How Do You Remove a Snake from a Garden Shed

[floyd_2]

I was walking past my garden shed on my way to play with my telescope on Sunday and noticed about 20cm of snake, or perhaps lizard tail disappearing under the shed door.

Thinking that it was probably a large lizard, I proceeded to head into the shed to take a peek. It was nowhere to be found. However, my garden shed is quite busy so the reptile could have been anywhere in there.

After speaking with one of my brothers, he said that it was most probably going to be a snake, as it managed to fit under the 15mm-20mm gap under the shed door. He also noted that I should wear boots and jeans next time I went into the shed in case it had set up home in there.

I was wondering if anyone here knows how to coax a snake (my worst case) out of the shed without going in after it.

Dean

[Ric]

Hi Dean

Your in NSW, just call WIRES. They have professional snake handlers and it's the safest way.

They will relocate it into the bush well away from your place.

Cheers

[Waxing_Gibbous]

Floyd,|
Try this method:
A mouse / rat in a cage with a string on it. Make sure the "victim" has food and water. Set the cage in a good sized pail or box on its side. If you are particularly considerate you can cover the cage in a light cloth.
Unless the snake has recently fed or is shedding the mouse will be like KFC to it and it'll wriggle in - possibly more than one.
When you have determined the snake is well and truly IN - up-end the box/pail using a long handled something. Haul out the mouse, cage & all, cover the vessel and "relocate" the reptile. If its a constrictor just set it free somewhere away from small pets. :)
Easy as! Its worked for me dozens of times.

[taminga16]

Get expert assistance, the vast majority of snake bites are suffered by people attempting to kill, capture ward off or identify snakes, and remember all snakes are poisonous, I am constantly amused by people who claim to be able to ID snakes by their appearance when snakes of the same variety can differ in looks over the width of a farm track. Not unlike humans really.

Greg.

[erick]

Very carefully?!

[Ric]

Very true Greg, I have seen Tigers that look like Browns and vice versa.

[Terry B]

One of these maybe? :P

[Rob_K]

Hi Dean! I doubt you'll ever see the snake again. Yer run-of-the-mill nasties such as browns, blacks, tigers etc aren't going to set up home in the shed - I've pulled several sheds apart looking for the snake that went in, and never found one yet, LOL!

Beautiful animals, best left alone as taminga16 said.

Cheers -

[floyd_2]

I gave WIRES a call, but they said that they needed to be sure that the snake was still there as they won't send a volunteer snake handler to look for one. I can't argue with that, as it seems that snakes more often than not tend to move around rather than setting up camp anywhere.

I told them that I'd give them a call from the hospital to confirm that it's still there. At that point in the conversation the telephonist at WIRES took my number and said that she would call me back with further information.

I'm with you Greg. I don't want to go in after the blighter (who may or may not still be there) given that my life skills to date don't include snake handling.

Now where did I put that spare mongoose?

[alan meehan]

Hi Dean dont be fooled i had a hissed off brown snake in my shed for a week before i got the local snake catcher to come and get him he wasn,t going to leave and i tried to flush him out only to have him rear up and chase me out of the shed were i jumped a fence just outside the shed falling and breaking two ribs ,then the snake ran straight back into the shed ,be carefull and dont try to tackle him .the local snake catcher charged me $40 and had him caught with the right gear in ten minutes well worth the money spent
ALAN

[AlexN]

If you were closer to my area I'd come and get him for you...

Removal of an unidentified snake is definitely a job for a professional handler... Even a python bite can do you a lot of damage.. They may not be poisonous, but they do have a hell of a lot of bacteria in their mouth, and a bite will generally end up as a horribly infected, festering wound... Just be careful, and keep a look out for it in the mean time... If you spot it again, get straight on the phone to WIRES and get them to sort it out for you..

