Well after the year of the Rat snake here in Central Florida, I'm looking for the best device to keep these critters out of the martin houses. we have the PMCA guards mounted at the correct height(4ft) and the snakes go up them like they are not even there. We did add the bird netting and caught 6 snakes in 1 month! One big 6 footer even got past the netting, probably my sloppy installation. There has got to be a better way then catching these snakes and relocating them. Any ideas out there? Thanks!
Mike
Best snake prevention?
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John Atteberry
Mike I sent you a private message about the snake gaurd! Look at your message box on here! Thanks John!
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John Barrow
- Posts: 982
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 4:12 pm
- Location: Corpus Christi / Sandia , Texas
Hi John,
Would you please copy me the private message too.
Would you please copy me the private message too.
~~TEAMED WITH A MARTIN GODDESS~~
Member/Mentor-PMCA. I do regular nestchecks and participate in PROJECT MARTINWATCH!! Coordinated 3 geolocator studies-2009, 2010 & 2013. State and Fed licensed bander (retired Jan., 2020)
Member/Mentor-PMCA. I do regular nestchecks and participate in PROJECT MARTINWATCH!! Coordinated 3 geolocator studies-2009, 2010 & 2013. State and Fed licensed bander (retired Jan., 2020)
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Emil Pampell-Tx
- Posts: 6743
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 1:26 pm
- Location: Tx, Richmond (SW of Houston)
- Martin Colony History: First started in Gretna, La in 1969 with a small homemade house, have had martins ever since at 2 different homes in Texas
I have used 4ft of pvc pipe and I have never had a snake get into my birds when I used that during the 13years that I used it. I used 4in pvc on bluebird poles, 8in on four martin poles, but I have one 6in pvc pipe on one martin pole. Many people use pvc pipe and I have never seen anyone report that a snake went up the pvc pipe (and I don't know why!)
The problem with 4ft of pvc is that you cannot lower the housing all the way to the ground. I must use a stepladder for the upper gourds. I can reach the lower ones at 5ft.
The problem with 4ft of pvc is that you cannot lower the housing all the way to the ground. I must use a stepladder for the upper gourds. I can reach the lower ones at 5ft.
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Emil Pampell-Tx
- Posts: 6743
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 1:26 pm
- Location: Tx, Richmond (SW of Houston)
- Martin Colony History: First started in Gretna, La in 1969 with a small homemade house, have had martins ever since at 2 different homes in Texas
The pvc pipe is not guaranteed against racoons, I have had 1 case where a racoon climbed a 4in pole. Thats not bad though for 13 years of use
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Eddie McKnight
- Posts: 189
- Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2003 7:02 am
- Location: Moncks Corner, SC
After years of large chicken snakes in the south, I have electric fence wire around the bottom of all my martin poles and 10 bluebird boxes, and haven't had snake predation in 5 years. The way I get from post to post is underground insulated wire, just buried a few inches deep, that feeds up to a ring around every pole about 8-12 inches up. It will prevent ALL predators! It only cost about $35 at Lowe's.
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Emil Pampell-Tx
- Posts: 6743
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 1:26 pm
- Location: Tx, Richmond (SW of Houston)
- Martin Colony History: First started in Gretna, La in 1969 with a small homemade house, have had martins ever since at 2 different homes in Texas
Eddie has an excellent idea, I actually have both, I have 4ft of pvc, and also have an electric fence (using underground wire going to each pole). The electric fence should be sufficient if you install it correctly
Yes, that would be a good idea to post some pics. Those of us with metal poles would need to insulate the "Hot" wire from the metal pole somehow?
I'm a "nestcamaholic" Is 18 hours a day a bad thing? (I have 2 this year, luckily I have 2 eyes!)
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Eddie McKnight
- Posts: 189
- Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2003 7:02 am
- Location: Moncks Corner, SC
I will try to post some pictures tonight or tomorrow. I will put them in a new thread so it will be at the top of the list.