In the pics here, you will be able to see how I decided to fix the problem of the lack of a wobble if I put wooden disk on the bottom of the split snake guard.
Most here agreed that the guard should be loose at the bottom, to cause the wobble effect that would hinder a snake or small animal being able to cling to the guard, if it were solid and steady.
The problem was that the split unit would not close up well without a way to latch it in the bottom, since there was no wooden plate there, as there is on top, to place a hook to.
The Plan according to Chuck... http://www.chuckspurplemartinpage.com/ Go to : Build a Predator Guard
Snake Guard Fix - I think I have it!!!
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Linda Reynolds
- Posts: 1308
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 8:33 pm
- Location: Adamsville, TN
It looks like a GREAT solution, Joe. Good work!
Ever-Grateful,
Linda
Linda
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loco for purple
- Posts: 187
- Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2005 7:06 pm
- Location: arlington/texas
Joe,
It looks great, and it has even given me an idea. Do you ever use
bird netting . If not, a good place would be at the base of the pole
were it meets the ground. It would not bother your winch system.
I learned a long time ago not to underestimate those serpents..GOOD LUCK..
It looks great, and it has even given me an idea. Do you ever use
bird netting . If not, a good place would be at the base of the pole
were it meets the ground. It would not bother your winch system.
I learned a long time ago not to underestimate those serpents..GOOD LUCK..
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Joe Zorn
Loco,
It would be worth a try, I suppose, but I really do not wish to deal with an entangled snake, once snared. I have a cold fear of them, whatever breed. I am afraid that they would just hang there, like the captured enemy of an advancing barbarian army do in the movies, serving as final warning to all futures snake who dare come that way again. I just ain't touching them!
I have given that some thought again this year. But, I wonder if my winches are not too close to the ground for the netting to be effective, or if a healthy rat snake couldn't get up past them by just extending up from the outside?
I have installed netting in the past couple of years, below the winches just as you described. Somehow the snakes got up past them. We caught one in one of the wooden house rooms, and the second on it's way down from a gourd, after a nice purple middle of the night snack. Those two winches were up higher than the one in the picture here. I have intentionally lowered the winches on the last two (pictured) so that the top of the snake guards are accessible with a 4 foot step ladder. The original two winches are coming down as well soon.
I will probably bypass the netting this year. It's the reason the guard was installed. Many here say that the 4' long PVC is enough. Others say they use both.
Your idea IS a GOOD one, if you were not dealing with a big wimp when ie comes to dealing with snakes, dead or alive.
Joe
It would be worth a try, I suppose, but I really do not wish to deal with an entangled snake, once snared. I have a cold fear of them, whatever breed. I am afraid that they would just hang there, like the captured enemy of an advancing barbarian army do in the movies, serving as final warning to all futures snake who dare come that way again. I just ain't touching them!
I have given that some thought again this year. But, I wonder if my winches are not too close to the ground for the netting to be effective, or if a healthy rat snake couldn't get up past them by just extending up from the outside?
I have installed netting in the past couple of years, below the winches just as you described. Somehow the snakes got up past them. We caught one in one of the wooden house rooms, and the second on it's way down from a gourd, after a nice purple middle of the night snack. Those two winches were up higher than the one in the picture here. I have intentionally lowered the winches on the last two (pictured) so that the top of the snake guards are accessible with a 4 foot step ladder. The original two winches are coming down as well soon.
I will probably bypass the netting this year. It's the reason the guard was installed. Many here say that the 4' long PVC is enough. Others say they use both.
Your idea IS a GOOD one, if you were not dealing with a big wimp when ie comes to dealing with snakes, dead or alive.
Joe
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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 agree, Joe, I don't like to remove a snake either (dead or alive). I would try it just as it is, I think it will work. The hole for the cable must be very small because a small snake can get thru about a 3/8in hole. (One got thru one of my guards that had a 3/8in hole)
Another thought, if you keep adding netting at the bottom, you never will know if the guard works.
But if you think that it won't work, or if you don't want to take a chance, at least put the netting at the top of the guard, that way you will know if a snake ever got past the guard.
Its important that somebody find out if a 4ft split piece of pvc is a good guard. Knowing could help other landlords. I think that you can purchase split halves, some are made of aluminum, but most are very short.
Another thought, if you keep adding netting at the bottom, you never will know if the guard works.
But if you think that it won't work, or if you don't want to take a chance, at least put the netting at the top of the guard, that way you will know if a snake ever got past the guard.
Its important that somebody find out if a 4ft split piece of pvc is a good guard. Knowing could help other landlords. I think that you can purchase split halves, some are made of aluminum, but most are very short.
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Joe Zorn
Yeah, I have seen that many of the commercially made guards are 24" or less. They don't appeal to me much.
