Snake Repellent

[smidsy]

I live in a country town of 2k people, snakes are prevelant, medical care is limited and I have health issues which would make it hard for me to get away from a snake.
I see Bunnings have these snake repellant gizmos.
Are they any good?

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[Beardy]

Snake oil in a box

My son is a professional snake catcher so have witnessed many snake encounters. There is nothing to get away from as snakes have no interest in humans other than if we make them feel threatened, no different to spiders but understand it is a phobia thing.
Keep a watchful eye as you go about your day so you don’t step on one to cause a negative response from the animal as you would with a dog.

[Warb]

..... There is nothing to get away from as snakes have no interest in humans other than if we make them feel threatened, no different to spiders but understand it is a phobia thing.

Most of the time this is entirely true, however what makes them "feel threatened" can vary enormously. I know people who have had Eastern Browns living under their decks and never had an issue. On the other hand, I have also seen an Eastern Brown chase a friend of mine several meters across a paddock. Given that this was in spring, it is our assumption that the snake was guarding its eggs and we got too close. However as we had no idea that the snake was there until it came towards us, we have no evidence of exactly what we did to make it feel threatened, but as it was probably three meters to the side of our route (and coming toward us) when we first saw it, it certainly wasn't in any danger of being stepped on. Maybe it was just having a bad day!

[auscab]

Could you get a Jack russel dog or two? They would keep you safer from snakes .

1 . Dogs marking their territory may help but I don’t know if that’s true .
2. Dogs will take on a snake and there’s a good chance they would spot it well before you would.

[Chief Tiff]

They have limited effect; if any. The guy in the video below can show you plenty of pictures of these with snakes crawling around them. he happens to be one of Australia's top snake experts and used to work in the Aust venom extraction facility where they manufacture all the antivenoms. As well as the usual Aus snakes he also had to deal with all the foreign ones in zoos like rattlesnakes from the US. The reason I mention him is because he regularly tours big companies in the resource industries doing lectures etc on snake bite treatment; I work in Oil & Gas and snakes are a constant hazard.

THIS (https://www.sssafe.com.au/team/craig-adams/) is his website where he sells his handy kit; I was impressed enough with the way it works and his description of the envenomation process to buy one where it lives close to hand on my deck; I live on acreage and have seen enough snakes on my property to know there are a shedload more I haven't seen...

Regardless of whether you're interested in the merch; check the youtube vids out on his channel; Survival TV (https://www.youtube.com/@SurvivalTV)

[Warb]

I will say in advance that I have no idea whether these snake repellents work in practice, but I've often contemplated the concept. From a logical viewpoint, being trampled by a herd of animals, or even stepped on by a single one, isn't a good plan for a snake. It is also commonly accepted that snakes are able to detect vibrations coming through the ground, so the idea that a device that puts vibrations into the ground to "simulate" large animals would cause a snake to be wary does seem logical.

I will also say that an acquaintance of mine has his house surrounded by such devices (not necessarily the Bunnings version, there are several) and says he hasn't seen a snake since he bought them. On the other hand, in the last 20+ years of living on farms I have only seen two snakes close to my house, so maybe it's luck! Ot maybe I just haven't seen them!

The issue that I have with the "they don't work" evidence of snakes sleeping on the unit, or other video evidence of them having no effect, is that in every example I have seen we are dealing with "domesticated" snakes. Now clearly not all these snakes are "tame", by any means, but they are used to "vibrations". A snake in a zoo has people stomping past for perhaps half of every day, it's not really surprising that it doesn't panic! A snake in a venom harvesting lab is used to people walking around it. One of the first videos I saw "disproving" the device was of someone's pet python. The guy walked up to the device, took the python from around his neck, put it next to the device and said (words to the effect of) "there, not scared at all". Indeed. And I have seen dogs retrieving birds killed with a shotgun, and people riding horses next to guys on motorcycles, but a WILD dog or horse is a totally different subject!

[Chief Tiff]

The issue that I have with the "they don't work" evidence of snakes sleeping on the unit, or other video evidence of them having no effect, is that in every example I have seen we are dealing with "domesticated" snakes. Now clearly not all these snakes are "tame", by any means, but they are used to "vibrations". A snake in a zoo has people stomping past for perhaps half of every day, it's not really surprising that it doesn't panic! A snake in a venom harvesting lab is used to people walking around it. One of the first videos I saw "disproving" the device was of someone's pet python. The guy walked up to the device, took the python from around his neck, put it next to the device and said (words to the effect of) "there, not scared at all". Indeed. And I have seen dogs retrieving birds killed with a shotgun, and people riding horses next to guys on motorcycles, but a WILD dog or horse is a totally different subject!

