water snakes

[M.R. Daniels]

Ok. I can live with them in my big natural pond where the ducks and geese live, which is about 300 yds away. But my fish pond beside the house, with all the expensive plants and fantails is another story. Last summer I had a major invasion. The little buggers just sunbathed all over the waterlily pads, slithering into the water to munch on a goldfish whenever the urge struck them. I counted seven, in a 2500 gal pond. They finally finished off the fish.
I drained the pond, am starting over. I foolishly believe there should be some miraculous (hopefully ecologically safe) way to keep them away from this pond. Or maybe I should start an aquarium?
Any ideas?

[Lar]

M.R. Daniels wrote:

> Ok. I can live with them in my big natural pond where the ducks and geese live, which is about 300 yds away. But my fish pond beside the house, with all the expensive plants and fantails is another story. Last summer I had a major invasion. The little buggers just sunbathed all over the waterlily pads, slithering into the water to munch on a goldfish whenever the urge struck them. I counted seven, in a 2500 gal pond. They finally finished off the fish.
> I drained the pond, am starting over. I foolishly believe there should be some miraculous (hopefully ecologically safe) way to keep them away from this pond. Or maybe I should start an aquarium?
> Any ideas?
>
Wonder if you could rig up a "minnow trap" type contraption, where they
will be funneled in a chamber and then can be later relocated.

Lar

[Reel McKoi]

"M.R. Daniels" > wrote in message
...
> Ok. I can live with them in my big natural pond where the ducks and geese
> live, which is about 300 yds away. But my fish pond beside the house, with
> all the expensive plants and fantails is another story. Last summer I had
> a major invasion. The little buggers just sunbathed all over the waterlily
> pads, slithering into the water to munch on a goldfish whenever the urge
> struck them. I counted seven, in a 2500 gal pond. They finally finished
> off the fish.
> I drained the pond, am starting over. I foolishly believe there should be
> some miraculous (hopefully ecologically safe) way to keep them away from
> this pond. Or maybe I should start an aquarium?
> Any ideas?
==========================
I live in a rural area and we have plenty of snakes here. They, along with
herons, snappers and bullfrogs were emptying our 2 ponds of fish rapidly.
Finally, in desperation, we bought those thin black bird nets and netted
everything. No more losses. A few snakes got tangled in the nets and lost
their lives, but with the huge population of them here I doubt it made a
difference in their numbers. For the last few years I've seen fewer snakes.
I have no idea why.
--
RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
Zone 6. USA
~~~~ }<((((*> ~~~ }<{{{{(ö>

[Dave Sill]

Lar wrote:
>
> Wonder if you could rig up a "minnow trap" type contraption, where they
> will be funneled in a chamber and then can be later relocated.

Remember that snakes can't breathe water, so a minnow trap underwater
will drown them. I've had that happen unintentionally.

--
Dave Sill

[Lar]

Dave Sill wrote:
> Lar wrote:
>
>>
>> Wonder if you could rig up a "minnow trap" type contraption, where
>> they will be funneled in a chamber and then can be later relocated.
>
>
> Remember that snakes can't breathe water, so a minnow trap underwater
> will drown them. I've had that happen unintentionally.
>
I should of expanded on my comments stressing that point...I pictured
the trap in my mind half exposed to the air, but somehow it got lost on
it's way to the finger tips/keyboard area :)

Lar