Poison to kill snakes?

[Lung Per]

The wife discovered a snake crawling under our house. She only got a short glimpse of the bugger but says it was about 50 cm long and yellow or orangeish. It was probably feeding on the many toads in our garden - which is OK - I hate having to shake toads out of my shoes.
Anyways, I want to get rid of the bugger and its possible offspring but I do not have the time or patience to sit guard at the snake hole all night with my shotgun.
So what to do? Is there such a thing as a poison that specifically kill snakes and if so, where to buy?

[Spitfire]

Not sure about the poison LP but I'm surprise the Mrs and in-laws/Thai friends haven't been mentioning the bad luck factor of having a snake under the house as many are superstitous about such things and want the house cleansed, rather like the bed can't face east or burying a pig's head under the ground of a new house, monks blessing cars and they gain value etc.

[PeteC]

I don't think there is such a thing as snake poison. They only eat live prey and would probably ignore a dead and bated mouse carcass. I'd start by taking a garden hose full force and stuff it down the hole for several minutes and see what happens. If they all flee, stuff the hole with rocks or cement it over. Pete

PS: The locals here sprinkle powdered sulphur in their gardens and areas where snakes have been spotted. Say it's a repellent.

[Nereus]

If you know where the hole is, you could try one of those glue boards used for catching rats. You can buy ready made ones, or a tin of the sticky stuff and place it on a piece of board or cardboard. Add one of your toads to entice him out!

[crazy88]

Put lime down the hole, lots of it, then flood and wait. Won't take long unless it has reached a void under the house itself.

Crazy 88

[hhfarang]

We have lots of snakes. I look at it this way. They were here before us and most of them, even the poisonous ones, don't mean us (humans) any harm. I let them be unless I feel that my dogs or wife are threatened and even then I do my best to move them to an uninhabited area, if the dogs don't get to them first. They actually perform a service by killing and eating the rats and other small vermin that inhabit our neighborhoods.

As for Thai superstition, my wife believes snakes mean good luck (even thought she hates them and is deathly afraid of them). When she was in the real estate business she claims every time she saw a snake and didn't harm it, she made a sale in the next few days.

Anyway, other than the Malayan Pit Viper, I haven't found a snake here that doesn't flee from humans.

[STEVE G]

This website gives some interesting ideas for using clove or cinnamon oils to drive away snakes without harming them:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/pubs/tn_w ... llent.html

[PeteC]

Put lime down the hole, lots of it, then flood and wait. Won't take long unless it has reached a void under the house itself.Crazy 88

Flood with gin and tonic, wait, and they'll come out dancing the macarena. Pete

[PeteC]

Am sure you guys have experienced this as those common myna birds are everywhere here. When you see them perched, looking down and squawking there heads off without fail there is a snake or cat hiding beneath where they are. Every snake except one I've found at our place here because of them. Good security! Pete

[Takiap]

Agree with you HHF. I too have only found the M Pit Viper to be an arrogant bastard. Found quite a few of them on the property, but none in the last 2 or 3 months. I did kill the ones I found as I have two young kids, and like you say, the MPV's don't seem to be keen on moving when you spot them. Also, it's always at night that I discover them, thanks to my Rottweiler.

At present we have something bloody huge living under the house. I've found dead toads daily over the last couple of weeks, and now it's got to a point where there are hardly any left on the property. I went ahead and jammed a few bits of concrete in the hole where the snakes is and it simply pushes the concrete back out. Anyway, I'm not concerned and I appreciate it helping out with the toad problem. Guess I won't have any rats about either.

My wife has never mentioned whether snakes are good luck or bad luck, but we also have a couple of bats living under the house, and according to her, that's bad luck. Difference of opinion really because I think it's good luck. After all, they eat thousands of mossies each night, and that can only be a good thing.

[hhfarang]

Agree with you HHF. I too have only found the M Pit Viper to be an arrogant bastard. Found quite a few of them on the property, but none in the last 2 or 3 months. I did kill the ones I found as I have two young kids, and like you say, the MPV's don't seem to be keen on moving when you spot them. Also, it's always at night that I discover them, thanks to my Rottweiler.

The main concern I'd have about the snake under your house is your Rottweiler. If he is like my dogs he will go after any snake with no concern for being bitten, so you could lose him.

As for bats, we have a meter crawlspace under our house with two openings to allow people (Thais, not me! ) to go under there to work on electrical, plumbing, and bug spraying. For the first year we lived in the house I just left the holes open (they're in the back of the house) and an entire colony of bats moved in. When we sat on the porch or balcony at night with the lights on they would swoop back and forth by all the lights eating the bugs. Anyway the wife didn't like them so I had doors installed on the openings under the house and then for several evenings I opened the doors before sunset and then closed them again when we went to bed to let the bats out and block them from going back in (didn't want to trap them in there to slowly die). After a while they all found a new place to live.

[Nereus]

Also, it's always at night that I discover them, thanks to my Rottweiler.

The main concern I'd have about the snake under your house is your Rottweiler. If he is like my dogs he will go after any snake with no concern for being bitten, so you could lose him.

You don`t know Takiaps Rottweiler, HHF. He probably runs inside the house crying, and trying to jump up on the bed, if he spots a snake! Has to be the biggest sook, and friendliest Rotti I have ever seen.

[Lung Per]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for good laughs and good advice! :-)

[Takiap]

You don`t know Takiaps Rottweiler, HHF. He probably runs inside the house crying, and trying to jump up on the bed, if he spots a snake! Has to be the biggest sook, and friendliest Rotti I have ever seen.

Lol. You're spot on. The most she ever does when she sees a Pit Viper is stand at a safe distance staring at it. I Know when she's found one though because she would otherwise be lying down. yes, she's a great dog if all you want is an overgrown pet that wants to lick you from head to toe. Fortunately I think her appearance may put potential thieves off from entering the property. If they did come in at least it would be easy to find them.......just look for some workers with paw marks on their clothes.

[H2ODunc]

Not sure about the poison LP but I'm surprise the Mrs and in-laws/Thai friends haven't been mentioning the bad luck factor of having a snake under the house as many are superstitous about such things and want the house cleansed, rather like the bed can't face east or burying a pig's head under the ground of a new house, monks blessing cars and they gain value etc.

We had a 2 1/2 metre king cobra living under the last hose we lived in and was told by my Issan missus it was lucky to have it living there. Every time she sees a snake at the new house it means good luck so not sure where you get your unlucky theme from ?
You will never rid your surroundings of snakes the same as you will never rid your house of ghekkos or mosquitoes. Just get used to it. Yo are now living in a country full of them.
Snakes will avoid you if you leave them alone.