Hello Everyone! Made decision on Diameter Of PVC PIPE- Gaurd

[John Atteberry]

Well after banging my head around for awhile, I decided to keep the 4 inch diameter PVC plastic pipes on my MSS-12 Trio House and my Deluxe Gourd Rack. I will try this to see if any snakes will go up this size pipe! But for added insurance, I will install a net trap on the ground around the pipes! Then on my new multi-purpose pole I will use the 7 inch diameter PVC plastic pipe and see what happens. I am in the process of trying to get this up but the rain just keeps falling! The other rack and pole is already put together and just don't want to redo it! I'll just add the net trap which is much easier! HA! HA! I had good luck with the net traps last year and caught three rat snakes! So, make sure you all get ready because the snakes are coming! Thanks and I will keep you all posted about the results! Thanks John!

[elyas]

John, what kind of netting do you use and how exactly do you install the netting? I have the pmca guard but am interested in the extra protection of the netting. Thank you in advance.

Greg

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

Greg, I have used the netting, its bird netting, the kind you buy at a gardening nursery to protect berries or fruit trees from birds eating them.. The netting comes in different sized squares, or holes. The 3/4in size will catch the large snakes and the 1/2in size may catch the smaller snakes...You may need to use both, but if you already have a guard, then I would recommend that you only use the 3/4in netting. To use it, you wrap it around the pole with the top tight and the bottom loose like a ladies skirt. Make several wraps around the pole. By keeping it loose, the snake starts going thru it, but cannot back out of it. Since its loose, it also hangs up and cannot go forward, and thus, you find a snake in the netting. It really works good, but the problem is that if you use the large squares, the small snakes can get thru it, and if you use the small squares, the large snakes cannot get into it...

The snakes die quickly if you don't check it in the morning, it will be dead by nightime in the sun...They are hard to get out alive, I have had to kill one, I couldn't get it out it was so tangled.

You definitely have the right idea, get all the protection from snakes that you can...good luck

[John Atteberry]

Hello Greg,
Emil just explained it right. But I like to put it on the ground for better bunch up netting to hold in place by four hangers that you hang your clothes on, the wire hangers that is, and use 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch square netting to mix it up and put it around the pole and hook it on the four hangers in the four corners! It it a life saver for the martins! Thanks, John!

[Joe Zorn]

John,
I've been reading the posts concerning the snake guards and nets and such. I found then very interesting.

I'm not a new PM Landlord, but it's been a while since I've been involved in it. In the past, I never had any trouble with snakes, as far as I know.

One thing that keeps tripping me up. I think I am more fear of snakes than love for PM's, as great as that has always been. If I caught a snake in ANY kind of contrivance, it would have to be dead and rotting before I would go near it to remove it. So much for harming the snake. I'd probably end up beating the netting thing up trying to kill the snake before I went near it.

So which of the snake discouragers seem to be most effective?

[John Atteberry]

Hello Joe,
You probably should put a PVC plastic pipe on or around your pole. It is real slick and the snakes can't climb it. But what I did was put on 4 inch pipe that I should of used 6 inch schedule 40 PVC pipe on. That is the diameter around that will keep snakes from climbing! So I was going to use the net trap to help calm my fears from the snakes climbing the 4inch verses the 6 inch! Hope that help's, John!

[RC Moser]

IMO 4" PVC with a stove pipe guard if you have telescoping poles. My stove pipe guards are 4 foot off the ground and PVC all the way to the ground. I also check for surface ruffness. Meaning if they ain't slick I polish them up to regain the slick surface.

I also add a fresh coat of petroleum jelly about two inch wide half way up to keep any small red ant's from biting the new borns. I lost some newborns to small red ant's so small I could verily see them unless they were trailing up and in my T-14, beings I had a wooden pole I used pet. and fly tape to make an effective barrier.

[mbuster]

Will sulfur powder sprinkled around the pole not keep snakes out?

[Joe Zorn]

Thanks all, good ideas.

You know how, in olden days, the feutalistic lords used to hang their captured victims by poles, so advancing armies would see how they treated prisoners?

I am afraid I would just have a net full of dead snakes. Maybe that, alone would deter them.

On the serious side, I think I have a pretty good handle on the 6"pvc pipe, but don't understand the reference to the stovepipe above that.

Joe

[elyas]

Thank you for the responses and help. We lost some to a snake last year and want to make sure it doesn't happen again. Once again, thanks.

[Guest]

In my area, North Central Pennsylvania, I have seen one Garter Snake, on my property and adjoining properties, in the past thirty five years. My gardening practices encourage the presence, of mating frogs. That is a dandy snake attraction factor. Still literally none have appeared.

I installed a piece, of four inch PVC, schedule 30 because it is less expensive. I will spray it with silicone oven spray, to create the slip as best man has devised.

I ran a test during the past two weeks. A piece, of raw spoiled, rotten chicken, on top, of a three foot piece, of four inch PVC. Even without the silicone the coons, in my neighborhood could not climb the four inch PVC.
Footprints, in the sand, I placed proved the coon presence and attempt.

[Ron Shaffer]

What's the largest diameter PVC pipes you folks have been able to find caps for?

[John Atteberry]

Hello Ron,
I only looked at the 7 inch diameter PVC plastic pipe and found the caps for that size diameter! John!