Easy way to make snake net trap for pole

[ElizWitte]

I really appreciate all the invaluable information regarding baffles and netting to stop rat snakes. I had a very big problem with rat snakes back a couple of years ago. They were very large, aggressive and getting around my baffle from PMCA. I got the netting as suggested (I got deer netting because it is the same stuff but cheaper than bird netting) but was having trouble attaching it. Last year, I just happened to see a tomato plant cage (wire deal that you put around tomato plant) at Lowes and bought one. My husband drilled about 6 small holes in the top of the baffle and we put the ends to the cage in the holes and twisted them. It makes a perfect and easy wire cage around the baffle. We then wrapped the netting around the tomato cage. So, if the snake gets around the baffle, he gets in the netting. It is an easy way for someone to get the net to "poof out" from the baffle. Although the rat snakes I caught in the netting died (just too tangled up), I was glad they didn't make it up the pole. I couldn't make it without the forum and all the help. I hope everyone has a great season.

[Joe Zorn]

Tomato Cages? Wow. Good Idea.

[parkerdes]

Do you have a picture?

[ElizWitte]

My martins aren't back yet and I take the netting off each year after they leave. I'll take a picture of the baffle/cage without the netting and post one with the netting also. Thanks.

[JamesinIA]

last year I made a wire cage to put the bird netting and it was a real pain in the you know what. Duh...tomato cage.... Brilliant idea!

James

[John Miller]

I may try this too on one snake-prone site I help manage. Last year, I just fluffed up the netting and tied it on with a bungee gourd, but did not use any wire hoop. Steve Kroenke, whom I credit with introducing the netting guard to us, would fire me for my technique. But it did snare a snake.

I use some home made stove pipe guards that have just wire mesh in the top. Maybe I could slip part of the tomato cage leggs down into the top of the guard. Thanks!

[CHenry]

I judt use an upside down 5 gallon bucket mounted with the pole through the middle of it and use 3 wires to hold the open end from swinging in the wind. Works great. Snakes can get past it and neither can coons.

[Conrad Baker]

Please post a photo of the tomato cages with the netting. Sounds like a great idea !

[ElizWitte]

I'm trying to post a picture. When I do, you will see that we cut the tomato cage to slip it over the baffle. We used the wire parts that should go in the ground to wrap around the pole. When I wrap the cage with the netting, I'll post a picture of that too. We have the holes drilled in the baffle because I used to take parts of wire hangers and hook them in the baffle holes and have the kind of hang out of the holes and then wrap the netting around that but the tomato cage works much better. I attach the netting to the cage after wrapping with zip ties.

[Martin man RI]

I used the netting for my bluebirds and saved four pairs and over 20
bluebird chicks. It not just rat snakes all snakes trapped were Black
racer snakes which are very common in the north. One bluebird pair
had two snakes trapped at different times. Snakes follow the scent of
other snakes so once i removed the first snake two wks later another
was trapped. All nest box's have the netting and cannot wait to see how many
more bluebirds return to this town since there now 100% protected from snakes. Its just not enough to trust a pipe of any kind. The snakes trapped
removed and alot less stress in my life knowing there removed from the
area no telling how many i will trap this year but i am very happy and i hate
to use the poor bluebirds as bate but the trap they set is priceless.
The snakes are often alive too. I relocate them miles away.
Netting is a must....Ray

[ElizWitte]

My camera is too "great" haha to post my pics. I will take with the other camera tomorrow. Thanks for your patience.

[Allan Day]

That's one of the best ideas I've seen on the forum in a long time.
Good thinking and I can't wait to do it!
Thanks!

[ElizWitte]

Finally, pictures of the tomato cage over baffle

[ElizWitte]

I have attached the pictures without the netting. Basically, you cut the tomato cage so that it slides around the baffle. Then you take the "legs" of the cage and twist them around the pole. When you get the netting (I'll post a pic of that later this weekend), you wrap it around the tomato cage not super tight and when have enough on there, I use zip ties to secure the end of the netting to the rest of the netting. The holes at the top of the baffle were from before when we tried to have wires come off the baffle and wrapped the netting around that but the cage works much better.

Thanks again for your patience.

E

[Joe Zorn]

Yes, Elizabeth, I can do this, I think.

You are just putting your netting/tomato cage over the original snake guard. I do think that will work.

The way my poles are built, the winches are low, so the home made split guards mount above the winches. That means I have to remove the snake guards before I can winch down the houses for nest checks.

All I have to do is figure out a way to remove the net-wrapped tomato cage first.

Please do post pics of the netting when you can.

Joe

[j arnett]

try using sand around the post. cut out a 2 foot diameter area around the post about to inches deep and put sand in it,if you can use white sand for looks. snake git the sand on the under side and cant craw up the pole making them slide down and get more sand on them after a while they give up.

[ElizWitte]

Thanks for the sand tip. I'm going to do that also. Hopefully, I will be covered then. Thanks,
E

[Louise Chambers]

Elizabeth,

We use netting above our pole guards as both snakes and raccoons are threats at our rural weekend site. Here in town, we only have guards, no netting, as snakes are not an urban threat.

I would be afraid that the cage would offer raccoons a ladder up past the guard, even when covered with netting. Is your location one where you don't have to worry about raccoons, or are they as common as snakes? What's been your experience with raccoons? Texas has honking big snakes AND raccoons to deal with, it often depends on our locations whether we have to contend with both or not.

Louise

[ElizWitte]

Hey. Thanks for your comments. We live on 2 1/2 acres in an acreage development in Fulshear. We have huge rat snakes that have gotten up the pole (even with the baffle) and do have raccoons in the development but, for the most part, they stay at the back of the development near the lakes because we have dogs. I have not had any problems with raccoons but that isn't to say I couldn't. I didn't really think about if the raccoons used the bottom of the cage to get a leg up. When I used wires off of the baffle and had the netting start about half way up the baffle, it was hard to wrap. I guess what I could do is take wire cutters and cut off the bottom couple of rungs to the cage so that the cage/netting starts closer to the top of the baffle. What do you think about that? That way the raccoons couldn't climb as easily? Every time you think you have a problem solved, another one comes along. Thanks so much.

[M.Stephens]

I agree with Louise , looks like other predators will have a way up the pole.IMO it would defeat the purpose of the baffle . I think the netting would be better above or below the baffle ,if you could wire the tomato cage some how to the pole then that would be an easy way to apply the netting. I thought the tomato cage was a good idea because it would replace having to tape a bunch of wires to your pole.