Pulse deterrents - do they actually deter snakes?

[DiscoMick]

The Navigator is unhappy about the local pythons eating the chooks (the chooks also seem a bit against it too [emoji15]).
The chook cage has been rewired to try to close the gaps, but the snakes are still hanging around.
So she was in a hardware store and came back with this thing, which claims to emit a pulse which the snakes sense and avoid.
I'm a bit sceptical, but I'll give it a go.
My question is, can anyone say if these things work, or are they a waste of money?
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20191108/306acbb50be935f5d7aee0fe874c65b4.jpg

[POD]

Sounds like you will soon be in a better position than most to decide whether they work! Will be interesting to see how you go.

[Slunnie]

They don't work. Our snake and reptile man said he has seen snakes on top of them.

The only thing that works he said was some weird oil mix (not motor oil!!!), I cant recall the blend but its on the internet somewhere, but apparently you can pour it into the ground, concrete etc and it it totally sets off their sense of smell so they leave it alone.

[scarry]

I know some dog breeders near Grafton.
They lost 8 dogs to snakebites in one year,a few years ago.
They tried them and do think they help,but don't know how much,as they made other changes as well.

Maybe the chook pen needs a renovation?
One of my sons lives out Brookfield way,and there are a few huge carpet snakes around,one recently ate the neighbours cat[bighmmm]

He has rebuilt his chook pen,now no issues at all.
The local fox has had a good crack at digging under the wall of the pen,but couldn't get in either.

[travelrover]

Apparently marigolds generate a pungent odor that repels snakes. No personal experience but what I have heard recently. We have planted some to see if they have any impact on the numerous red belly blacks around the house and sheds..

Cheers - Simon

[V8Ian]

Tried them here, no effect. Electrify the fence.

[Ancient Mariner]

The .410 brands work well[biggrin]

[Bigbjorn]

Tried them here, no effect. Electrify the fence.

Got a few chook duffers up there in Ippy, have you?[bigwhistle]

[Tins]

Nearly all so called electronic repellents, be for snakes, possums, rodents or even cats seem not to work. Travelrover has a plan though. I can't speak for snakes and marigolds, but I can recommend you search 'companion planting', which is a millennia old practice of keeping pests away. Most organic farmers use this practice, which keeps pests, both insect and animal, of their crops. Why not snakes? Worth a look.

[Tins]

The .410 brands work well[biggrin]

Indeed. Lady's gun be damned, .410s rock. Trouble is, you'll need three man shifts... OK, two as they don't move much at night.

[101RRS]

No they do not work - look at aussie snake catcher you tube vids and they all say they do not work.

Also my 91yo mum has two in her suburban back yard that make that irritating noise - April last year spotted a 3 ft red belly curled up next to one that was chirping away - snake was quite happy.

[trout1105]

Get your money back and spend it on some budgie netting, Snakes struggle to get through the small mesh[thumbsupbig]

[Graeme]

A few days ago a brown couldn't find its way back out of the bird cage through the budgie netting. Lots of browns here but I wont allow them to get used to being around the house so the trusty snake-chopper was put to use again. Too many times I've encountered them outside the back steps so the chopper lives at the edge of the verandah.

[ozscott]

Tried them here, no effect. Electrify the fence.Yep. I have a few. I'm impressed that after 5 years or so they still wobble. The only thing that works with snakes at our place (we get lots of browns) is my little Jack Russel. Natural born killers. You can't stop them. It's inherent. Cheers

[bob2s]

Perhaps this might work.

snake deterrent | Emu Ridge (https://www.emuridge.com.au/snake-deterrent/?fbclid=IwAR1b1iDJyKF9BSJsJG-tpLSC7XXT4qWvEPXztiKUaYqK0fwRNwJhNu)

[4bee]

I reckon the pong of Marigolds would put everything off including me, so your chooks are safe from a Southern Invasion Mick.[smilebigeye]

Yep, Jack Russel's rock but as quick as they are they can still get bitten. Much better on rats though.:bat:

[travelrover]

Perhaps this might work.

snake deterrent | Emu Ridge (https://www.emuridge.com.au/snake-deterrent/?fbclid=IwAR1b1iDJyKF9BSJsJG-tpLSC7XXT4qWvEPXztiKUaYqK0fwRNwJhNu)

Interesting read, but that stuff is not cheap and if you have to keep reapplying will become a very expensive exercise for a larger area (such as around our house and sheds).

Particularly interesting about the effects of spraying directly on the snake!! I don’t wish to get that close to a brown.

