Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We have a farm in south Georgia and looking for advise on helping with a rattlesnake problem. I have heard kingsakes could be a good solution. I was wondering if they would help?
If they could help what type would do best in the hot south Georgia climate and how many snakes per acre would be a good number. Thanks for any suggestions and ideas.

Actually, the wild species that are native to your part of the woods right now are doing their part as we speak, you would have even more than you think you do now, if they were not there.
There are Eastern Kings, Florida/goini Kings(main players), as well as a few Mole Kings, (for young rattlers).......I don't know how much acreage you have, but collect all you can from surrounding areas and then release them they will eventually find their own comfortable level of population even if you introduce them artificially.
I don't know of any data to my knowledge as to the "proper" amount per acre, as any given property would have many variables from one to the next.(eg...rat/mouse populations, etc..)
In any case, good luck with the pop. control!............Doug
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Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!

This suggestion is both illegal and foolhardy, and would bring about the death of some of the kings being released. Bad idea all around.

Jason

Thanks for info. That was the reason I was asking I did not have any knowledge in snakes.

I have found the canebreaks in Georgia to be very ready to rattle when you are at all close to them and also ready to strike, but I have never found myself to close to one that didn't rattle first. What I am trying to say is you will likely know they are there before you step on them. It will scare the crap out of you but you will most likely not be close enough to be in danger. If you remove fallen trees and fill in their root holes you should be able to eliminate the area they over winter. Also pick up all boards and tin on the property and put all wood stacks on something of the ground.

If you get a pair of tongs and gently carry any rattlers found on your property off the property they will not likely ever appear where you found them again. Something researchers are finding out is that when molested in any way the rattlers won't return to the area they were touched again. So you don't need to kill them to get them off your property. They are very sensitive and delicate animals, and they are not nearly as bad as you think. I have heard some amazing stories in Georgia from many off the good old boys (many named Bubba ) but not much truth was ever spoken. It takes very little to kill them even if you don't see them die. It is not hard to do either, even though when you hear about it from somebody they make it sound like they where on safari and almost died. They do so much more good than harm I don't get why people kill them. Actually I do get it, they are scared to death of them from all the BS stories floating around.

Point is they will leave and not come back if you just pick them up and move them. You can find some tongs at Midwest tongs website if you do a search for them on google. It is also a good idea to have a pair of tongs if you are in a area where they are common. More snake bites happen when people are trying to kill a snake than any other way. Outside the hobby of course.

Jason

Besides what was already mentioned....the kingsnakes won't hang around that person's property and eat the rattlesnakes. Although kingsnakes can eat rattlesnakes it is not their main food source.

A better idea is to get rid of the rattlesnakes themselves (relocate or kill) or get rid of their habitat on his property and to get rid of their food source (already mentioned).... but then he would have to do the surrounding properties.....

Or he could cohabitate with them like we do here in Arizona LOL

Kerby...
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Lonesome Valley Reptiles
www.lonesomevalleyreptiles.com
Specializing In California Kingsnakes

If you are serious, then it may be better to try and control the population of what they are feeding on. Namely rodents. The rattlesnakes are doing their part in that I suppose or you'd have even more mice and rats.

Of course you cannot release any captive bred kingsnakes,(note that possessing any indigenous kings is not legal either)and finding some from close by would take some effort too. At this time of year they are sometimes found right beside each other under cover.
Relocating snakes is iffy at best anyway I bet. And possibly illegal.
Remove the food source and maybe you'll remove the snakes...
There may be a nuisance animal removal service in your area. Check into it as well.
:Mark
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Surrender Dorothy!

www.crimsonking.funtigo.com

Check out www.socalsnakeremoval.com. My friend may have some solutions for you.

reako45

actually its a good idea, but it just doesn't work that way. You already have kings in the area and they are in balance with the rattlesnakes. (which are only an occasional part of their diet anyway) If you just dumped on some more kings, they would just leave in search of food, or displace the kings you already have.

This is also illegal.

I would try to eliminate mice and ground cover/debris, which both attract snakes.

