Fox Snake and the Bluebirds

[togor]

Wife came in from the garden today. We have bluebird houses on poles and about 6 adults were very agitated near one house. On close inspection a good sized fox snake got past the baffle and had mostly squeezed into the house through the air vent.

So I grabbed the tail and yanked. About a another 3 1/2 feet of snake came out which is about as big as they get around here. That air vent was pretty skinny too so the snake got a good lymphatic massage. All quiet since, no word on birds, house or the snake.

Fox snakes are good on small rodents so I would not want to harm one, but forced to take sides I'll choose the bluebirds.

[Merc]

I had a pretty good week. I noticed a nice healthy 5-6 foot long black snake in our back yard that borders a few hundred acres of densely wooded terrain. It has an ideal habitat of brush piles and low growth vegetation. Then, every evening, a family of deer show up to eat the flowering plants around my house and the seeds I put out for the birds.F48E7AD9-8E13-49CA-8113-B488DB7E0886.jpg

This doe is really bold.

[BlitzKrieg]

Black snakes are pretty clever. Once I was 50 yards behind a group of troops heading down a path in the wood and once they passed by , out across the path moved 2 black snakes a good 4 foot long. I was not expecting that and caught the sight early enough to halt and not be spotted by them. Both snakes moved leisurely across the road and both climbed up a small tree effortlessly. I guess birds was on the menu ? I had never thought a black snake could climb a tree or had the inclination to do so. I had seen bamboo vipers in vegetation / bamboo and scrub during operations in Viet Nam but these black snakes sure surprised me , I never ever thought snakes in USA would be found in trees. Also, that group of troops made a lot of noise and ground vibrations and those 2 black snakes merely let them pass by a foot or so from there hiding place along the path. So much for that myth one makes enough noise walking in the woods to scare snakes away , best to move and keep your eyes on where you're going and watch where you step !~

[lyman]

Black snakes are pretty clever. Once I was 50 yards behind a group of troops heading down a path in the wood and once they passed by , out across the path moved 2 black snakes a good 4 foot long. I was not expecting that and caught the sight early enough to halt and not be spotted by them. Both snakes moved leisurely across the road and both climbed up a small tree effortlessly. I guess birds was on the menu ? I had never thought a black snake could climb a tree or had the inclination to do so. I had seen bamboo vipers in vegetation / bamboo and scrub during operations in Viet Nam but these black snakes sure surprised me , I never ever thought snakes in USA would be found in trees. Also, that group of troops made a lot of noise and ground vibrations and those 2 black snakes merely let them pass by a foot or so from there hiding place along the path. So much for that myth one makes enough noise walking in the woods to scare snakes away , best to move and keep your eyes on where you're going and watch where you step !~

my maternal Grandmother, born and lived on a farm most of here life, had one standing rule,

she was live and let live with all kinds of snakes and such, since all were beneficial ,
she would even relocate the black snakes from the chicken coop to the corn crib (a couple hundred yards away) so they would eat the mice vs the eggs and any chicks,

but if a black snake was ever caught climbing a tree, it was knocked out the tree and kilt,

she said a snake that would climb a tree would climb in the house,
and no snakes allowed in the house

[Liam]

Snakes will defeat a baffle like a length of duct tube, or PVC pipe. But, I don't think they can maneuver around a good old cone-shaped baffle. Some bluebird houses I have seen have two entrance holes on the face of the house allowing an escape (for those old enough to fly).

[High Plaines Doug r]

We had Bull snakes in Colorado, I guess they call them Gopher Snakes here in AZ. Bull snakes can climb Spruce and pines as well as Cottonwood trees after bird eggs or chicks. The Wife hangs flower pots from the eaves of the porch and I've seen them climb up the inside of the drain spout to hang off the gutter and get at nests in the flower pots. I hate to bother them much because they keep rattle snakes at bay so I pull them down when I see them up there.
I pulled one down out of the Spruce tree in our front yard before he got to the two Dove chicks there and chased him into the the railroad ties we had for a terrace. Less than an hour later he'd eaten one and knocked the second one out of the tree. The adult doves abandoned it at that point so I expect he got that one too.

[one shot]

I have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to snakes and bats .

