A powder or spray to keep snakes away from my duck house? help please

[Sir Birdaholic]

You can usually find Sulphur dust at plant nurseries, & no, it won't hurt the dogs either. It smells like rotter eggs, so I hope your coop is down wind of the house!

 

[cat1994]

Lol thanks I will just have to live with the smell

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Sulphur dust will work as snake repellant, & is safe for your flock.

People say that, but it really doesn't work.

They just crawl right over it

http://pests.getridofthings.com/get-rid-of-snakes.htm

Sulfur and Dr. T's Snake-A-Way Hoax. Snake-a-way is a snake repellent that's been on the market for a few years now.

On a website that explicitly advertises snake-a-way as the primary solution to snakes, it says that a university study has proven sulfur does not to repel snakes and shouldn't be trusted. What they fail to mention is that Snake-A-Way was the product being tested, which uses 28% sulfur. They think we're morons.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070515143053AAtYZ6m

Sulphur is NOT a snake repellent, contrary to old wives' tales and folklore! I've kept snakes for over 30 years, and I actually have used a solution of sulphur dissolved in warm water for injured snakes to soak in.

Sulphur is actually a natural antibiotic and one of the main ingredients in many man-made antibiotic drugs, both internal and topical(applied to the skin), and many animals instinctively know this. Sulphur solutions can be taken internally by reptiles and birds to combat a nasty intestinal parasite called Coccidia, which can kill the animal if left untreated.

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/natres/06501.html

Prevention
There are four main ways to discourage snakes from moving into a yard or home:

1.Eliminate cool, damp areas where snakes hide. Remove brush and rock piles, keep shrubbery away from foundations, and cut tall grass.

2.Control insect and rodent populations (the snakes’ primary food source) to force them to seek areas with a larger food supply. Put grains in tightly sealed containers and clean up residual pet food and debris.

3.In rattlesnake-infested areas, construct a snakeproof fence around the backyard or play area. Use 36-inch high galvanized hardware cloth with a 1/4-inch mesh and bury it 6 inches deep, slanted outward at a 30-degree angle. Make certain the gate fits tightly and swings into the play area. Keep all vegetation away from the fence to prevent snakes from climbing over it.

4.To prevent snakes from entering basements and crawl spaces, seal all openings 1/4 inch or larger with mortar, caulking compound or 1/8-inch hardware cloth. Check for holes or cracks around doors, windows, water pipes, electrical lines, etc.​

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

MOTH BALLS try it, they can't take the smell
very cheap and it does work, sorry bout the snake, they are big enough to kill your chicks and apparently found a good supply.

 

[SLWyandotte]

a thick band of powered garden lime will keep out snakes. it gets between the belly scales and burns them. they stay out of it. its good for your plants but not the best for animals. it's not toxic, but it is caustic enough that if it stays on the skin for a while it will cause a chemical burn. it's not fatal but it's not comfortable either. if the chickens are penned it shouldn't make much of a difference, just put it outside the fence.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

a thick band of powered garden lime will keep out snakes

Garden lime is Calcium Carbonate, which is chemically the same thing as oyster shell

Hydrated lime (Calcium Hydroxide) is more caustic, but only when wet

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agricultural_lime

Agricultural lime, also called aglime, agricultural limestone, garden lime or liming, is a soil additive made from pulverized limestone or chalk. The primary active component is calcium carbonate. Additional chemicals vary depending on the mineral source and may include calcium oxide, magnesium oxide and magnesium carbonate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrated_lime

Calcium hydroxide, traditionally called slaked lime, is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula Ca(OH)2. It is a colourless crystal or white powder and is obtained when calcium oxide (called lime or quicklime) is mixed, or "slaked" with water. It has many names including hydrated lime, builders lime, slack lime, cal, or pickling lime. It is of low toxicity and finds many applications.

Unprotected exposure can pose health risks and exposure should be limited. It can cause severe skin irritation and chemical burns/ blindness/ lung damage[​

 

[cat1994]

Oh I see I think I'm going to my local feed store and buy all the stuff just to try it all

 

[Whispering Winds]

I just saw Billy the Exterminator, and he sprayed a garlic spray around these people's homes and said that snakes can't stand the smell. I wonder if you simmered garlic gloves in a pot of water and used it, if that would be strong enough. He said once a month around the perimeter of the yard will do the trick.

I also had someone tell me when he was a kid his grandma kept the match heads from the kitchen matches and ground them up, or mashed them up and sprinkled them around the foundation of the house and sheds. Snakes can't stand the smell of sulfur, but I am sure I saw someone post on here about that, and there has to be an easier way.

 

[stilldeb]

If you want to try the moth balls, put them in something where the smell can get out, but nothing can get in and eat them, like a canning jar with holes punched in the lid (you know, like a 'lightning bug lantern' - ha). I hate snakes and we have had a lot of them this year - maybe due to the tons of rain we had early on. We put rolls of bird netting around our pens and against the house where I have picked out 6 ft long SKINS - yuck! Yes it will probably kill them, and sorry I don't care. If anybody has "snakophobia", it's me. I grew up with rattlesnakes under our house in Florida and hate snakes.

deb g
KY