"Snakes be Gone"

by Angela

My five baby birds are dead! My front porch light has become a favorite nesting place for a determined Mom and Dad bird (breed unknown).

I tried to discourage them from nesting again by taking down their last nest, as I almost lost their last babies to a snake.

Unfortunately, I exit the garage mostly and they rebuilt a new nest with 5 more eggs before I notice them flying around the front porch again.

I do not like killing anything, even down to a spider in my house. But I knew the snakes would be back. I put moth balls and Snake be Gone all around the porch area hoping to keep the snakes away.

However, to my horror, I sit here tonight truly upset after finding a large black snake on my porch and no babies.

In my anger I started to kill the snake, but it got away and I let it go. I found this site and wanted to tell my story hoping others will not make this mistake.

I just watched them yesterday, with their cute little heads reaching out as Mommy and Daddy bird took care of them. I was looking forward to showing them to my 5 year old nephew on his next visit.

Momma bird had reach the point, I guess from the first nesting, that when I come around to water the flowers, she would just watch me.

I would talk to her and she would just turn her head and listen and Daddy bird would hang out in the tree next to the house.

Sometimes at night I would go out on the porch and just sit there with Momma bird. I will miss the babies, it seems so unfair. Even if it is natures way.

My question to anyone that can help is this.

What truly will keep the snakes away? I am afraid they may rebuild and I will have the same problem again. If so, I want to do what I can to protect them without interfering.

Is there some kind of razer/wire I could put on the porch that would keep the snake from coming across the porch? I would appreciate any help, Thanks!

Administrator says:
Try bird netting under the nest. Use a big wad of it loosely gathered together where the snake crawls up. Snakes will get trapped in the netting and you can cut them out and take the snake away to set it free. Usually netting is used around poles that Bluebird or Purple Martin houses are attached to. You'll have to get creative in your case.

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"Snakes be Gone"

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Apr 25, 2013
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Use Duct Tape!!
by: Karen

Last year a snake crawled into a hanging fern basket on our porch and ate the 4 little baby wrens in the nest there. Now there is a new nest.

I took some very slim pieces of wood (kind of like a skinny ruler) and wrapped them with duct tape, sticky side out. I placed them on the ledge that I assume the snake crawled onto to access the basket.

If one should crawl that way again this year, it will become stuck on the duct tape strips and we will dispose of him.

I once accidentally caught a ground rattler on some painter's tape when I was painting our exterior doors. I had left a small piece of tape attached to the trim, and when I came outside the next day, there was a ground rattler stuck in it!!

That's where I got the idea to use the duct tape. I'll bet you could wrap the pole a bird house is on using duct tape, sticky side out, and protect your birds that way. Get creative with the tape.

Sep 03, 2012
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snakes be gone
by: beth

I've read everyone's comments and they were helpful however I'm scared to death of snakes and have found two baby snakes on my porch in the past two days and I've used mouth balls and it is not working. Please any advice? On how to rid these babies my fear is there are more.

Aug 06, 2012
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...one more snake story
by: Karen

So sorry Angela to hear about your loss.
We currently have three 11 day old baby Carolina Wrens nesting in our Shamrock plant on the front porch.

The night after they hatched, a huge black snake came on our porch...slowly moving toward the planter. Thank God I saw him, as I was about to walk the dog at dusk. Hubby got a broom and struggled to sweep him off the porch.

Most research suggests repellant, as I would never kill the snake, but also don't use chemicals. Clove and cinnamon oil based repellant has worked so far....but since they haven't fledged as yet, we will also take Gene's suggestion of putting the bird netting under the planter and up to the nest.

Good luck with your next nesting...I'm sure there will be another for you to enjoy.

Jun 30, 2012
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Black Snake in hanging basket
by: DW

Fern on front porch with 4 little finch type birds. Came home and heard unusually loud noise from basket. Saw black snake curled in basket. Snake must have went up side of house and came off awning into hanging basket hanging from hook on porch. These birds have nested several times on porch in hanging "welcome" frog with compartment they could access to build nest. Have not seen Mother bird return so not sure if she survived or is staying away.