With all of this useful advice, I'm surprised nobody in the GA area has offered to come remove them yet. Sounds like a great/useful excuse for a herping trip. When locals in my area have concerns with venomous snakes, there are a number of people from our local herp society who are glad to have an excuse to get to know some local hot populations better, and actually use our "unique" hobby to serve and educate the public.

It reminds me of the Bill Love article in REPTILES a few months ago about a friend he had in the south who would leave car hoods on people's properties and then come back on "herping trips" and remove and relocate the hots to another area. If I didn't live so far up north I'd throw some tin around your land and come back in a couple weeks to relocate your rattlesnakes!
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Jesse Rothacker
Forgotten Friend Reptile Sanctuary
www.forgottenfriend.org

YOU HAVE EASTERN KINGS IN YOUR AREA IT MIGHT OVERCROSS WITH THE FLORIDA KING THEY WILL EAT RATTLESNAKES AND THEY DO

about the ONLY message or idea given that I would say is legal, and environmentally friendly would be getting rid of things that attract them such as cover and rodents. I can't believe so many of you were ok with suggesting killing or relocating the snakes, as relocating will usually end up in a snake's death anywyas. They were there first and ridding the property of possible den sites would just further make them rare, especially if they are canebrakes, which in most areas are threatened, so if you have a good population there live with it. They aren't going out of their way to attack anybody and will most likely rattle if you approach so the danger should not be that hi. the more you try to rid the property of them, the more likely you are oging to get bit anyways, your chances are better to just live and let live in this case, as most.

WELL I HAVE YET TO SEE ANY ONE OFFER THIS SUGGESTION BUT YOU MAY WANT TO TRY LIME AND MOTHBALLS I ALSO LIVE ON A FARM IN NORTH GA AND OCCASIONALLY RELOCATE MY COMMUNITIES UNWANTED GUEST. BUT I DO THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF WHAT MOST PEOPLE WOULD THINK I RELOCATE THEM TO THE AREA AROUND MY HOUSE I HAVE USED THE MOTHBALLS UNDER MY HOUSE JUST SO I DON'T GET A SUPRISE IF I HAVE TO FIX A BROKEN PIPE. THE MOTHBALLS WORK IN THE SAME WAY THAT ALCOHOL DOES IT BOTHERS THEIR JACOBSON ORGAN BUT TI DOESN'T HURT THEM AND THE LIME JUST IRRATATES THEIR UNDERSIDE CAUSING THEM TO STAY AWAY FROM ANY BORDER YOU MAKE WITH IT AND LIKE MANY SAY THE BEST WAY IS TO CLEAN UP ANY POSSIBLE AREA THEY COULD BED IN AND THOSE THAT YOU CANT BE MOVED APPLY THE MOTHBALLS OR LIME. THE KINGSNAKE THEORY DOESN'T SEEM TO WORK AND YES IT IS ILLEGAL TO BOTHER THEM HERE IN GA AND THE REASON MOST PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO COME REMOVE THEM IS THE FACT THAT SOME HUGE RATTLESNAKES RESIDE IN SOUTH GA I USED TO LIVE IN CORDELE GA AND IVE SEEN SOME 7' SNAKES AND THAT BECOMES A LITTLE RISKY TO TANGLE WITH. BUT WHATEVER YOU DECIDE PLEASE DON'T KILL THEM BECAUSE THEY DO MORE GOOD ALIVE THAN DEAD

I wish I had that problem-the only rattlesnakes I have seen are in captive collections-and I live two counties away fron a big timber den. I want a picture of a wild rattler, but they're well-protected in northeast Iowa-the few people who know where to find them are keeping their mouths shut so nobody catches or kills them(a good thing, I'd rather not see them than not have them there).

ANY KINGSNAKEIN THE AREA WILL DO YOU SHOULD HAVE EASTERN, GOINI,
FLORIDA KINGS IN YOUR AREA BUT THEY JUST DONT EAT RATTLESNAKES
MICE AND RATS BIRDS AND OTHER HARMLESS SNAKES TOOUSE KING IN YOUR AREA OK?GOOD LUCK