Q... How to rid snakes from pond!

[chickflick]

Does anyone know how to get rid of snakes (cottonmouth/water moccosin) from my pond???? Eeeee... The last two years they have gotten worse. We have eliminated the willows hanging over the water and shot several last year. Now.. I saw one yesterday just swimming away.. Eeee... My little ducks are out there, not to mention.. I don't want to be surprised by one anytime OR have my horses, goats, dogs, etc. bitten by one! SOLUTIONS anyone?????/
THANKS

Shoot them when you see them! A 12ga loaded with #7 will take care of them.

[Paul Wheaton]

That's a stumper!

I know that my chickens kill and eat garter snakes all the time.

I can imagine some roosters taking on any snake because some roosters are just stupid. A rooster might be faster than a snake and might also kill it to eat it. If the snake bit a rooster, chances are it would get a mouth full of feathers.

White Rock roosters are big, obnoxious and would always attack me.

[kickford]

If your pond is fenced in a sure fire way is to get one or two rheas. They hunt down those snakes and kill them. I had a couple years ago and they took care of the entire snake population. And the neighbors will get a kick out of seeing those big beautiful birds

[chickflick]

What about geese? I had some the first couple of years and did not notice these snakes? Always wondered if it was the Geese or just my absence of observation.

[Paul Wheaton]

I had to look up rheas: www.blueplanetbiomes.org/greater_rhea.htm

In the article, it mentions that they like to eat snakes.

[CarolinaBound]

Aren't rheas dangerous to have around if you aren't experienced with them? They're not like geese walking around.

CarolinaBound

[Ken Scharabok]

I have heard swans will eat baby snakes, thus keeping the population down.

I have only seen two snakes in my pond I thought were copperheads (perhaps the same one twice). Only got a glance, but it fit the old ditty of 'long and lean, it ain't mean. Short and fat ain't were it's at'.

Ken S. in WC TN

Here is a method that will catch them and kill them also.

Buy you a minnow/crawdad trap, the kind that is of wire and comes apart into two pieces. You can find them at walmart in the fishing department. Next either catch or buy you some small fish such as sunfish perch or shad. There maybe other baits that will work too. Place the fish/bait inside the traps and place in the water just deep enough to cover the trap. Maybe one or two inches above the trap.

The snakes will smell the bait and search for it. They will enter the traps and like minnows and crawdads they have a hard time finding their way out. Once the snakes enter the traps they only have about 15 to 30 minutes to find their way out or drown. 95 percent will drown before finding there way out.

I do a lot of crawdad trapping during the summer and I have caught many, many snakes while trapping my favorite crustacian.

[CarolinaBound]

Sounds like a good idea. Thank-you!

CarolinaBound


Buy you a minnow/crawdad trap, the kind that is of wire and comes apart into two pieces. You can find them at walmart in the fishing department. Next either catch or buy you some small fish such as sunfish perch or shad. There maybe other baits that will work too. Place the fish/bait inside the traps and place in the water just deep enough to cover the trap. Maybe one or two inches above the trap.

The snakes will smell the bait and search for it. They will enter the traps and like minnows and crawdads they have a hard time finding their way out. Once the snakes enter the traps they only have about 15 to 30 minutes to find their way out or drown. 95 percent will drown before finding there way out.

I do a lot of crawdad trapping during the summer and I have caught many, many snakes while trapping my favorite crustacian.[/QUOTE]

[whodunit]

Don't pigs eat snakes? Don't know if you would want them roaming around your pond or not depending what you use it for.

[Shrek]

Hogs

[SteveD(TX)]

I found out Saturday that a 3' long 2" pipe will kill a copperhead.

In your situation, I would recommend rh's suggestions, coupled with regular "hunting" with a 12 gauge. Keep the areas around your pond clear of tall weeds and brush. Swans and geese would work too if you can handle them and keep them around. They can be a little mean though.

[j.r. guerra in s. tx.]

If the birds can be kept away from the water for a bit, I hear a bottle of Clorox poured into your pond will quickly vacate any snakes from the water - then, your gun and ammunition come into play. Shotgun with birdshot, as recommended above.