Jun 17, 2012
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robins gone:)
by: Anonymous

Had a nest in my carport and enjoyed watching mother coming and going and feeding the babies and then come back and new babies. Today we went outside, mother was in carport calling out screeching and we saw something up high in the nest, took it down big blake snake and it already ate the three babies. so sad should we move this nest? Will she come back and have more babies since this happened?

Jun 28, 2011
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Barn Swallows
by: Anonymous

Barn Swallows love to build their nest on your porch! My momma and daddy come back every spring - its been 6 years now - they were successful with raising 5 babies this year and I got to watch them fly off to the neighbors cause now momma and daddy barn swallow have 3 more babies to raise, I am sadden for I found 2 snakes in my yard and don't know what to do to help protect the barn swallows!! Advice is always welcomed!

Jun 23, 2011
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gopher snake gets in the nest
by: Annie

I also heard that if you rub cayenne pepper on the post, it will keep the snakes off of it! Today, I found my bird nest on my porch, and a baby gopher snake sitting on the ledge where it had been located.

One baby was on the porch, a ways from the nest...and he was still breathing. We relocated the snake and moved the nest and put the baby in it....mom sees him.....keeps watching over him....and I think she is feeding him, but not sure.

His eyes are still closed, breathing is shallow, and he has fuzz and some feathers. This is not a fledgling, sadly, and still needs to be fed by his mommy. I hope he makes it! The rest of the babies are gone. They were all alive yesterday!

Jun 16, 2010
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snake proof bird house
by: Jim Kelly

I had a problem with snakes eating baby blue birds. The bird house was on a wooden post about 5 feet above the ground and the snakes had no problem climbing the post and getting the babies. I replaced the wooden post with a 6 foot piece of metal electrical conduit pipe driven 1 foot in the ground and covered the metal pipe with axle grease. I reapply the grease on the pipe each spring. That was 2 years ago and I haven't lost a baby bird since.

May 07, 2010
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Bluebirds killed by black snake
by: chris d.

We watched with excitement as a pair of Eastern Bluebirds nested in a birdhouse on our back deck.

Around Easter we noticed 6 perfect little blue eggs that looked just like jelly beans in the nest. Soon they hatched, and the mother & father birds were busy day and night bringing food to the hungry little birds.

One morning I was watching them, and then in the afternoon I checked the nest and they were gone! Under the patio table I saw a black snake with bulges...the little bluebirds he had eaten!

I watched in horror as the snake went back into the empty birdhouse and curled himself up. The mother & father bluebirds were screeching and flying in a panic.

My husband then came home and killed the snake.

Now it is so sad because the bluebirds keep coming back to the birdhouse going in and out and chirping as if they cannot figure out where their babies are.

How long will they do this? Will they nest again and have more babies this year?

Jul 24, 2009
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Loss of baby robins
by: Anonymous

I share your pain, we just lost three baby robins today, presumably to a snake, I am so sad they were almost ready to fly, we have watched them for the past couple of weeks, it seems so cruel, I will follow suggestions from everyone, but have been so sad today, did not think it would happen as it happened to us two months ago, but we were home and the noise alerted us, my husband was able to get rid of the snake, did not think it would happen again. Do not want to go through this again.
Stella
Marble

Jun 29, 2009
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Thanks for the info
by: Angela

Cindy, thank you for the info about the bird droppings, I did not know that. I kept the porch clean off about every other day, just because of the mess. But, I was wondering how the snakes knew the birds were there.

Thank you,

Jun 29, 2009
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Snakes and baby birds
by: Anonymous

So, so sad. What about setting up a birdhouse..closest to where the bird couple are wanting to nest? Try removing whatever it is they are nesting in or on.. if at all possible. A bird house on a PVC pipe, at least four feet high, should keep a snake from the nesting pair. Hammering a type of plumbing pipe, into the ground, cut short.. as a sleeve to some PVC piping, would keep a snake from getting up to the bird house. And remember not to have bird feed.. anywhere near the nest. As seed droppings bring mice at night, which in turn bring the snakes.
Hope something works out.
Cindy
Ca. High desert mountains

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