Predator Baffle Idea

[salandry54]

http://chuckspurplemartinpage.com/predgard.htmm

This link above is to a website that has what appears to be a good, inexpensive, and easy idea for making a predator baffle. Am going to try it this weekend. Just FYI...

(link edited by forum admin)

[DornCounty]

good idea. What's the rough cost? I have found that stovepipe baffles are pretty cheap about $10 for one that may last 7-10 years.

[Louise Chambers]

Anyone making a bucket guard, be sure to choose a bucket with no external rims, rings, texture, etc. The bucket shown in the photos has some outside rims, probably just decorative, that would be just the thing a snake could use to grip and climb, and defeat the guard.

[John Miller]

the indention rings make me uneasy...suspect a raccoon or snake could get a toehold -- well, not the snake. but snakes zig zag up the sides of things with any sort of indentation to rest on, even the screw heads in the sides of some stove pipe guards.

John

[Louise Chambers]

John, we were thinking the same thing at the same time.

[salandry54]

I am going to try this in conjunction with the other measures I use...netting for snakes and a square of metal mesh at the top (see photo). This bucket is very wide and all the handles are cut off. We have a metal baffle we bought on this site, but I just saw photos posted of a large snake making it up the outside of the baffle. We live close to a bayou, so I am thinking of using this one for the width. I plan to put the snake netting on the underside of the bucket.

[salandry54]

http://chuckspurplemartinpage.com/predgard.htm

Also, view the website on the link above...it should show all the steps how this was made. These large buckets come smooth without rings on them, just need to shop around for those. (See photo for baffle breach)

(link edited by forum admin)

[John Miller]

I see the bucket idea is from Chuck Abare...he's an expert, but take to heart his text that the bucket must not have anything where a raccoon or snake could gain hold. The snake going up the stove pipe appears to be getting just enough support from the screw heads.

This has been a challenge for me at public sities where locks or winch handles and such may give a racoon a leg up, but we keep modifying.

I prefer to put my bird netting -- 3/4 inch -- in a fluffy wad above stove pipe guards to serve as a backup trap, should a snake get that far. Some folks make a wire wreath for it, but to be less permanent, I sometimes attach with a bungee cord -- but standing there like a crazy man obsessing over making the bundle fluffy. Really dislike fiddling with the stuff on a windy day - ha - but it will stop snakes. John M

[Peggy Riley]

I tried this many years ago WITHOUT success. I used one of the blue barrels cut in half. Even ducted tape the seam. I witnessed a large rat snake wrapped half way around the barrel and moving upwards toward the pole. Any ridge is enough for them to get a grip. I would put netting inside the bucket.

Good luck.

Peggy

[salandry54]

Am not going to cut the bucket in half and make all those adjustments with seams, screws, etc. We found a large 5 gal smooth bucket and only plan to make a hole in the center with no seams at all...will cut off all ridges around the neck and any handles...we plan to slip the bucket over the pole (upside down) and then put the clamp wrapped in a piece of hose around the pole to hold the bucket onto the pole and to close any opening from the hole in the bucket. Since it will rest on the largest portion of the telescoping pole, it can be slid up when dropping the pole down for nest checks. Also bought netting today.
John, we also have had fits with the netting...my husband curses whenever we have to nest checks because of the tangled mess of netting.

[~Ray~Gingerich]

A large snake can easily bypass the length of a 5 gal. bucket. If that's what you intend to use back it up with netting, better yet use electric fencer

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

If you use a bucket, make sure that it fits tightly. I had about a 2.5ft rat snake squeeze thru about a 5/16in crack between the tall bucket (about 8inches taller than a 5 gallon) and the pole.. Fortunately, I got it quickly. This happened many years ago, but they can climb good and can get thru very small openings. The sun quickly ruined the bucket, so then I went to using 4ft of pvc at the base of the pole. The bucket may work if its real flexible and has no ridges, and if its attached to the bottom of the housing.

[salandry54]

Thank you for all of the suggestions...I definitely like to know what works and what does not. Will definitely be using netting from what I have been reading on here. Also the square predator guard right below our PM house has very sharp edges...this was purchased at our local WBU store and is made locally for only our local store...cannot be bought nationally.

[GeneP]

This is a pet peeve of mine, this particular website. They've stolen all of Chucks free content and monetized it for gain. That's stealing someone else work.

It's no different than if I were to take all the information off the PMCA site, build a website, put money making advertising on it and then credit the PMCA for the information. That won't keep me out of trouble.

I'll get off my soapbox now, this was the second time I saw this website mentioned here.

As far as Chucks actual predator guard, see his website. It's not as simple but may be more effective.

Forum admin: links have been replaced with Chuck's page links.