Netting to protect from snakes?

13 years ago

"Snakes are excellent climbers, and they have gotten over many different kinds of baffles, much to the amazement of the landlords. Many people put bird netting above the baffle just in case a snake gets past the baffle. When the bird netting is used, the snakes get caught in the netting"

The above came from the Purple Martin Conservation forum. I can't believe w/ my 4 years of doing research on protecting my bluebirds and martins I've never seen this. Do any of you use this netting?

I am not at all implying baffles don't work, I know they do. It's just that in the photo I saw, the snake that manuevered itself over the baffle was over 5' long, so I'm sure it's not common.

Just curious if any of you bluebirds add this netting as extra protection - I'm in the southeast where snakes are everywhere, so I'm going to try it just in case! Thanks all.

Comments (9)

bandjzmom
13 years ago
Yes, I do use the netting, and I did hear of it from Purple Martin landlords. It's just the black plastic "bird netting" that is sold to be used over something like a Strawberry patch so that the birds won't get all the berries. Very inexpensive and very effective. It is just another thing that we can to to help to keep them safe.~~Angie
rayinri
13 years ago
I used PCV pipe (does not work) Removed the plastic and have trapped
as many as five black racer snakes a year the bluebird population is growing once again. I have posted here for people to use it as well its a life saver
and you will save many bluebirds its cutting edge and very few people will
even try. You can trap and remove the snake so its not always a death sentence
Bluebirds will not abandon chicks with a snake trapped there. The netting sold
at lowes,depot. Just rap around pole and tie on with plastic wire ties. Snakes
travel by sent so if you trap one you will get another in a week or so. You will
save many bluebirds. The snakes are doing whats normal its humans that
dont protect and feed bluebirds to them needless. Martin/Bluebird landord
22 years in RI. Only a matter of time before a snake finds a bluebird meal.
get the netting best investment. ----Ray
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lcmoore99
12 years ago
I see some friends from years past and friends I've yet to meet!

I have a nest of titmice and brown-headed nuthatches but the bluebirds are nesting across the street, I think.

As for snakes, after what happened last July here, I do not trust ANY baffle! The one made of netting looks promising and if I get any birds after these first ones, I'll try it.

If you didn't see my article in the Bayou (Louisana) Bluebird Society's newsletter about what happened here with 5 bluebird fledglings last July, their parents and a snake, check it out below.

I don't trust much of any kind of deterrent for snakes after this. Right now, there have been NO takers for that nest box even though the snake never got on the box. A pair of bluebirds looked in quite a lot but never did go in (there's a nestbox video camera in there). There were titmice, nuthatches, chickadees all looking at it but no one took it!!! It's a mystery to me.

Let's hope our bluebirds and other birds have a safe and productive season despite the challenges.

Bluebird blessings, Linda...

Here is a link that might be useful: BIG surprise: bluebirds vs snake
Ellenxu
12 years ago
To create a safe and productive season for your birds,you can use protection netting.

We can do the protection net,just let me know the mesh size,I can do some suggestions to you.

Our factory have been in this lien for many years,please free to contact me,if you have any questions.

Email:ellen@ganwill.com
katiedidcottage
12 years ago
Can anyone post a photo of how this netting will look on the pole because I'm having trouble visualizing this in a way that wrapping net around a pole and putting plastic tie wires on would be able to stop a snake. I stopped one last year by throwing rocks and putting out snake away around the birdhouse on the ground which helped the young bluebirds have a chance to fledge and they ALL made it.
User
12 years ago
the man working at the bird store told me that the best thing to use, better than baffles, is to go to home depot and buy carpet tacking strips. Put them around what ever your birdhouse is sitting on. They work very well. No snake can possible slither up carpet tacking strips!
elkriverrats
9 years ago
Hello, I am a new member and hope I am posting in the correct area...we have a pair of mourning doves that have nested about 7' up in an oak tree near our house. Last year they had no issues and were a happy family of 4! A few days ago a horrible storm took out the nest. We found two babies in our yard the next morning and mom nearby. We made a nest for them and put the babies back in the tree. Mom was with them about an hour after we put it up. Today my husband heard a horrible racket - mom was trying to battle a 4' blacksnake in the nest. By the time he got the snake out, it had killed both babies. Is there anything we can do with netting to protect this family if they stay in this tree? We live near the water and have a good number of snakes but I have never seen one so high in a tree! I was thinking of wrapping bird net around the trunk about halfway up but would be even more devastated if doing this hurt one of the birds somehow. Any advice is appreciated! Thank you.
Naturedeva
9 years ago
The snakes will die a horrible death, or be taken, I guess fittingly, by a raptor.

I think the cone is the best defense. Keep the box away from trees where a snake could reach from.
nhblues
9 years ago
Be careful using that black netting ... a few summers back, I was using that on a bunch of blueberry bushes planted against my house, and about 30' from a bluebird nesting box ... and little did I know, dad blue got into the area I netted off and died in the netting trying desperately to get out. I took the netting down immediately (cried for a week about it) and put up tobacco netting instead. I would never ever use that black netting again... but that's just me.

Netting to protect from snakes?

Comments (9)

bandjzmom

rayinri

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