Snake repellant?

20 May 2010, 04:53

daniel77

Snake repellant?

I'm also posting this in the Misc.

I take my 4 yo son camping quite a bit. Griz78, who also posts on AR, and his son, come with us most of the time as well. We most frequently go to some family property not too far from the house, but far enough from the hwy. This is a convenience spot and since it is used frequently, I've stocked firewood and we have limestone rocks in place for a campfire ring. I also mow trails and our campsite area ever couple of weeks or so.

My problem is that this campsite is right along a good sized drainage ditch, which has water in it nearly year round. It also holds wood ducks year round, which we like. Unfortunately, lately, we've been seeing quite a few cotton mouths (aka water moccasin), and my son has had two close calls already. Luckily, I was right there both times, but what if...?

For those of you who aren't familiar with cotton mouths, they are a very aggressive snake, and are poisonous. Unlike many other snakes, they don't tend to mosey on about their business if left alone, but tend to come to you and try to chase you away. Both of the snakes that I killed with my son came right out into the freshly mowed grass towards us after we'd been there and making noise for a while already. I kill every damn one I see, but I know I can't kill them all.

Sorry for being long winded. I'm just wondering if anyone has a good, reliable way of keeping snakes away, maybe a product we could spread around our campsite, or something along those lines? I'm pretty well turned off of camping there for now, as I can't see taking the chance of Wyatt, or anyone else, getting bit. Thanks in advance.

Daniel

20 May 2010, 06:01

Flatshooter

I too would be interested in a solution to this. We dont have cotton mouths in Australia, but where i hunt we get a lot of king browns and they are nasty!

20 May 2010, 07:40

jeffs

You can buy repellant that you can put out, I think the kind that I have seen is called "Snake Away" or something like that.
I have also heard the old timers talk about using sulfur to keep them away.
Jeff

20 May 2010, 15:56

ztreh

We used to use-horse hair- scattered around our camping area. Can't swear if it worked but saw no snakes.

20 May 2010, 20:04

N E 450 No2

People also say that mothballs will repel snakes.

20 May 2010, 22:44

muygrande

22 LR with bird shot - I am of the class that believes a good snake is a dead snake. In S. Texas we have had so much rain that the rattlers no longer have holes to hide in and they are absolutley everywhere you look, from 6'+ to babies - yuck!

21 May 2010, 03:10

Dall85

.410 works amazingly well. All repellants are more feel good than real.

21 May 2010, 04:53

N E 450 No2

Also Sulfer may repel snakes.

21 May 2010, 19:23

swampshooter

We used to spray our duck blinds with carb. cleaner that contains toluene. Seemed to work.

27 May 2010, 03:17

akpls

Might be worth a try: http://www.pestproducts.com/snakeaway1.htm

16 June 2010, 18:10

Concho42

Thanks akpls !

16 June 2010, 18:50

Oday450

quote:
Originally posted by akpls:
Might be worth a try: http://www.pestproducts.com/snakeaway1.htm

The active ingredient is napthalene the primary volatile ingredient in moth balls. Mothballs from K-Mart may be just as effective and less expensive.

22 June 2010, 03:35

buffybr

Not exactly a 'keep away' repellent, but if you encounter a snake (with or without legs) where you can't kill it, a blast of aerosol Wasp & Hornet Spray in the face will put it in a world of hurt. It will reach out to 20 or so feet.

20 October 2010, 06:46

Swordfish

Get a Mongoose or Mer Cat.

20 October 2010, 07:32

DaMan

Garden stores sell this stuff which is supposed to work pretty good.

21 October 2010, 03:26

kevin davis

put pictures of nancy pelosi around your camp and on your pant legs. all the mean snakes will flee in terror.

21 October 2010, 03:30

D99

quote:
Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
People also say that mothballs will repel snakes.

Google search it, can't remember what kind of moth balls. Your looking for a certain chemical.

21 October 2010, 10:06

azvarmint

Hell the snakes are Nancys babys they will go to her.

06 January 2011, 08:27

Allan DeGroot

quote:
Originally posted by daniel77:
I'm also posting this in the Misc.

I take my 4 yo son camping quite a bit. Griz78, who also posts on AR, and his son, come with us most of the time as well. We most frequently go to some family property not too far from the house, but far enough from the hwy. This is a convenience spot and since it is used frequently, I've stocked firewood and we have limestone rocks in place for a campfire ring. I also mow trails and our campsite area ever couple of weeks or so.

My problem is that this campsite is right along a good sized drainage ditch, which has water in it nearly year round. It also holds wood ducks year round, which we like. Unfortunately, lately, we've been seeing quite a few cotton mouths (aka water moccasin), and my son has had two close calls already. Luckily, I was right there both times, but what if...?

For those of you who aren't familiar with cotton mouths, they are a very aggressive snake, and are poisonous. Unlike many other snakes, they don't tend to mosey on about their business if left alone, but tend to come to you and try to chase you away. Both of the snakes that I killed with my son came right out into the freshly mowed grass towards us after we'd been there and making noise for a while already. I kill every damn one I see, but I know I can't kill them all.

Sorry for being long winded. I'm just wondering if anyone has a good, reliable way of keeping snakes away, maybe a product we could spread around our campsite, or something along those lines? I'm pretty well turned off of camping there for now, as I can't see taking the chance of Wyatt, or anyone else, getting bit. Thanks in advance.

Daniel

I used to have a domestic cat, who volunteered for the job (of being my cat) one summer day... anyway to make a long story short, ALL of the cottom mouths I've ever seen around here were, while very much alive also extremely pissed off.
As at the time I saw them were functioning as a "Cat toy".

If you took one away from him (carefully of course) or it stopped struggling he'd simply get another one...

I'm afraid to know where he found them

It seems he knew EXACTLY what he was doing and the snakes didn't like it.... not the least little bit... but my finding him to be a completely autonomous self-targeting snake control guardian was pure serendipity...

BTW, he would eat the snake when he was done playing with them but never ate the heads.

Funny thing is we also have an abundance of Milk Snakes and Rat Snakes around here, but he had no interest in them at all.... it seems they weren't any fun to play with, so he didn't bother them.

I've seen him walk up to one that was trying hard to convince me it was a rattle snake by wiggling it's tail against some dry leaves
swat it once with a front paw, then tilt his head and watch as the snake, out-bluffed departed...

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