We also get green tree snakes which seem to live in our roof cavity cos they are after the micro bats which nest in the gaps around our windows (weather board house) and wip-snakes that present no threat to us but more wanting to keep the red belly blacks and particularly browns away. I guess all the approaches here are an all or nothing solution.

[4bee]

Particularly interesting about the effects of spraying directly on the snake!! I don’t wish to get that close to a brown.

Really? I don't think the writer meant a Hairdresser's spray bottle but more a Garden or Knapsack sprayer yer know, big balls stuff artillery .

But you knew that, roight?[tonguewink]


In 37 years here I've only spotted 1x Brown but plenty of semi-protected Mount Lofty Copperheads near water courses.

Not long after moving here & being a "city lad" & pig ignorant of things rural I dispatched a Copper with the rake. Can't really miss with a Rake. I felt quite guilty afterwards. [happycry]

They are a lovely looking snake but can't bite a human because the mouth doesn't open far enough, but if they do try & they get you on the web of skin betwixt thumb & forefinger that apparently can be painful same as if they could bite a small dog or cat if they could get the gob open far enough.

Me? I'm not sticking my hand out despite them being a "friendly" creature.

N B.You do realise when I said Copper I meant a snake & not the local Gendarme. I would hate SAPOL Angas St to think I did one of her Majesty's finests in.[biggrin]

[NavyDiver]

The Navigator is unhappy about the local pythons eating the chooks (the chooks also seem a bit against it too [emoji15]).
The chook cage has been rewired to try to close the gaps, but the snakes are still hanging around.
So she was in a hardware store and came back with this thing, which claims to emit a pulse which the snakes sense and avoid.
I'm a bit sceptical, but I'll give it a go.
My question is, can anyone say if these things work, or are they a waste of money?
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20191108/306acbb50be935f5d7aee0fe874c65b4.jpg

Had a few dozen snakes let go on the wooden floor of the Austrian Club in Heidelberg with dozens of BIG guys finding yoga poses on their chairs to get there feet of the floor in an amazing display a few years ago Mick.

The snake man was more than a little interesting on Myth busting. Stamping your feet when walking as snakes feel the vibrations an flee was well busted as he Jumped up and down with vigor on the floor with the snakes clearly not reacting in the slightest to the vibrations we could feel 20 metres from him jumping [thumbsupbig]

Not sure at all if the item your considering will work better than stamping while bush walking ( It doesn't). I'd be a bit skeptical as well. Does it have a money back guarantee?

Not looking good according to this snake (http://www.aaanimalcontrol.com/snake-repellent.htm)catcher. The word fraud appears in that link.

[Gav 110]

From personal experience Guinea Fowl, had them roaming the farm for a couple of years and haven’t had any snakes (haven’t seen any) since they have been on guard
Seen them ganging up on something in the grass down by the river too far away to see what it was but a lot of noise and jumping up to attack from all directions
Used to get gwardars and browns hanging around all the time before we got the fowl
Worth a try if you can put up with the noise of them in the morning
Gav

[101RRS]

The only thing that works with snakes at our place (we get lots of browns) is my little Jack Russel. Natural born killers. You can't stop them. It's inherent.

Until it gets tagged and it will sooner or later.

[4bee]

Easy peasy, get yourselves a Mongoose or two. Job done. Put it on a leash & you could take it down to Pub as a conversation piece.


The Indian gray mongoose and others are well known for their ability to fight and kill venomous snakes, particularly cobras. They are adept at such tasks due to their agility, thick coats, and specialized acetylcholine receptors that render them resistant or immune to snake venom.

Just don't fall asleep with your willy hanging out though. "Ouch! wtf was that?" [biggrin][biggrin][biggrin][bigsad]


Und speaking of villys
Diver, I trust the Austrians vere vearing der Leder hosen leather Pants to protect theirs just in case? [bigsad] [biggrin]

[V8Ian]

Just don't fall asleep with your willy hanging out though. "Ouch! wtf was that?" [biggrin][biggrin][biggrin][bigsad]


Advice from the voice of experience? [bighmmm]

[4bee]

That'd be telling Ian.. [bigsad]

No it isn't, I have never met a Mongoose, I just have a vivid imagination (too vivid sometimes :rolleyes:) & it's not hard to visualise the consequences, but if did have one I'd certainly lend it to Mick or the Navigator.