I agree; but the pictures he showed us during his presentation were clearly on properties.........:;

I'm not saying they don't work; I have neither the experience nor the qualifications to make such a statement. I am however quoting someone who I feel does.

I would also posit that snakes residing in the vicinity of a property where these things are fitted probably wouldn't take long to become accustomed to them as per your notes above. Although they are not territorial they do have ranges that they will tour around until either food runs out or something better attracts them. I have a bug zapper mounted on an external wall; it attracts the bugs which attracts the lizards and frogs which attracts the snakes. Random sources of vibrations such as my pool pump; the TV, stomping around around on the wooden deck adjacent to the wall etc don't seem to deter them. I simply accept that they are a feature in my environment. I'll also point out I don't see them often; maybe once a year or so I'll come across a grey, a python or a tree snake and apart from one python that was a bit too full of chook :~ they always slither away... I see plenty of evidence of their existence such as shed skins in my sheds.

[Beardy]

You would be amazed at how many snake close encounters you have probably already had and not even aware of it. I remember a couple of years ago my son came to visit and asked if I had seen any snakes about, now I have been around snakes for a lot of years and actively look out for them in my travels on my farm and my answer was still no none.
The very next morning he came inside holding a tiger snake, I asked him where he found that and it was next to water tank at the back door, who knows how many times my wife and I must of walked near it without knowing

I have seen him do that on so many occasions during our travels.

[Warb]

I'm not saying they don't work; I have neither the experience nor the qualifications to make such a statement. I am however quoting someone who I feel does.

This, like many things, is a tricky subject and open to as much "opinion" as fact. As I said, I too have no idea or personal experience on the effectiveness of these devices. My suspicion is that they don't, but I can see why they would and, as I said, much of the "they don't" evidence is questionable (IMHO).

We also suffer from the bias of the nature lovers (don't get me wrong, I'm one!) that "the snakes were here before us" etc. etc.. This is, of course, entirely true, but whilst I am happy to co-exist with those snakes that live way out in the paddocks, I'm always surprised by the people with small children who are happy to have a 4 foot tiger snake living in the dam a stone's throw from their house. I have found that such people are usually 100% dedicated to the belief that the snake will always try to get away and hide. Unfortunately, that isn't always the case!

We have recently sold our farm, moved south and bought a retirement block near Canberra. Having spent 20+ years living next to a creek in mid-western NSW where the local snake population comprised black snakes (I've never seen one act aggressively) and eastern browns (often very cranky!), I'm fascinated to see what I'll find here!

[Ironwood]

I bought a couple of these ( mine is very similar from aliexpress, about $40 each at the time), at the time we would have about 10 rock wallaby’s camping on the veranda every night, using the chairs, table and benchtop and bbq for a toilet. This repeller pretty much solved the problem, on a rainy night we do get a couple of brave souls using the veranda to stay dry though.
Because we have bush right up to the veranda, we would average 2 or 3 snake skin sheds (green tree snakes, and brown tree snakes/night tigers ), left in the rafters every week. Since using the repeller, I reckon you could count the skins on one hand in the last 10 years.
Venomous snakes are in the area, but we have never seemed to have them come near the house, even before buying the repellers.

Yard Sentinel, Outdoor Electronic Pest Animal Ultrasonic Repeller, Animal Control, Pest Control, Cat Repellent, Dog Repellent, Deer Repellent, Mice Repellent, Bird Repellent : Amazon.com.au: Garden (https://www.amazon.com.au/Sentinel-Electronic-Ultrasonic-Repeller-Repellent/dp/B005KNVH18)

[Mr Brush]

If you trample the ground hard and fast while standing on the spot, the vibrations will scare a lot of stuff off. Certainly works for snakes, roos, and cattle funnily enough. A lot of snake scarer gadgets work on this principle, but the vast majority don't create a large enough vibration to do anything. That includes most of the cheap solar powered ones.

[Mr Brush]

When you find a shed snake skin, that's telling you that (a) there is at least one snake around, and (b) it's now even bigger that the huge shed skin you are holding up.....:oo:

[GraemeCook]

Snake oil in a box

Priceless.

