Well its a good thing I took the advise of people here on the forum and put some bird netting above my pole guard. 2 days ago a 3-4ft yellow rat snake was tangled in the netting. We have PMCA pole guards on both of our poles and they are properly installed(4ft above the ground). This is our first year with our new colony(we moved last year) and that netting prevented disaster. I'll never have a birdhouse up without it.
Mike
Rat snake gets past stove pipe guard!
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Glen Webb Jr
- Posts: 478
- Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2004 1:03 pm
- Location: Illinois/Stewardson
I think this might be a good vacation project for me tomorrow. The netting is cheap and I was lucky enough to have caught a rat snake in a gourd two years ago. It devoured the contents of the gourd, but the martins alerted me to its presence before anymore damage could be caused.
We have tons of snakes at home, mainly garder snakes, and a nice abundance of prairie king snakes, plus several blue racers over the years. Rarely run into a black rat snake, but when I do, man are they big. I always move the black rats to the abandoned building across the road. THey probably come right back, but not much else I can do about them.
We have tons of snakes at home, mainly garder snakes, and a nice abundance of prairie king snakes, plus several blue racers over the years. Rarely run into a black rat snake, but when I do, man are they big. I always move the black rats to the abandoned building across the road. THey probably come right back, but not much else I can do about them.
You are so correct! Snakes are a real menace. I also had predator guards on my poles, but they didn't work.
This is my 3rd year as PM landlord. The 1st year I had 2 pair, and lost 1 pair to snakes. The 2nd year I had 10 pair, and lost 3 pair to snakes. Following advice from this website, I placed bird netting on my 2 poles and 9 snakes met an untimely death. It was too bad, but what the hell. Are we PM enthusiasts or what?
This year I currently have at least 12 nesting pairs, and hope to keep them all. I have used black plastic as a SKIRT on my 3 poles, and then put the bird netting (above the plastic as a backup plan) on top (just in case).
With luck, the snakes will not be able to get past the black plastic skirts, but if they do, then the bird netting will get them.
There are owls and hawks all over my area, but they have never been a problem.
Good luck to everyone.
This is my 3rd year as PM landlord. The 1st year I had 2 pair, and lost 1 pair to snakes. The 2nd year I had 10 pair, and lost 3 pair to snakes. Following advice from this website, I placed bird netting on my 2 poles and 9 snakes met an untimely death. It was too bad, but what the hell. Are we PM enthusiasts or what?
This year I currently have at least 12 nesting pairs, and hope to keep them all. I have used black plastic as a SKIRT on my 3 poles, and then put the bird netting (above the plastic as a backup plan) on top (just in case).
With luck, the snakes will not be able to get past the black plastic skirts, but if they do, then the bird netting will get them.
There are owls and hawks all over my area, but they have never been a problem.
Good luck to everyone.
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Guest
Luckly, I have seen narry a snake here.......... but I'm sure there are.
Hey Geezer, how'd you make out from the tornadoes last week?
Chuck
Hey Geezer, how'd you make out from the tornadoes last week?
Chuck
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floridasunshinegoddess
Mike,
Thank goodness you had the netting! It could have spelled disaster for your birds otherwise!
I also put netting on my poles after reading posts about snakes getting past predator guards. You can never be too sure!
Thank goodness you had the netting! It could have spelled disaster for your birds otherwise!
I also put netting on my poles after reading posts about snakes getting past predator guards. You can never be too sure!