Had it with critters in the yard!

Re: releasing the animal that you might catch. Please release it at night in some woods away from developement where it will be safe. Since they are nocturnal, they might be a bit confused if you release it in a strange place during the day.

Some states don't allow relocation of rabies vectors (such as raccoons). Here in Virginia, you can't relocate in another county. And if it is a raccoon, consider that an adult may be leaving babies around nearby who may not be ready to be on their own. Don't know when raccoons breed down there.

I don't know how big your yard is but...rags soaked in ammonia or moth-balls wrapped in thin cloth or netting distributed around the fence line (probably hung from the top of the fence where the beags can't get them) are effective at keeping mammals away. Wild mammals have very sensitive sense of smell and those smells are strong.

Just throwing these ideas out there...the wildlife rehabber in me doesn't want to see anybody hurt.

Now the idea of the neighbors cat...in the trap...on the porch is funny. Are these the same neighbors that you are worried about waking up? /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/lol2.gif

~Denise

I have dealt with squirels in the past, I have a new 'critter" to deal with.



This is Eastrn Coachwhip snake which I recently chased out of my back yard. He came from the orange grove behind my house. Non-poisonous though. Across the street is a lake and it is home to many poisonous Cottonmouths. We came home a few weeks ago only to find a massive King Black snake "sunning itself" on my front proch. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/pimp.gif

To quote Indiana Jones: " I hate snakes, I hate em"

Aww, Poor snakes! As a teen I had a "Rosy Boa" as a pet that I
captured from the California desert that lived for nearly 10 yrs!
But a "corn snake" that I captured in Florida in 1974 & hid in a
mayo jar with air-holes punched in the lid & concealed in a
"parakeet box" from the Fred-Meyer store did not escape the
attention of a vigilant lady baggage screener @ the Miami airport!"AHHHHH, IT'S A SNAKE"!!!! (A Male screener stepped up &
said...Oh. it,s just a corn snake & let us go)!!! (Aww, The good
ol days!) /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thumbup2.gif

Originally Posted By: Joe and VinnyI have dealt with squirels in the past, I have a new 'critter" to deal with.

This is Eastrn Coachwhip snake which I recently chased out of my back yard. He came from the orange grove behind my house. Non-poisonous though. Across the street is a lake and it is home to many poisonous Cottonmouths. We came home a few weeks ago only to find a massive King Black snake "sunning itself" on my front proch. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/pimp.gif

To quote Indiana Jones: " I hate snakes, I hate em"

Click to expand...

That snake is beautiful! How long was he? I love snakes as long as I know they are there.

Every year we look forward to the warm weather getting here and the oodles of black rat and racer snakes that live on our property to come out and start sunning themselves. We have a breeding pair of black rat snakes that live under our driveway...last August, my husband dug up (by mistake) an egg that they had laid in the mulch. I tried to incubate it but it didn't hatch.

We always get excited at black snake sightings...we have identified four separate black-snakes(two have names /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/tired.gif). And in the almost 12 years that we have lived here, we've never seen a copperhead. We also have garter snakes and ribbon snakes and I've seen one green snake but he was dead. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cool.gif

I'll bet you have alot of cool snakes in Florida!

Denise,
He was probably 6 feet, a real big one and very fast. My vet told me they are quicker than a Racer and very skittish of people.

Ha, that snake is probably telling his buddies the same thing about me. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

This was taken last year...this guy was coming up the steps while myself and the dogs were going down. He was hell bent on getting to some empty bird nests under the neck. Henry got a little too close and got a nip in the nose but otherwise this snake didn't give a hoot about us. Just took his time climbing to the rafters of the deck...stopped to take a picture with my son (who likes to goose the snakes sometimes)...then was on his way. I don't know which one this was but he was a big'un.