Don't worry, it comes with a twelve month warranty, so if a snake bites you and you die, then Bunnings will refund your purchase price.

[Mr Brush]

Neighbour to one side of us is just a weekender for a wealthy but clueless Sydney person. You know, the sort that thinks Fireweed is pretty? Planted an orchard at huge expense that has now been totally destroyed by roos (since his fences are crap)? Anyway, he is absolutely terrified of snakes, and bought LOTS of the Bunnies solar-powered snake repellers to hopefully keep them at least 50m from his house. Hate to tell him, but one day I saw a red-bellied black coiled up and sunning itself on top of one of his gadgets..... The temptation to buy several black rubber snakes and place them at strategic spots on his property is almost overwhelming :D

[Beardy]

I have a Sydney mate like that, he doesn’t visit his farm in summer because he is scared of snakes, only goes there in winter lol

[Mr Brush]

Remember - months with a "r" in them are the snakey months.......lol

[Mr Brush]

And they do LOVE a nice warm cosy mulch pile...

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[Mr Brush]

We get mainly red-bellied blacks (pretty timid), copperheads (a bit feisty), and only ever one big brown snake when we first bought the property 24 years ago - frightened him off with the stamping feet method, and never seen one since.

[ian]

I have no special expertise, but understand that cats are good at keeping snakes at bay.


also, fresh woodchips around those parts of the property you use are also supposed to work. Mind you they have to be fresh woodchips, with sharp edges, not like the ones in Mr Bush's post

[AlexS]

I have a Sydney mate like that, he doesn’t visit his farm in summer because he is scared of snakes, only goes there in winter lol
There's a lack of logic there. When it's warm, the snake is more likely to have the energy to get away if it feels threatened. In winter, it may not have the energy to escape, so may bite instead (although it will probably be torpid and tucked away out of sight anyway.)

[AlexS]

I have no special expertise, but understand that cats are good at keeping snakes at bay.


also, fresh woodchips around those parts of the property you use are also supposed to work. Mind you they have to be fresh woodchips, with sharp edges, not like the ones in Mr Bush's post

Don't rely on pets to keep snakes at bay. I can tell you from experience that doesn't work, and you are likely to lose the pet, or at least be up for a lot of money - antivenin is very expensive. Woodchips, coarse ropes and other folkloric measures do not work. A polished surface around your house might, but no guarantees.

[Warb]

Our previous house was surrounded by a wide strip of gravel (small river pebbles, not "crusher dust") for parking cars etc.. I once watched a black snake approach it, and then travel around the border, keeping in the grass and not crossing the gravel. My suspicion is that much like a "bowling green" mowed lawn, the snake has no ability to hide and feels too exposed. We always tried to keep such an area around the house, and avoid providing any approach that provided cover...... It also means that you have a better chance of seeing a snake before you get too close or step on it!

My experience has been that removing all cover and hiding places, long grass, flower beds, low shrubs and general rubbish, goes a very long way to avoiding problems with snakes. They don't like to be exposed, so if they have nowhere to hide, they tend not to hang around.

[jack620]

A cat is more likely to kill everything but the snakes. Keep those b@stards inside.

[Warb]

A cat is more likely to kill everything but the snakes. Keep those b@stards inside.

A few years ago I picked something up from a guy in the Blue Mountains. He had a bowl of milk outside his front door. I asked him if it was for a cat, and he went off on a rant about cats killing the wildlife and being the spawn of the devil. He then explained that the milk was actually for the cute little foxes that lived in the woodland at the end of his garden. Apparently they are "wildlife" and therefore OK..... I didn't tell him that cats and foxes both met the same fate on our farm!!

[auscab]

I don't think there has been any mention of what species of snake the OP may have a problem with.
Obviously some are much worse than others. I don't know what I would do if 6 ft Brown or 6ft Tiger snakes appeared anywhere near my house or property.
Snakes : School of Biomedical Sciences (https://biomedicalsciences.unimelb.edu.au/departments/department-of-biochemistry-and-pharmacology/engage/avru/discover/snakes)

We get these snakes pictured below, but nowhere near the house.
100 to 200 meters away is the closest Ive seen them since moving here with our four dogs. The dogs pick on anything that comes closer. The big smart dog will point it out and bark. The Jack Russel will either just bark but also sometimes attack anything including or smaller than a chicken. The dogs chase away or hassle Deer, Cows, Echidna, possum and blue tongue lizards . Ive never seen them encounter a snake. And I have only seen one injured Blue Tongue that the the Jack Russel got to.
Edit
It doesn't mean I expect the dogs to 100 % keep snakes away from the house . The Echidna's get past the dogs and under the house all the time so snakes would as well if they want to .



