Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I posted this in the Lost/Escaped forum, but that forum doesnt look that popular.

My 4' salmon boa got out of its cage while I was on vacation, mostly due to me not double checking the pin that locks the sliding top in place. I went on vacation last Tuesday, got back on Sunday to find my mistake. After a quick look, I was able to see a small sliver of scales behind my monitor cage. The good thing is all cages are in a 10'x8' shed. The shed has reflectix insulation and is pretty secure (no holes to the outside). I wasnt able to get to the snake when I saw it on Sunday, and have been monitoring to see if it was in a more open place the whole week, but to no avail. I did some extensive searching last night. The monitor cage is 8x4x8, so it takes up half of the shed, with only a foot or so on each side to squeeze by if you want to look behind it. It is also off the ground on cinder blocks. What I think is happening is that the cinders are hollow, so he is curled up in one of them. Problem is that I have to take the top of the monitor cage apart to get to some of the blocks.

I'm planning on tearing the shed apart this weekend, unless I can get him out another way. I am thinking of a trap of somehow with a live mouse. His cage is a 40 gal glass with sliding top. Should I put it on the ground with the mouse in it? Will the snake smell the mouse? Or shoudl I use a critter carrier and not let the snake get to the mouse?

Anyone have some good "traps"...I can monitor the situation every 30 minutes or so. The cage is heated, so he's been getting 72 at night and 80's during the day, so he should be hungry,but I never see him near the heater.

If all else fails, its cleaning day for the shed, haha.

Thanks to all with good ideas!

Picture is taken right outside of the shed -

Update -
Last night, I put his cage on the ground, right next to the monitor cage (where I think he is hiding under)with a nice-sized live rat in the cage where he has clear view of it. I left the top open just enough so that he could get in, but probably not out after eating the rat. I have the heat pad plugged in under his favorite hide. No sign of him last night, but maybe he'll come around today. Would he more likely smell a dead rat, than a live one? How long until it stinks to high hell?

You could try a couple of drops of gasoline in the snakes general area if you can get to it. He will come out like a bat out of hell if he gets a wiff of it. I did this about 15 yrs ago when a rainbow boa of mine went into a hole in my cinder block wall foundation. I put a few drops in the hole and he came flying out. They hate the smell, and a few drops wont hurt the snake.