[Waxing_Gibbous]

Errr,
All snakes are NOT poisonous (that's spiders). Though I suppose it makes sense to treat them as such.
If you are trying to chase it, grab it, wack it or otherwise appear aggressive, the snake is gonna get pissed and have a go. Especially if you try and corner it.
Either that or it will retreat, though probably not far.
Snakes, even big ones, can get into remarkably small spaces. Anything wider than a pencil and they'll be down it. Because we live in the country we can't call "Snakeaway" every time one gets in the house or shed, so we just deal with them carefully.

Luring it out with what it WANTS, i.e. food / dark place is the only safe way to do it. I kept and bred snakes for years. Some of them very aggresive and poisonous and the above method was taught to me by by a reptile house keeper from the San Diego Zoo.
Patience is called for.
Once you've 'bagged' your foe, then you can call "Snakes 'r' Us" and have them remove it.

[taminga16]

"Errr,
All snakes are NOT poisonous (that's spiders). Though I suppose it makes sense to treat them as such."

Thank you Peter, my point exactly.

Greg.

[Nesti]

Unscented Mothballs (Naphthalene) to scare off the snakes and rat sack to get rid of the food source....Love Google!

[Jen]

:lol::lol::lol: LMAO @ the shovel pic Terry :rofl::rofl:

Run for the hills i say :scared::scared:

[pgc hunter]

Nah, just chop it in half with that shovel. The two dead halves will still squirm about in its own blood and entrails, but should settle down within the space of several hours ;)

Speaking of serpents, Has anyone ever tried preparing a freshly caught Eel for dinner? lots of 'fun' there.

[Ric]

I've never heard of using mothballs as a deterrent, it sounds like it would work though.

I wonder how effective that would be?

[AlexN]

Ric - After reading that yesterday I did a simple experiment here at home... I put a few mothballs in a plastic container and put them in one of my python enclosures, in his favorite location... He spends maybe 70% of his time in the location.. For the 3 hours that the mothballs were there, he went nowhere near it.. He regularly climbed half way up the stick and raised his head to see what was there, but quickly turned around and headed back to the floor of his enclosure... Once the mothballs were removed, it took him about 20 minutes to get back to his usual location and settle back in... I'd say its pretty effective

[Shep]

:thumbsup: I once had a catcher tell me to poke my head up in my roof to see if the snake was up there still...:screwy: As if that was gonna happen!!! What if it was right near the man hole still, may as well just draw a bulls eye right in the middle of my face for it!

[AstralTraveller]

I'd say burning the shed down is the only safe solution. ;)

[floyd_2]

:lol::lol::lol: I think I'll nuke the shed tonight! Sorry about the light pollution it's going to cause in the Sydney skies. It'll be cloudy anyway.

I left the shed door open all day today with one of my security cameras trained on it to see if it can catch any movement. I'll review the logs tonight.

I read on google that mothballs didn't actually deter snakes at all and that it was all a myth. However, after reading Alex's comments, I'm inclined to head straight over to Bunnings on the way home tonight and stock up!!! I might get a pair of waders for personal protection next time I'm brave enough to venture back into the shed :)

[AstralTraveller]

Don't forget the Kimbies.

[Nesti]

Look on the bright side; how much do mothballs cost?? Worth the trial I'd say.

Let us know how it goes if you try them.

[Jeffkop]

Its probably going to happen automatically now you've seen it go in there, and even if you DO see it come out and go elsewhere ... from now on you everytime you go in there expect a snake to be under something. So just adopt handling methods that best accommodate for an unwelcome guest.

Amazes me all the stories I hear about these snake handlers ... and how at the times you need them they are either not available or wont come because of some reason or another ... so I'de say yer on your own Dean.

If you see it again just watch where it goes for as long as you can ... give it a wide berth ... it most likely wont want to be anywhere around your company either !!!!!

[Analog6]

My immediate comment too, erick

[Karls48]

With shotgun!

