Phyllis	Posted 07-28-2001 at 18:54:59       [Reply]  [Send Email] Does anybody know if this is true? I have heard that if you pour a line of sulphur around a place that you want to keep snakes out, that if they crawl over it, it will kill them. I have never tried this, but am tired of almost steppin' on copperheads and cottonmouths out here! They are under the rabbit cages, under the house, in the flower beds and wherever they feel like. I love snakehunting, but when I am not expecting to see one, and it sees me first, it gets a little nerve-wracking!
Tinker	Posted 07-28-2001 at 21:13:36       [Reply]  [No Email] Just run hogs on the place. They'll take care of the snakes.
Phyllis	Posted 07-28-2001 at 21:20:42       [Reply]  [Send Email] That really works? I have heard that too. We have wild hogs all around (not by the house), but maybe we should get some closer up. Thanks.
Burrhead	Posted 07-28-2001 at 21:55:00       [Reply]  [No Email] Guineys, African geese and peacocks will kill the snakes and they don't tear up everything else. I use the African geese they cost less but they are messy. After an African drake gets use to you he will walk ahead of you and clear the path. Then when you're not around he will hunt the snakes. Whoever feeds him becomes his friend for life and he is very protective of them. If you feed him he won't let your kids, husband or anybody else up close to you without pitching a fit, and he is loud. Guineys and peacocks are worse messy and they cost pretty high around here, and won't guard you. I never used the sulphur but I know the snakes won't cross creosote. You can get cans at most farm supply stores and some feedstores but it gets pretty rich to treat a big area. If you use creosote you need to put a trail about 6" wide and be sure you don't skip any spots and don't be stingy with it. They sell some stuff here called Snake Rid but it is the same ingredients as ground up moth balls, but it's very expensive. Moth balls will work just as good under cages and houses alot cheaper. We have cotton mouth, and moccasins plus copperhead, stumptail rattlers, diamond back and timber rattlers here, and a few coral snakes plus the most concentrated area of gators in America. I always carry my shotgun with me when I'm walking. Sometimes I get too jumpy and kill my water hoses and baler twine but they needed shot anyways. Good luck with it at your place Just remember there are only four kinds of bad snakes. 1. Big snakes 2. Little snakes 3. Live snakes 4. Dead snakes
marty	Posted 09-14-2003 at 19:38:24       [Reply]  [Send Email] idiot.
Mindy	Posted 03-17-2002 at 02:05:40       [Reply]  [Send Email] What do you mean by "peacocks are messy?" Is it a reasonable idea to get peacocks to help keep snakes away or at least kill some of the ones that come near? We just moved to the Japanese countryside and have two cats and two young children and we are supposed to be inheriting some chickens. The snakes just woke up this week and there are at least 2 dangerous varieties.... Any ideas much appreciated, thanks, Mindy
Dave 2N	Posted 07-29-2001 at 18:20:48       [Reply]  [Send Email] Burr- I'd be "touchy" too if I had to spend every waking minute looking out for sankes, gators and liberal democrats.
Burrhead	Posted 07-30-2001 at 08:06:18       [Reply]  [No Email] Repeat after me Dave. Democrats are our friends.
Tinker	Posted 07-30-2001 at 19:15:02       [Reply]  [No Email] You must be very hard up for friends.
Phyllis	Posted 07-29-2001 at 05:31:03       [Reply]  [Send Email] Thank! We have tried the guineas, and unfortunately, they all died. They were baby ones, so maybe we should've gotten them when they were a little bigger. I have never heard of the African geese, but they sound good. I'm concerned about any birds though, because I have dogs. I thought they would keep the yard clear from snakes, but it isn't working that way. They do bark and alert us, but the snakes keep showing up. The dogs are also why I haven't put out mothballs. My father is a retired gunsmith, and he fixed up an old pistol for us to use especially for snakes. It is like a miniature six-shooter shotgun. He even loaded the snake shot that goes in it. Do you know if the creosote would hurt the dogs if they messed with it? I have been told we have something here called ground rattlers, but I'm not sure I've ever seen any. Around the house it has been mostly the cottonmouths and copperheads, and once in a great while a big chickensnake. Thanks again.