[jonesfam]

Get a couple of Roosters.
Very aggressive & will protect their hens.
Unfortunately they can be a aggressive to people as well.
Jonesfam

[scarry]

Easy peasy, get yourselves a Mongoose or two. Job done. Put it on a leash & you could take it down to Pub as a conversation piece.

In another life,when we lived in West Africa,everyone had a pet Mongoose or two.

They were ferocious bloody things when it came to snakes.

[ozscott]

Until it gets tagged and it will sooner or later.Can't stop him mate. We stopped counting after a few dozen. He is 8 and yep eventually he will get done. But he enjoys life in the meantime. You can't stop a JRT hunting. Like sticking your finger in the dyke. Besides browns around the house (and that's where he gets them) is not on in terms of the kids. Cheers

[gruntfuttock]

One of the local wineries had problems with snakes, and the owner would under no circumstance get them moved or killed, and a they were around the house with his grandchildren he put some kind of thing that puts an electric pulse in the ground, no sound, not ultrasonic but electric, hasn’t seen a snake at his house since. But I don’t know what it was or what it was called.

[4bee]

In another life,when we lived in West Africa,everyone had a pet Mongoose or two.

They were ferocious bloody things when it came to snakes.

When 'er indoors lived in East Effrica (Italian Somaliland/Somalia) post war, her dad being WO1 with MBE in REME, the Workshops had a Cheetah roaming loose all over the place.
Her name was Chewy (very apt [smilebigeye]) & when she outgrew her surroundings & got into mischief she was given to some geezer to look after.

[vnx205]

.... ...
The snake man was more than a little interesting on Myth busting. Stamping your feet when walking as snakes feel the vibrations an flee was well busted as he Jumped up and down with vigor on the floor with the snakes clearly not reacting in the slightest to the vibrations we could feel 20 metres from him jumping [thumbsupbig]
... ....
.

Years ago I was chipping out thistles with a hoe. I almost stepped on a huge brown snake.

If belting the ground with a hoe to remove thistles doesn't encourage a snake to move away, then I don't think stamping your feet will work.

[alan48]

We have a few around our farm house and have not had any snakes since--but of course can't prove they are the deterrent but certainly do no harm.Cost about $43 from local hardware and solar powered,just push into the ground, pulse every few minutes. [smilebigeye]

[4bee]

GF.



Possibly these?



https://www.sureguard.com.au/page/snake-deterrents (https://www.sureguard.com.au/page/snake-deterrents)

[scarry]

Can't stop him mate. We stopped counting after a few dozen. He is 8 and yep eventually he will get done. But he enjoys life in the meantime. You can't stop a JRT hunting. Like sticking your finger in the dyke. Besides browns around the house (and that's where he gets them) is not on in terms of the kids. Cheers

One of my brothers had a bits and pieces farm dog,collie/kelpie/koolie mixture.
It killed a ridiculous number red bellied and browns over the years,never got bitten,died at 16yrs from old age.

[scarry]

When 'er indoors lived in East Effrica (Italian Somaliland/Somalia) post war, her dad being WO1 in REME, the Workshops had a Cheetah roaming loose all over the place.
Her name was Chewy (very apt [smilebigeye]) & when she outgrew her surroundings & got into mischief she was given to some geezer to look after.

Our Dad had a pet Crowned Hawk eagle,at the time.

He made up a perch for it in the back of the Series 1,so when we were away travelling,it came with us,as there was no one to look after it.

I have actually got a pic of it in the LR somewhere,i will have to dig it out and post it up.

[scarry]

Our Dad had a pet Crowned Hawk eagle,at the time.

He made up a perch for it in the back of the Series 1,so when we were away travelling,it came with us,as there was no one to look after it.

I have actually got a pic of it in the LR somewhere,i will have to dig it out and post it up.

For those that are interested,apologies to the OP,a bit off topic,but it is an LR forum[biggrin]

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49036920428_0a743dbd9c_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2hHe32j)IMG_1355 (https://flic.kr/p/2hHe32j)[/url]

Now back on topic,came across these a few weeks ago,browns,arguing over a female.