[mozzie]

i've had browns,red bellys,tigers on our rear verandah under the kids tonkas we're very careful this time of year and they dont last long around here (snakes and children dont mix) had 4 more snakes the other day 1 on the misses pushie bike, the back of my work truck,2 in the laundry:shrug::shrug:

[AlexN]

As with any trades person really.. you get good ones, and you get bad ones..

When I'm called up about it, If I can possibly get to the person within a reasonable amount of time I do.. Its not my primary occupation, I offer it as a service to my local area as we do frequently get snakes and other reptiles that people are generally unhappy about.. I've caught and relocated 48 snakes since september this year... Suffered a few bites but nothing serious... It comes down to the individual.

I love reptiles, and there is no greater feeling for me than releasing a snake into the wild after I've removed it from a residential area where it would have ended up being killed because people think that its ok to kill any and all snakes because they are not cute and fluffy like your dog.. They have feelings, they have personality and they are incredibly smart, not unlike a dog in many ways, yet for some reason, they are treated like the slithering spawn of the devil and its socially acceptable to kill harmless, defenseless snakes purely because you dont like them...

In some situations - Ie. Eastern Browns/Taipans/Mulga Snakes etc around children, I have no problem with them being killed.. If its a person or a snake, I choose the person. If there are no children around, there is no reason to kill a snake... Adults are (for the most part) smart enough, and aware enough to keep an eye out, and simply steer clear. If you live in the bush, or an area like mine that is frequented by snakes... Tidy up your yard so there is no places for snakes to hide, curl up in etc..

Harm minimization goes a long way people.. and prevention is better than cure... Sure, you can cure a snake situation by killing it... but you can stop them from hanging around by removing reasons for them to stay..

[floyd_2]

I must admit that I would have a hard time killing a snake. I pretty much respect any creature's right to live (unless it's a mozzie) and only kill something if it poses a direct risk to me or my family. At this stage I would much prefer my visitor to just move along on its way and have a long and fruitful life.

I just reviewed today's security footage from the camera that looks at the shed. A full day's footage played back at 8x showed.....nothing. Not a sausage. That's a good start anyway. I'll do the same again tomorrow just to see if there's any activity at all, and plonk in a few moth balls on the weekend to stink any snakes out who might still be hanging around inside the shed. Additionally, I'll be reviewing the whole area around the shed and removing anything that would be attractive for these guys to take up residence in.

What a great lot of advice you have all offered. I was bragging to my brother-in-law today that I just asked my new friends at IIS for advice and received so much good information in so little time. Thank you all.

Dean

[Paul Haese]

As a kid we often found snakes, red bellies, yellow bellies, bownies and tigers (around water) on the farms my father and I lived on.

Snakes have their place but that does not include living in our sheds or near us.

They are attracted by vermin and water sources. Snakes are often looking for something to drink or something to eat when visiting.

That said, the best way is to get a paid snake handler in to find him.

If not then this will work for sure. Get a tomato sauce bottle (glass) and put some honey and milk in the bottom of the bottle and shake it until mixed nicely. Leave it laying on it side in the shed. If there is a snake in the shed it will be attracted to the mixture and slide its head into the bottle but will be unable to get it out again. Many years ago this is how we got snakes out of the hay sheds.

Killing snakes now though attracts a substantial fine and it is best not to attempt killing a snake or else you might end up getting dead and not the snake. Or worse still you get a nasty fine.

Get the snake handler in for safety sake.

[DavidU]

:eyepop:Strewth Alex !

[Octane]

Alex is really Bear Grylls in disguise.

H

[Davros]

I picture Alex as more like this

http://www.itsnature.org/TV/images/article-images/grizzly-adams.jpg

[floyd_2]

As far as I'm aware, there is no food or water in my shed. Only tools, timber (stacked), telescope boxes (sealed) and a lawn mower. Hopefully any self respecting snake would realise that the service in my shed is terrible and move on to a 5 star shed.

There seems to be very few snake handlers in Sydney (at least in the white pages). I found one, but I suspect that he's no longer in business as the smtp server his web site refers to in its Contact Us page no longer exists. I sent him an email from outlook instead but am yet to hear back.