Tinker	Posted 07-29-2001 at 12:57:02       [Reply]  [No Email] I've never heard of guineas killing snakes, but they do have a good reputation for keeping the ticks cleaned out of an area. Guineas can be very loud birds, and can be annoying at times. For that matter, so can geese. Geese make very good watchdogs, sitting up an alarm when intruders show up. An added beneift of guineas is their eggs. In my opinion, guinea eggs are tastier than chicken eggs. You mentioned your dogs. Believe it or not, I have a cat that is a good hunter. She killed a garter snake, and ate it.
Phyllis	Posted 07-29-2001 at 13:38:39       [Reply]  [Send Email] Yes, I believe it about the cat. My cats are inside, but my black lab's pretty good about finding the snakes. We took her snake hunting a few times, and she took to it really good. Last spring, we found about the biggest copperhead I have ever seen coiled up under a piece of sheet metal in the back, and I'm happy to say, it will not be reproducing any more of it's kind! Jessie (the black lab) was so excited about it that she attacked one of my other dogs because he got too close to 'her' snake.
Phyllis	Posted 07-29-2001 at 16:20:46       [Reply]  [Send Email] That sounds great! Maybe we can find some of those African geese here. And, think we might try the creosote too. I haven't seen any wild dogs here, just the coyotes and wolves. Although, I have seen some coyotes with various colors in their coats that made me wonder. Our land backs up to the Sabine River, and most of the back of it is bottoms. The wild hogs sometimes make a mess of it back there, but my husband likes to hunt them, so I'm glad they're here. Thanks!
Burrhead	Posted 07-29-2001 at 16:06:51       [Reply]  [No Email] In order of best the guiney are last, peacock second, and African geese are the best. Not just any breed of goose it has to be a white African. Naw the creosote won't hurt the dogs, in fact it will help keep down fleas and ticks, and dogs won't eat anything with creosote on it. We use creosote to keep penned hosses from cribbing and chewing the wood in the stalls. I've got some curr and sheep dogs here that can get pretty agressive with coyotes and wild dogs, they do real good against predators, but the drake will put all of them in their place if they bother any of the geese. That's right a goose does make alot of noise but he does'nt make any noise unless something is wrong or approaching me or the house from my experience, and they will walk ahead of you. They want to be a pet but it works out so that they are snake guards that walk ahead of you. This old drake here is about 10 years old and has saved me from moccasins and copperheads several times. When I'm on the ground working on a plow or bushhog or something he climbs up on my chest or legs and sits down and quitely squacks til I finish or get back up. They are very possessive and will get between you and another person and honk so loud you can't talk til you run him off.
Phyllis	Posted 07-29-2001 at 16:24:18       [Reply]  [Send Email] Well, Burrhead, I went and replied to my own message. I was trying to answer you, so hopefully you can find it!
Burrhead	Posted 07-29-2001 at 17:12:18       [Reply]  [No Email] Heck don't worry about answering in the wrong place. Some of us old fahts around here answer on the wrong subjects. Where are you neighbor lady?? I'm over west of you in the Trinity river bottoms in Chambers county. The home of fast wimmin and beautiful hosses. In other words about 30 miles NW of Beaumont in the middle of nowhurs. If old man Broussard has'nt died out on me in Orange he has the geese at the feed store. He's out about 4 miles north of I-10 on the highway 87 or maybe hiway 82?? anyways it's the one at Exit 873 there at the Flying J truckstop. If you're on the La side of the Sabine the feedstore on hwy 12 in downtown beautiful De Quincy has them geese, but I don't remember the man's name. I don't remember seeing you post before so if you're new here welcome aboard. If I just plain forgot and you have been posting please for give me. Hank told me to take some kinda pills for my memory but I forgot what kind it was and when to take them. When you and your family want to just shoot the bull on anything at all jump over to the other KL board and have at it. We grumble a little ever now and agin but we never bite and we always hold the door for the ladies. Just be sure to wear your hip boots. I never kid around but I'm almost sure them other folks do from time to time.
IHank	Posted 07-29-2001 at 17:30:41       [Reply]  [Send Email] Phyllis & Bro Burr- Burr, quit stretching the truth... You know damn well that were it not for you & me and several others I'll not mention BSing here, the big rubber boot makers would be out of business. Phyllis, welcome to the board. A thought comes to mind... If you eliminate the food and shelter sources critters move on and are gone. On the other hand, nature is full of checks and balances so do't be to hard on them snakes. They got a place in God's scheme of things here and we usually ain't got a clue about what it is. Mebbie the best idea is to just wear them knee high bs wading boots when you go tromping around out in the snakes domain... Again, welcome aboard IHank
Phyllis	Posted 07-29-2001 at 17:35:47       [Reply]  [Send Email] Thanks. I do wear big over-the-knee boots if I am planning to go hunting snakes. The problem is when I am just doing my normal routine things in the yard, and one decides to hunt me! I am not particularly scared of them, but I don't like the surprise of almost stepping on one either. Now, spiders are a different story....
