Electronic Snake Repellers

[sheena]

Has anybody tried these solar electronic snake repellers

http://www.oakent.com.au/Sentinel%20Snake%20Repeller.htm

[Dxenion]

We have two of the original versions in the front yard of our standard suburban block. The solar panel has a clear cover which can turn opaque from UV damage. When this happened to ours, we rang the manufacturer and received a free replacement which is simple to install. We were told it was a batch issue but the replacements have also turned opaque (although it took 14 months to do so).

We live across from coastal scrub land where dugoits and tiger snakes are common. One neighbour had a visit from a baby tiger snake and the other neighbour had a visit from an adult dugoit. So far (touch wood) we've been snake free.

I have heard that they're not great against brown snakes but have not (and hope never to have) had the opportunity to test this for myself. The MkII version may have resolved this issue.

$80 is a great price. We got ours 2 1/2 years ago for $150 each.

[sheena]

Thanks for that feedback. They are even cheaper on Ebay (the Sentinals). I am waiting to hear back from Oakent as they have on their home page "buy 2 get one free" but the $'s dont make sense.

[FHRP]

This thread may help. although I'm not sure it's brand specific?? http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=203358

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

I heard a snake catcher recommend a sort of six layer loose fold up and scrunch of some netting - the sort used to cover trees against birds and to put that where snakes had been seen or where you don't want them. It traps the snake, so it helps to check it regularily and call the snake catching guy to deal with it before it dies of starvation (oops).

[sheena]

I heard a snake catcher recommend a sort of six layer loose fold up and scrunch of some netting - the sort used to cover trees against birds and to put that where snakes had been seen or where you don't want them. It traps the snake, so it helps to check it regularily and call the snake catching guy to deal with it before it dies of starvation (oops).

Because we live on a farm & have an enormous backyard (by most city standards), those methods are just not practical for us & of course by the time a snake catcher got to my place the snake would be miles away. I have bird netting around in places but have only ever caught one snake in it.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

A friend used the bird netting - she put it near her dam where she'd seen a snake.

It's not snake proofing, it just catches them, and they can't get out of it and so then the snake catcher has something to catch. I wouldn't put it everywhere, just strategic places you've seen snakes. Like where shed walls meet the floor or around water. The snake catcher guy was specific about the fold up method eg take a bit 6m long, fold in half (ie folded bit 3m long) then fold in thirds ie 1m long roll and then twist and scrunch up...

The trouble with catching them - is that new snakes will move into the vacated territory. We used to live with a giant brown snake (3m+) in the feed shed where we agisted horses. There were dogs, children, horses but it never bothered anybody, we'd just make a lot of noise on approach to the shed and it would go in its hole under some pallets (ie the dogs could not get to it). It was one well fed snake too. We knew where it was, the snake catcher said removing it would just get us a new snake that didn't understand what to do when we were using the shed. Ie trouble. I used to wear knee high gum boots around that shed, and I would chuck a load of buckets through the door and wait a bit before I went in.

Another friend used a snake equivalent to a rat trap to remove about 10 red belly black snakes from around her house. Not good but there were so many it was unsafe, they were coming inside the house.