miles from Gatlinburg. After the sale the RE agent tells me to put up a garage right away so they don't steal my tractor!

Charlie

M

CharlieTn · May 23, 2005

What do Vets do for snake-bit dogs. I guess I only have to worry about copperheads. My wife is stepping off the distance to all the area vets <G>

Thanks

Charlie

tjkadar · May 23, 2005

We didn't bother taking the dog to the vet. By the time we saw the Jack, about 8 hours or so had already passed. Most of the damage was already done at that point.

She wasn't a happy pooch for a couple weeks, but she pulled through. Vets will apply an anti-venom and most likely give steriods to keep the swelling down.

Just saw a copperhead crawl into my heat pump yesterday. Its going to be a bad year for them.

CharlieTn · May 23, 2005

Vets will apply an anti-venom and most likely give steriods to keep the swelling down.

Just saw a copperhead crawl into my heat pump yesterday. Its going to be a bad year for them. )

Thanks. My luck. If my wife sees one she will have me building a doggie fortress.

Charlie