Luckily we saw them before the dog did.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48825897167_65888d912b_c.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/138972781@N07/) [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/138972781@N07/] (https://flic.kr/p/2hozuae)

[DiscoMick]

Thanks for all your feedback guys, that's great.
A couple of explanatory points.
We're currently traveling, but before we went away we reinforced the wiring and the pythons haven't got in since.
However, a chook disappeared while loose in the backyard and the grandson thinks it was a red belly or brown, but isn't sure.
So the wife is keen to defend her girls in any way possible.
Responding to a couple of posts:
Can't do an electric fence Ian, it might fry the chooks or dogs. Plus I'd have to cover the whole chook run, which is quite large.
Had roosters but they were useless - just cowered in the corner.
Not getting a hawk, although they are lovely. I'm not a Saudi sheikh.
Got two dogs at the house, but they wouldn't know how to kill a snake. Total wuses.
Guinea fowl are an interesting idea. They were roaming around in Ravenshoe and other campers said they are great for deterring snakes and also eat ticks. I've heard the noise they make and it wouldnt worry me. Might investigate that.
The Navigator has already bought the deterrent I pictured, so I'm stuck with it.
When we get home I'll stick it in place and see if it makes any difference.
Meanwhile, if anyone has any other bright ideas, I'm all ears.

[101RRS]

However, a chook disappeared while loose in the backyard and the grandson thinks it was a red belly or brown, but isn't sure.


If the chook was dead in the backyard then maybe a red belly (unlikely) or a brown but if the chook went missing from the backyard I would consider a python but more likely a fox.

[jonesfam]

If the chook was dead in the backyard then maybe a red belly (unlikely) or a brown but if the chook went missing from the backyard I would consider a python but more likely a fox.

Or a Gosshawk.
They took mobs of our chooks at Ravenshoe.
And Yes, Guinea Fowl are excellent snake deterrent but you need a few.
Jonesfam

[4bee]

Not to be outdone by a Crowned Hawk cadging a ride in a Land Rover [wink11] I found some images of the Cheetah but they were sent & copied in PDF (Why?) years ago & I can't seem to copy & post them here. I only have the basic B & W box Brownie image of those times.

Animal's name was in fact Chui not Chewy.[smilebigeye]


But I guess you have all seen a Cheetah? Or a Cheater?[happycry]

[Bigbjorn]

Some time ago there was a TV series on unusual pets. A guy in California had a cheetah. The property had 10' fences and a gate sign saying "Watch Cheetah on duty. He can run 100 yards in 5 seconds. Can you?"

[4bee]

Sort of like "You have been warned" eh?

[Gav 110]

Guinea fowls also good for Portuguese millipede as well as ticks
Come to think of it they’ll eat any insect that gets spotted by them
Yes you’ll need a few ( maybe a dozen) but they definitely work
Gav

[Bigbjorn]

Guinea fowls also good for Portuguese millipede as well as ticks
Come to think of it they’ll eat any insect that gets spotted by them
Yes you’ll need a few ( maybe a dozen) but they definitely work
Gav

I don't know about their usefulness around snakes but Indian Runner ducks are the duck's nuts when it comes to insect control. They forage ceaselessly all day sticking their necks and beaks under low branches and leaves. Never had a snail, grasshopper, grub when I had a pair of Indian Runners. Let them out of their coop in the morning and they ran straight down to the garden and fossicked for breakfast. When I was turning over a garden bed they would be practically on top of the shovel foraging in the turned over soil. Are geese any good at repelling snakes? They are bloody aggressive when they have goslings in the gaggle. They keep God botherers and charity collectors out.

[Tombie]

A litre bike riding straight by a nice Eastern Brown warming itself on the highway yesterday didnt seem to deter it either...

Just raised its head as I went zipping by.


All these electronic units are useless.
(I'm also a qualified Snake Handler - remove them from the work sites all the time)

[scarry]

A litre bike riding straight by a nice Eastern Brown warming itself on the highway yesterday didnt seem to deter it either...

Just raised its head as I went zipping by.


All these electronic units are useless.
(I'm also a qualified Snake Handler - remove them from the work sites all the time)

Actually,As the vehicle or bike speeds past,they will often strike at the tyres.

Seen this mainly up north with Browns and Taipans sunning themselves on the edge of the road.

[101RRS]

Actually,As the vehicle or bike speeds past,they will often strike at the tyres.

Seen this mainly up north with Browns and Taipans sunning themselves on the edge of the road.

45 years ago I lived in Cairns and had a 250 Cooper Trail Bike that I used to ride in the hills behind the town. There was a track that went overland over the mountains to Mareeba and I decided to check it out, wearing my top class riding gear, stubbies and japanese riding boots - it was feet up on the tank most of the way with all the taipans sunning themselves on the track and rearing up as I went past all upset at the noise my 2 stroke was making.

Similar thing a couple of years later on King Island in the Bass Strait when driving around in the local cops Kingswood, the big black tiger snakes would rear up at the car but they tended to get bounced by the Kingswood bumper.