As I can't confirm if the blighter is still in my shed, I'm going to go the milk and honey route and see what I come up with thanks Paul. If I end up with a snake in a sauce bottle, I'll get back onto WIRES so that they can relocate it.

[floyd_2]

The sauce bottle trap has been set :thumbsup:

[Jeffkop]

Watch out Dean .. that snake could be really pissed orf if it really wanted tomato sauce and now its stuck in a bottle full of off smellin milk and honey :mad2:

[Analog6]

Totally agree Alex, they are marvellous creatures who have got a bad press from the religious nutters out there and have had to wear it for original sin. What a load of claptrap. I worked with the snake ranger in ACT Parks and one of his pythons loved me, always came and draped herself over me when he brought her in. It was fun to see the client's faces when they came to the counter and there I was with 2.5 m of Carpet/diamond hybrid python coiled round my shoulders!

I am glad it is illegal to kill snakes but sadly most country people do it anyway. I love the fact that they live in our garden, despite their being rats in next doors banana farm we've never had one in the house, the brown snakes live in the rock wall between them and us. And we have quite a few pythons too, I've seen at least 3 individuals here.

If people can't get a snake handler immediately, well, in this type of situation, stay away from the area and keep an eye out (which sounds like what the original poster is doing.

Do snakes really like milk or it is a myth?

[Ric]

Hi Alex, thanks for the confirmation.

I hope your Python didn't get too shirty with you for stopping him sitting in his favourite spot.:lol:

I think I'll be rolling a few around the shed and pump enclosure as a deterrent from now on. I don't like little surprises like that. :D

Cheers

[tlgerdes]

I like snakes and I remove them all the time........... I put my hand in the jar and remove one of each colour, red, blue, green, yellow and orange. I dont discriminate based on colour.:D:P They taste great.!:thumbsup:

[erick]

:rolleyes:

[AlexN]

Never heard of that one... Will let you know..

Ric - Fluffy is pretty resilient, Wasn't happy at the time, but within 20 minutes was very calm again... within an hour he came out for 30 minutes to do some climbing in the lime tree in the back yard... He really enjoys his time out in the sun, and is an all round happier animal for quite a few days after getting 30 ~ 60 mins of natrual sunlight.. It definitely seems that a UV lamp in the enclosure is merely a stop gap.. It does not seem to provide the anywhere near the same heat and energy to the animal as natural sunlight... The colour variations in the skin of my pythons come out really nicely after some time in the sun..

[tlgerdes]

They're the ones Eric. I don't like the "all natural colour and flavour" ones, they taste too fake. :screwy:

[erick]

Did you like the "plane" = "tool in shed" :D Who says I'm off-topic!

[unnamed soldier]

I too am into reptile keeping and find it a little disturbing that the immediate reaction is to kill the snake from some people.. keeping in mind it is illegal to do so...............................

the chances are the snake has already left as most are nocturnal (so you won't see it) and your shed no doubt provides very little in the way of a quality heat source or water....

a previous comment about all snakes being venomous is a great way to view all snakes if you DON'T know what it is!! you don't want to get bitten by an adult coastal carpet python even though they are non-venomous as they have one hell of a mouth!!

trying to lure it out may be something to try if you know what your doing but not something I would recommend as most methods mentioned probably have the human and snake too close to each other for me...

IMO it got in with the door closed(??) it will get out... it is not there too hunt you so it will leave when it realises there is nothing in there.. it may have seen you before you saw it and ran (slithered) into the closest hide it could find!!

josh

[floyd_2]

..and now for the milk and honey in a sauce bottle results. I came home and checked the shed...no action. As many have suggested, given that there's no water or food in my shed (only milk & honey in a sauce bottle) I would say that my new friend has long since moved on to greener pastures. Regardless, I'll be wearing boots and jeans when I'm in the shed on the weekend (just in case :D)

[tlgerdes]

Wouldnt banging on the shed walls for 10 mins give the snake a reason to move on? The vibrations would drive it nuts.