[Merc]

About mid July, I noticed a colony of bats had occupied the attic crawl space in my summer home. They had gained entrance through a loose ridge vent on my roof. I hired a wildlife specialist to remove them but was told I’d have to wait until after August 1st to make sure all the pups that were born in the spring were old enough to fly. So, last week, the specialist showed up and installed a barrier on the ridge vent and installed a tube with a one-way gate that allowed the bats to exit but prevented them from returning. We watched the colony fly off at dusk and counted 29 bats. I had the specialist install a bat box on the edge of my yard to provide a home for them but the transition could take months or years, if at all. They eat an enormous amount of mosquitoes every night so I’m not in favor of exterminating them, but they can create a dangerous situation if they occupy space within a home for any length of time.

[Allen]

I have caught corn snakes (rat snakes) as we call them in the act of climbing up the metal pole of a bird house. The snake was coiled around it, inching itself up. Another snake was already in the house. Both snakes were killed and the birds left for the season.

In my neck of the woods we have houses for purple martin's that, like the bats, eat nothing but mosquitoes. People who move here from the North build those bat houses. The first time I saw one I asked what it was. When told I said who the hell would want to attack bats and have bats in their yards??? I'd rather have the mosquitoes any day.

When I was young I saw the martins everywhere. I still see houses but few martins. They like the houses cleaned out between seasons and I don't think anyone does that any more so other type birds nest there instead.

The pictures below of a nearby pier show the safest way to raise them.

[Merc]

Black snakes and bats may not be cute, but they are very beneficial predators.

Black snakes are beneficial to have around because they mainly prey on rodents. If you’re seeing them preying on birds, it usually means the rodent population has decreased. Baffles will prevent them from attacking nesting birds. Without a food source, black snakes will usually move on. Killing them isn’t a good idea.

Bats can usually consume their weight in insects every night. We haven’t been bothered by mosquitoes all summer. Right now, the bats that were living in my attic are probably roosting in the nearby trees on my property and will find and populate the new bat box soon. The last thing I want is to have them move on to a new territory.

[Allen]

Friends of ours long ago took their family camping. I don't know what conditions they camped out under but upon awaking the next morning they all found they had been bit by something. Since the bites were common to all of them they went to the ER. It was determined that they had been bit by bats during the night. Bats can bite w/o causing pain?

They all had to be given the very painful rabies shots which I hear is administered with long needles that reach the stomach.

We have purple martins. We have bats. We have municipalities fog with insecticides. We still have mosquitoes in abundance.

FYI: I always wondered why the mosquitoes seems to favor me over other people. When outside with groups of people no one would be bothered by the flying hypodermics except for me. The others often noticed it. I always brushed it off saying "they must like beer" even though I seldom down more than a couple of beers a month. I found out very recently that they favor type "B" blood which I have and most others don't have.

[Liam]

I built this bat house to what I thought was a good design several years ago. Mounted high in an oak tree on the edge of my yard. Nada! Not a single bat seen as yet. Choosy little buggers!
bat.jpg

[Allen]

Consider yourself blessed. You have bugs but not bats.

The few bat houses I've seen looked like nothing more than a wooden crate turned upside down with the opening at the bottom nailed to a tree trunk about 20' up or so. I suppose there may be something inside for them to perch on but that may be optional since they can stick to a flat surface.

The only bat house I want to see is one riddled with holes from shotgun blast.

BTW: That's a very attractive deck and yard you have.

[Merc]

Bats are protected under state and federal laws so killing them is illegal. The law said I had to wait until after August 1st to evict them and killing them was not an option.

The bat box that was installed on my property by the wildlife specialist is at the top of a 12 foot tall 4X4 and can house up to 75 bats. It is facing the Southwest and is in full sunlight almost all day. It is painted black so that it absorbs the heat from the sun and provides the ideal daytime temperature. Since it is out in the open, it can be approached from all directions.

The box is their summer home and a place to rear their pups. By October or November, most migratory bats have left while the hibernating bats have found a cave or something similar with a stable temperature to spend the winter.

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I have done all that I can for them and hope to see them occupy the box this or next year.

[Allen]

Alligators were protected here for decades.

The govt said they were endangered while we were over-run with them.

Now the protection is lifted and we have a gator problem mostly caused by the govt.

Not comparing a gator to a flying rat, just pointing out that the govt doesn't always make wise decisions.