Garry

[BMKal]

45 years ago I lived in Cairns and had a 250 Cooper Trail Bike that I used to ride in the hills behind the town. There was a track that went overland over the mountains to Mareeba and I decided to check it out, wearing my top class riding gear, stubbies and japanese riding boots - it was feet up on the tank most of the way with all the taipans sunning themselves on the track and rearing up as I went past all upset at the noise my 2 stroke was making.

Similar thing a couple of years later on King Island in the Bass Strait when driving around in the local cops Kingswood, the big black tiger snakes would rear up at the car but they tended to get bounced by the Kingswood bumper.

Garry

The tigers on King Island had a nasty habit of attaching themselves to the underside of your vehicle if you ran over them, and then dropping out to give you a lovely surprise (or worse) when you stopped. Ask me how I know this.

I will never forget once when my then girlfriend from Adelaide was visiting and I took her for a drive up to Egg Lagoon and into some of the tracks around Yellow Rock. On the way in, I ran over a large tiger that was crossing the track and, looking in the mirror, I saw no sign of it behind me. When we got to the beach, I proceeded to drive with a bit of speed in the shallow water to knock it off. My girlfriend thought I was having a lend of her .............. until the snake eventually dropped out onto the sand. We turned around and watched it move off into the scrub.

[Tombie]

Actually,As the vehicle or bike speeds past,they will often strike at the tyres.

Seen this mainly up north with Browns and Taipans sunning themselves on the edge of the road.

We had the Taipans doing that to the LVs up north.

[DiscoMick]

I remember the BIL and I taking a red belly black for a little drive away from their house outside Lismore. So we go about 5 KS into the bush, shake the snake out of the bag on the ground and start walking back to the vehicle. Look back and see the snake coming after us fast, heading straight for the vehicle. We run like hell, just beat it there, jump in and shut the doors. The snake then starts striking my passenger door. Glad I had the window up. [emoji15]
Drove off at warp speed, hoping the snake hadn't attached itself to the underside of the vehicle. Got out very rapidly back home and peered underneath, but couldn't see it.

[rapserv]

Indeed. Lady's gun be damned, .410s rock. Trouble is, you'll need three man shifts... OK, two as they don't move much at night.

ahhh ... I think most snakes are nocturnal ... although browns like to hunt in the day :-(

[Tombie]

Didn’t grab my phone out in time; watched a Perentie and Eastern Brown having a heated discussion today [emoji41]

Lizard won!

[DiscoMick]

So, now we're back in Maleny, The Navigator has just charged and installed the snake pulse deterrents she bought up north to save her precious hens from the marauding local pythons.
The instructions are quite picky about how to install them. The soil has to be firm and the support post sunk so the unit is 50 cm above ground level or the pulse won't transmit properly. The units have to be five metres apart.
So, now the question is, how do we know if they work? If the snakes still come, then the deterrents have failed. If the snakes don't come, then either the deterrents worked, or else there were no snakes.
Time will tell...
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20191204/0d7c9f020f3a8bf1a9c6feb3c9243da9.jpg

[4bee]

Also could be the Snakes have ****ed on them & shorted out the circuit boards & snuk off into the hinterland & having a laugh? If they wore aluminium/tin foil hats I suppose they could have got close enough to do that.[smilebigeye]


As you say "Time will tell"

BTW, are you sure 'The Nav' bought the right thing as they look a bit like an Israeli Pressure Mine for Tanks, not snakes, so be careful walking around in your slippers in the dark or missing chickens will be the least of your worries..[bigsad]


:Rolling:

[Bigbjorn]

Also could be the Snakes have ****ed on them & shorted out the circuit boards & snuk off into the hinterland & having a laugh? If they wore aluminium hats I suppose they could have got close enough to do that.[smilebigeye]


As you say "Time will tell"

BTW, are you sure 'The Nav' bought the right thing as they look a bit like an Israeli Pressure Mine for Tanks, not snakes, so be careful walking around in your slippers in the dark or missing chickens will be the least of your worries..[bigsad]


:Rolling:

Could be made in the same factory. Do they have IDI on them anywhere? Maybe even have a chip that says Kadish as you step on them. Kalashnikov made motor bikes and AK's in the same factory.

[DiscoMick]

They sit there and periodically emit a buzz as they send out the pulse. Saw a chook standing next to one looking very puzzled at the buzzing. [emoji15]
Funny to watch.