[erick]

While my children were in primary school I got to see two editions of an Australian children's book. Family having holiday. Old version - "we saw a snake on the road. We stopped and Dad got a stick and killed it" New version -"we saw a snake on the road. We stopped and watched it from a distance until the snake moved away into the grass."

[taminga16]

Come on Eric I cant wait for the stop animation.:)

Greg.

[Ric]

Hi Alex,

Fluffy the Python, that is sheer class, I love it. :thumbsup::rofl::rofl::rofl:

I see you have a Pythonesque sense of humour. ;)

[unnamed soldier]

True hitting the walls would probably 'drive it nuts' but if i put you into a large metal shed then started banging the wall it'd probably drive you nuts too................ there are many more ways to get it out then trying to piss it off.......



thanks erick that is kind of cool too see how the childrens books have had to change now that in general its becoming wrong to hurt any animal regardless of whether or not it has fur or feathers!! :D

josh

[DavidU]

Fluffy LOL !

[Octane]

Just for my edification, can these poisonous snakes, such as browns and tigers, bite you through a pair of jeans?

Or am I going to have to wear Mithril all over when I go out bushwalking?

H

[Kevnool]

Depends H if you were wearing skin tight jeans.....LOL.

Nothings safe.

Cheers Kev.

[tlgerdes]

Yes, they can bite through denim.

I was always told to walk loudly through the bush, dont tiptoe. Snakes will prefer to get out of your way than confront you. If you suprise them they get angry and defensive.

[tlgerdes]

They have escaped from Erics "plane" old tool shed.

[AlexN]

Some can Humayun.. It all depends on the ferocity of the bite however. A death adder can strike without injecting any venom, a warning if you. Inland Taipans can strike without extending their fangs.. so essentially a warning also.. These situations are rare however...

Provided your jeans are fairly loose fitting you SHOULD be ok... I would go for wearing hiking boots that come up above the ankle.. Most strikes on humans occur to the feet/ankes. and a good pair of leather upper hiking boots should provide adequate protection... Couple that with the superior sense of sight and situational awareness that us humans are lucky to have, and you should have no worries at all...


Ric n Dave, I couldn't think of a better name for something that is going to be 12~15 long and covered in scales... My pets all have strange names like that... :)

3x Bearded dragons - Bubbles, Squeek and Bob (bob is a big male, he bob his head a lot... seemed fitting)
1x 7yo NT locale BHP - Fluffy.
1x 2yo Jungle python - Yowie (Thats what I end up saying every time Im near her... She Bites..)
1x Green Tree Snake (not to be confused with Green Tree Python) - Grey.
1x Inland Taipan - Nikita (Did you ever see that show "La Femme Nikita" ? That chick was great to look at, lightning fast and could kill you in seconds given the chance and motive... Much like the Taipan..

[tlgerdes]

just dont invite her in for a coffee and a cuddle:eyepop:

[AlexN]

she's warming (ever so slowly) to human interaction.. When I got her she would strike at the glass of the enclosure if you go too close etc.. that's all backed off now, I still wouldn't stick my hands in the enclosure without having just fed her... But I've held her a couple of times and she seems fairly placid now she's past the juvenile stage of her life... Not like my mates coastal taipan.. That thing is down right crazy....

[tlgerdes]

so in other words..... a typical woman!:rofl:

:scared3:

[TrevorW]

How to remove snake from shed

Instructions:

1. Open door very slowly with long stick
2. Throw in can of petrol with long wick
3. Ensure you light wick first
4. Run very fast
5. Call fire brigade
6. Lodge insurance claim

[AstralTraveller]

My budgie was called Catfood, or Catty for short. The name was partly tongue-in-cheek and partly homage to one of my favourite bands - King Crimson. [Some of you may get the reference.]

