Is there such a thing as an effective snake repellent?

[SW_shooter]

Sorry kozmic but I hate snakes and am very afraid of them. I've seen water moccasins on golf courses around water hazards that have become agressive and chased a golfer. I had a neighbor who stepped out her front door and was bitten by a baby copperhead. (it was warming itself at night on the warm concrete) Her leg swelled to the size of an elephants leg. Baby snakes are more venomous than adults from the stories I've heard.

 

[Malpasowildlifer]

A Mongoose!

I'm scared to death of snakes, but know the important role they play.

 

[bushmaster1313]

I was once in a car and there was a HUGE rattlesnake in the center of the parking lot of a park in Louisiana.

Creeped me out.

 

[R. G. Amos]

When I lived in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in a house fairly near a rubber plantation, I had a problem with black cobras coming into the yard. They seemed to particularly like the driveway. These are of course poisonous but not agressive like the king cobra. The Indian guard I had refused to kill them because he explained to me that they may be reincarnated relatives of his.

Everyone there told me to use sulfur to discourage them entering the yard and to kill every frog I saw. The sulfur seemed to work in that I saw appreciably fewer after putting it out. Since it rains so much there, It was necessary to apply it frequently.

They also told me to make sure there were none in the yard before putting out the sulfur.

 

[setxn]

We use moth balls at the deer camp, same ingredient as the commercial snake repellent that cost twice the price. I think it is a trickle down deal-keeps away the things snake tend to hunt for. I do keep a .44 full of snake shot in a holster mounted to the push power. My Grandpa planted camphor bushes all around the perimeter of his property on the Bolivar Peninsula to repel snakes, I never saw one but wasn't really looking either.

 

[Ramlock]

Inion plants

 

[don5]

I would go with the jack russell idea myself. I can give you a couple of tips that I have seen work. If you get a snake in the house, throw down some sticky boards. These are the kind you buy to catch rats. The snake will stop on these boards and start rolling to get away. It will really slow one down. Keep several of these handy. Here is the best method for removing a snake out of a hole. Have someone watch the hole while the wife goes to the kitchen. Have the wife put a pot of water on the stove. When the water is boiling, bring it out and pour it down the hole. Get your shovel, hoe, pistol,shotgun, machine gun ready because he will be out shortly. Be advised, if he wasn't mad before, he will be now. PS- have camcorder ready because it is gonna be the best home movie. BTW- have plenty of ammo on hand too.

 

[wheelyfun66]

Here is the best method for removing a snake out of a hole. Have someone watch the hole while the wife goes to the kitchen. Have the wife put a pot of water on the stove. When the water is boiling, bring it out and pour it down the hole. Get your shovel, hoe, pistol,shotgun, machine gun ready because he will be out shortly. Be advised, if he wasn't mad before, he will be now. PS- have camcorder ready because it is gonna be the best home movie. BTW- have plenty of ammo on hand too.

I want to party with you!

 

[CajunBass]

The only snake I worry about is the dreaded Spotsylvania blackmouth, cottontail water rattler. That's a bad one.

All you can do is back off and nuke them from orbit. It's the only safe thing to do.

 

[ladyT]

Turn your yard into an ice rink and that will keep the snakes away otherwise a move to the Arctic Circle in order or the South Pole.

 

[Arik]

Flame thrower....just sayin

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

 

[BearBio]

Growing up in SoCal (We had 10 subspecies of poisonous snake) it, like most situations, boils down to situational awareness. Here in WA, everyone is so paranoid but I've only seen two dead rattlers in 12 years--see that in a month in SoCal (and they'd be live).

Watch where you put your hands.
Watch where you step.
Keep cover (like brush piles) cleared up
Keep rodents down.
Get a dog
Remove any standing water.

 

[Faulkner]

.380 ACP has worked well for me.

 

[Roadtrash]

Don't know of any repellant that actually works and I've seen a lot of them tried. Dogs will let you know if one is in the yard and cats will kill most snakes but that means the non venomous ones as well. My sister tried the mothball thing and that didn't do anything at all. They may not like the smell but it doesn't keep them away.

There are only two that you really have to worry about and that would be the copperheaded rattle moccasin and up north the snow snake. Now the snow snake is not venomous but it will crawl up your butt and freeze you to death. '-)

 

[M3Stuart]

Young man, you will soon find much scarier things to worry about re: your kids. But as to the snake; +1 on the dog idea. The dog will run around and scare away the snakes.

 

[dpowers311]

Is it true that you have to actually step on a copperhead to provoke them to bite?

No, they will wait along a path and strike. Copperheads are aggressive and mean.

 

[MarineSgtjimh]

Mothballs will repell snakes -- they do not like the smell of camphor.

If you have no mothballs, less than attractive coeds from Tulane will do the trick -- I have seen them scare snakes out of bars for 20 years.

Failing that, pray to St Patrick -- he did drive the snakes out of Ireland -

I have it on very good authority that St. Patrick was the only one who could see the snakes.

 

[bricker]

Ok, enough about snakes. Somebody needs to start a spider thread. I don't do well with snakes. I am convinced there is no such thing as a good spider.

 

[model70hunter]

Is it true that you have to actually step on a copperhead to provoke them to bite?

Nope this is a wives tale. Urging her husband on to pick it up....

I once had a long war with Copperheads. Find my thread on it. Our farm had a 200 plus foot bluff one one end next to a river. Copperheads had a den in a cave on the bluff. Every spring our farm was overrun with Copper heads. Claiming statute of limitations I personally caused the demise of many Copperheads. I've seen them strike at a dog and hog only because they got too close.

My dog was like a mongoose, he kept feinting until the snake struck, he would bite the snake when it was stretched out throw it and was on it in a flash shaking it until it was over. The hog had sniffed the snake out or perhaps we threw it to the hog, anyway the hog ate it.

While running to the school bus one morning my sister stepped on a very large Copperhead who struck at her but she was of him and gone when he struck where her leg was. I saw this and jumped over the snake, I hit hit with a thrown world history book. Broke his back. The snakes disappeared after dad started raising hogs who find snakes a tasty little tidbit.

Snakes are also very short tempered when shedding their skin. Very, very short tempered. This is experience talking.

Trusting any pit viper could be a strike against you.

For the original OP. A dog that likes to investigate and patrol the yard is good. Teaching the son to not pick up snakes is also a healthy thing to do.

When I was about 5, Dad parked the car and walking around to Moms side he saw and stomped on a grown Copperheads head. Dad was wearing boots.

I observed this and a day or so later Dad saw me stomping on something with my low cut tennis shoes, it hit him I saw him stomp a snake. He ran over and jerked me straight up, I do remember this because of the butt stomping Mom gave me a few seconds later. I was stomping a whole bunch of baby Copperheads...... I received lectures for a while to reinforce the subject. I respect all that lives, but I respect dead vipers around the house.

 

[Grayfox]

I wonder if the aggressiveness might be a regional thing? In my little corner of the world I've had occasional run ins with Timber Rattlers, Copperheads and Cotton Mouths my whole life. Never had a problem out of the Rattlers or Copperheads. They always seemed to just want to get away and we leave each other alone. That works for me.
But around here anyway, Cotton Mouths are down right mean. They will come after you.

As for the OP's concerns, I agree with what's been said.
1. Get a dog.
2. Teach the boy to respect, but not fear the snakes.