I use 1/8 inch cable. So I do not drill a hole at all for it at all. The wood closes up good tight around it, when I pull it together to hook it.
I may have another problem, since you mentioned that the snake got through the 3/8 in hole. My square pole guard is not all that tight at the wooden disk. Probably would a allow one of them 3/8 inch snakes to get
though.
A simple enough fix, though. Thanks for mentioning that.
I use 1/8 inch cable. So I do not drill a hole at all for it at all. The wood closes up good tight around it, when I pull it together to hook it.
I may have another problem, since you mentioned that the snake got through the 3/8 in hole. My square pole guard is not all that tight at the wooden disk. Probably would a allow one of them 3/8 inch snakes to get
though.
A simple enough fix, though. Thanks for mentioning that.
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Guest
You didn't stay on the line when you cut the bottom segments,you need to recut that one for sure. LOL
dick
dick
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flyin-lowe
- Posts: 3788
- Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2006 8:49 am
- Location: Indiana/Henry Co.
I think I'm going to do about the same but I am probably going to go a little bigger and just wrap the guard around the winch.
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Bill Kepley
- Posts: 52
- Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2008 3:10 pm
- Location: Ohio/Richwood
Hi Joe,
Your solution looks great. My question is, do you have a bolt, maybe removable, thru the pole that suspends the guard?
Bill
Your solution looks great. My question is, do you have a bolt, maybe removable, thru the pole that suspends the guard?
Bill
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Joe Zorn
I knew what you meant, Dick. Thanks for the comment. After the first one, the others are moving along pretty good.
Flyin' Low,
I wanted to do that myself, but could not find any lightweight (or affordable) 8" PVC. What I found was either very heavy, or more than I wanted to invest. I watched the comments of others and decided that 6" was satisfactory for the job. The two 10' x 6" pieces I bought were $30 apiece. Big jump when I priced stepping up to the 8" sewer PVC size.
Bill,
Yes, I drilled a hole big enough to insert a 5" x 1/4" bolt through...without any kind of nut. Of course, the inside of the top wooden plate hangs (wobbles) on that bolt. I just open and remove the guard, remove the bolt, and winch down the houses. All that takes about 20 seconds. Putting it back up takes about 30 seconds. Real easy.
Joe
Flyin' Low,
I wanted to do that myself, but could not find any lightweight (or affordable) 8" PVC. What I found was either very heavy, or more than I wanted to invest. I watched the comments of others and decided that 6" was satisfactory for the job. The two 10' x 6" pieces I bought were $30 apiece. Big jump when I priced stepping up to the 8" sewer PVC size.
Bill,
Yes, I drilled a hole big enough to insert a 5" x 1/4" bolt through...without any kind of nut. Of course, the inside of the top wooden plate hangs (wobbles) on that bolt. I just open and remove the guard, remove the bolt, and winch down the houses. All that takes about 20 seconds. Putting it back up takes about 30 seconds. Real easy.
Joe
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flyin-lowe
- Posts: 3788
- Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2006 8:49 am
- Location: Indiana/Henry Co.
I asked about this last year and was warned by many against drilling holes in the pipe. I was told that this will weaken the entire system drastically. It might not be enough to make it fail but if you test the strength of a "solid" piece of pipe and one that has a hole drilled in it there is a big difference.
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Joe Zorn
Flyin' Low
Go with what works for ya. I have several holes in my masts. Some to mount the winch to the mast. Others hold two individual mast segments together, etc.
I cannot tell you what to do with your equipment. Bill asked me a question, and I answered what I had.
I find that many times, the "rules" quoted here are beyond what I think is completely necessary. I guess this is one of those cases.
Hurricane Gustav hit 110mph winds last summer. I did pretty well with my PM poles and with my flag poles. Neither houses nor flags were in the air at the time, but that's a LOT of wind for even a bare pole.
Another thing. My houses are built to about 20% of the weight of other wooden houses. So weight is not a problem in the wind for me.
Whatever satisfies you is the way you should go.
Joe
Go with what works for ya. I have several holes in my masts. Some to mount the winch to the mast. Others hold two individual mast segments together, etc.
I cannot tell you what to do with your equipment. Bill asked me a question, and I answered what I had.
I find that many times, the "rules" quoted here are beyond what I think is completely necessary. I guess this is one of those cases.
Hurricane Gustav hit 110mph winds last summer. I did pretty well with my PM poles and with my flag poles. Neither houses nor flags were in the air at the time, but that's a LOT of wind for even a bare pole.
Another thing. My houses are built to about 20% of the weight of other wooden houses. So weight is not a problem in the wind for me.
Whatever satisfies you is the way you should go.
Joe