I was sorting timber and saw this pair having a "Sky rockets if flight "session. So I took a few pictures and let them be .

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I believe they are Copperheads . Lowland copperhead I'd guess.

Copperheads, Austrelaps <small>Worrell, 1963</small> : School of Biomedical Sciences (https://biomedicalsciences.unimelb.edu.au/departments/department-of-biochemistry-and-pharmacology/engage/avru/discover/snakes/copperhead-austrelaps-superbus)

The short grass around the house sounds good. I cant get over how a snake can disappear into grass or cracks in timber or the ground the second you take your eye off them.

[Mr Brush]

That indeed looks like the copperheads we get. Top colour can range from brownish through to dark grey, but with a cream-coloured belly. Slightly more feisty than black snakes, but nowhere near as aggressive as browns or tigers.

The snakes are still there in winter, but just tucked up in holes out of sight, kicking back and watching TV presumably? They only appear (in southern highlands climate) in months with a 'r', so starting in September usually.

Re. dogs and snakes, that's why being trained to the "LEAVE IT" command is so important in country areas. Our Rhodesian Ridegback came across a copperhead when we weren't watching her, but luckily she was well trained to the command and backed right off. A big 45kg dog would need a LOT of antivenine, which would cost a fortune.

I'm a keen proponent of the "sudden lead poisoning" school of thought too; feral cats, foxes, and rabbits all get the same treatment here. Made even easier since I got a night vision scope for my rifle - I can prowl around in complete darkness thanks to infrared illuminator, and the night vision scope works out to 100m away even on a moonless night. It's nice to be able to see them before they can see me. On one memorable occasion I left a shot rabbit out fairly near the house, checked it periodically in the evening, and came out about 10pm for a last look to find Mr Fox standing there having just picked up rabbit in his mouth. Dropped him right there, and even got my dead rabbit back.....lol.

[Mr Brush]

Snakes don't like being exposed on open ground - Kookaburras will take surprisingly large snakes, and they have excellent eyesight. One our place they take a lot of the baby black snakes before they get big enough to be a nuisance.

[GraemeCook]

Auscab, do the moderators know about your collection of snake pawn?

529174 auscab Collection.

[Mr Brush]

I once heard David Attenborough on one of those wildlife programs saying that male snakes have two penises. That just made me wonder whether they are ambidickstrous?? :oo:

[Mr Brush]

Turns out to be true :-

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2014/11/05/scientists-figure-out-why-the-same-signal-grows-two-penises-in-snakes-and-only-one-in-humans/

Lucky buggers !

[auscab]

Auscab, do the moderators know about your collection of snake pawn?

529174 auscab Collection.

Ha Ha. They probably have nothing against Snake "Pawn" Graeme . Ive not been told off yet so all seems ok. If it was involving p( orn) and snakes I'm sure I would be in deep trouble.

Ive got a little collection actually . A french cast plaster sculpture of the Art Nouveau period and its a snake coming out of a woman who has her dress lifted to show the lot and it runs up her side and shes kissing it. I don't know where these things hung 100 years ago? The naughty French . Maybe it was a carnival thing?
Do you think I could show that and stay out of trouble ? Maybe a red sticker covering the snakes exit from the woman would be ok? :)

I just went on a search of the internet for an image of what I have stored away (found nothing the same but plenty of similar theme) and Serpent Erotica is a bit of a thing . I'd never thought to google that before. Makes me wonder who gets into creating that stuff? Is it mostly a Male or female created art form ?

[GraemeCook]

... They probably have nothing against Snake "Pawn" Graeme . ...

The other spelling of that word gets auto-deleted. Big Brother, and all that.


... Do you think I could show that and stay out of trouble? ...

Well, if it had Rodin or Picasso's name on it, then who are we to argue with true art?

[auscab]

The other spelling of that word gets auto-deleted. Big Brother, and all that.


Yeah . I thought there could be a reason you did that but didn’t notice it auto deleted from my post . I edited it a little .



Well, if it had Rodin or Picasso's name on it, then who are we to argue with true art?

I’ll see if I can find it .