[AlexN]

When I was young I had a budgie called Sylvester.. At the time I thought Tweety was too generic.. :)

[xnomad]

Can I just be a little pedantic? Certain snakes aren't poisonous, they are venomous.

Poisonous means if you eat it or touch it, you will suffer a toxic reaction. Venomous is the correct term as you aren't going to eat the snake, the snake bites you. Venomous means injection of toxins via a bite or a sting.

If some snakes were only 'poisonous' that would be great, as I don't plan on eating any, or picking them up.

I cringe whenever I hear 'posionous snake/spider' etc, even the media get it wrong all the time.

[floyd_2]

I removed the bottle / milk / honey from the shed this morning. Looks like I managed to catch a slew of ants. Next time I have an ant problem, I'm going to give them the milk and honey treatment :evil:

I put on a pair of jeans, a pair of gloves and a pair of 10 holers just to be sure and checked out the shed. Looks like it was just me and my tools in there :2thumbs:

[AlexN]

Fair comment indeed.. Near on every snake is venomous to some degree, its a matter of whether that venom is dangerous to us or not. Eastern Bearded Dragon lizard produce the same neurotoxin as a rattlesnake. However they are unable to get that neurotoxin into our blood stream, so they are "Safe" to handle etc.. The neurotoxin is produced in their saliva glands, and is is quite effective at immobilizing their prey. But as they have a hard time breaking our skin, and even when they do, they rarely chew on us, producing the toxic saliva, we are largely unaware of their venomousity and as such, people do not fear them.. Most monitor lizards are venomous too.. You do not want to suffer a bite from an adult water monitor, or worse, a large lace monitor..

[adman]

Alex, I have a 2yo spotted python that scares the crap out of me. I used to handle him/her (never been able to figure it out) when it was younger, took a couple of bites which were surprisingly painful for something less than a foot long, and have decided that I really don't want a bite now that it is about 2 1/2 feet long. It is quite bitey most of the time - which leads me to think that it is either just its personality, or its hungry!

Do you have any tips for getting it used to being handled? Whenever I need to clean its enclosure I wear my gardening gloves...:lol:

Adam

[unnamed soldier]

adman,

i have heard a few times that the antaresia are snappy lil buggers which can be a painful experience!! :)

does it only try bite when you are getting it out of the enclosure or all the time?? does it strike when you walk past the tank??

the most common solution I have seen offered is getting it out with a snake hook then start to handle it.. most will be cage defensive but once out are pretty happy lil snakes!!

at the end of the day the only way to get it use to being handled is by handling it!! :) just be grateful you are trying to calm a spotted and not an amethystine python (scrubby)...

[AlexN]

Sound advice there... Cage protective would be my guess there.. If it is kept in its enclosure for majority of its life, it will have become fairly territorial. Getting a good quality snake hook is the way to go, this way you can get it out of the enclosure keeping it at outside arms length, and well outside striking range..

I find that most young snakes are snappy, but constant, regular handling usually tames them down a lot. I try to handle mine for 1 hour a week.. Usually the day after feeding... At that point, they are usually quite content, and not as inclined to strike...

Its funny you should mention that the bites are surprisingly painful.. A friend of mine last month bought a 5 year old Olive Python, despite my advising him that it was a BIG snake, and he'd be better off getting a hatchling or yearling so he could learn the snakes mannerisms and its temperament before it became a very large snake... On the 3rd day of having it, he decided he wanted to get it out and have a hold (again, I'd advised against this... Too early) opened the glass and basically went for the snake much like he does with his 2.5ft childrens python... Well, the 5'8" python spun around and latched onto his forearm... Made quite a mess of him... He is now very fearful of the animal, despite the whole ordeal being largely his own fault... He will not handle it, generally pays very little attention to it, and regrets buying it in the first place..

I'm trying to tell him (now that its been there about a month) that it is time to try handling again.. He wont fearing another bite..

Moral of the story is he will never know if its likely to bite him because he won't try and handle it... And the only way to ever tame it down a bit is to handle it as often as you can..