IHank	Posted 07-29-2001 at 18:02:59       [Reply]  [Send Email] Phyllis- Don't sweat the ones when you are out hunting them. You can go out barefoot, or in your tennies, in that situation, because you're on the alert. The ones you encounter unexpectedly in routine day to day activities are the ones that'll mess up your life. I don't know nothing about East Texas, so I can't comment on local technical matters. I do know that critters live and hang around where there is food and shelter, so take it from there. Be careful, because if you kill off the snakes whatever they been feeding on will become your next problem. Nature has checks and balances and when people interfere things go bad. I'm real curious about the geese that Burr told about. Sounds like something we need around here. Good luck and work safe, IHank
Betty Sue	Posted 06-29-2005 at 20:47:26       [Reply]  [Send Email] I've always heard that if you have roaches,you have mice and if you don't have mice, you have snakes!I can deal with a snake,have killed a bunch of them here, but a mouse is another matter all together! absolutely terrified of them.Dead or alive.Don't even look at a PICTURE without cringin!A couple years ago, we bought at Lowes a product called "snake away".Worked good, but the ones that were already "in" wouldn't cross the line , to get out.The next spring, I killed 19 and 2 got away.Seemed they were everywhere! I don't like them but at least I have a longer target than a mouse-- which I wouldn't think of getting close enough to to kill! I LOVE readin all your stories! God Bless!
Phyllis	Posted 07-29-2001 at 18:13:47       [Reply]  [Send Email] Yes, I know what you mean. I enjoy all the critters running around here. There are a lot of little frogs right now, and of course grasshoppers, tons of various kinds of bugs, those horseflies, and who knows what else. So, I guess the snakes do have a lot to eat!! We are not big on using chemicals, so there is a wide variety of creepy-crawly things. And tons of songbirds! I could watch them all day. Thanks!
Ruth	Posted 11-26-2001 at 17:52:37       [Reply]  [Send Email] I know this is after the fact about the snakes but may I tell you my snake story? When I was growing up, I was #5 in a family of 10 children. My dad was deathly scared of storms so at the crack of the first thunder, he headed us all to the old dirt cellar. One night we were sitting in the cellar and dad said"If you will promise not to go to sleep, we can go to the house for a little while but there is another clowd sp? cloud coming low down in the west". Of course everyone except me said they would be glad to go to the house. After they all had gone, I lay down on an old car seat and proceeded to take a nap. I was almost asleep when I heard the slipping sliding of a snake. Instantly, I froze because I could tell he was close, I barely opened my eyes and there he was not 8 or 10 inches from my face. I knew better than to move so I just held my breath and closed my eyes. After a reasonable length of time, I peeked out again and he was crawling toward the open door of the cellar. I watched him until he started up the steps, got up and grabbed the shovel (there for digging out of the cellar when we got buried by a storm) chopped him to pieces and needless to say, I went to the house. I was about 12 years old. We learned to watch those copperheads.
Phyllis	Posted 11-26-2001 at 17:58:17       [Reply]  [Send Email] That's enough to make you have nightmares! We had an old cellar when I was a kid too. Daddy dug it by hand, and did the best he could. It leaked, so if we had to go down there, we had to watch out for snakes also, and water moccassins too!
Phyllis	Posted 07-29-2001 at 17:21:45       [Reply]  [Send Email] We are in east Texas in Hunt County. I am not sure how far Beaumont is from here. We're about 50 miles east of Dallas. There's a flea market around Lake Tawakoni that usually has animals, so I'll check there when I can, and see if anyone has any of those geese. Yes, I'm new here. I was looking for something like this and was beginning to think it was impossible to find, then - bingo! It is a pleasure to find a bunch of 'normal' people to talk with! I'll check out the other board too. Thanks!
Burrhead	Posted 07-29-2001 at 18:30:07       [Reply]  [No Email] Good deal and welcome again.