buying snakes for natural pest control

[bcr226]

Hey gang,

A friend of mine has a serious problem with copperhead snakes in her area. She isn't afraid of snakes and needs a solution to the proliferation of copperheads on her property. She wants to use king snakes. She lives in North Carolina.

Any ideas where she can get some to release on her property? She wants to make sure that she uses a native species that won't cause any harm and she doesn't want to break the law.

Suggestions?

Thanks!

Mike

[bcr226]

Correction, she's in SOUTH Carolina.

[Derek Roddy]

Chain king.

D

[franks]

Also the mole kingsnake, it is related to prarie kingsnakes.

[Concept9]

Local herp expedition. :)

[KORBIN5895]

I think its illegal to own native species in the Carolinas.

[Terranaut]

If they are native then capture and relocate some to your property.

[KORBIN5895]

If they are native then capture and relocate some to your property.

Just don't get caught.

[Mikoh4792]

If they are native then capture and relocate some to your property.

Or for more long term effects, breed your own kingsnakes and release the babies

[KORBIN5895]

Can I point out that these suggestions may be highly illegal?

[Terranaut]

Is it illegal to relocate a native snake a mile or so?
I would just do it unless these are conservational laws.

[slowhite03]

Also what are the odds they stay in your area of ownership? If you get a snake a mile away I think the chances of then going back to their original home is pretty high

[Starbuck]

To my knowledge, most snakes dont travel very far over the course of their entire lives. There have been extensive studies of this in rattlesnakes/rattlesnake dens (and conservation during their seasonal 'migrations').

If copperheads are really that serious of an issue, i would consider either a) hiring an individual to remove them or b) eliminating the habitat where they are breeding/overwintering.
While no one wants to make that type of decision; it sounds as though you are faced with serious injury to your friend, serious injury/death to these copperheads (at the hand of a king snake, or a human, or by removal of their habitat), or a semi-peaceful relocation (by a trained individual, or on their own due to lack of habitat).

In my honest opinion, I think trying to get a population of kingsnakes big enough to 'solve' the copperhead issue is far fetched and unrealistic.

[Nataku]

If the kings go back to their original location but eat a few copperheads on the way, then won't that still have helped her problem to reduce their numbers?
If it works, in several months to a year's time, some more can always be relocated again to 'hunt' the area on the way back to their original territory.

[Derek Roddy]

You can keep natives in South Carolina...no worries. I grew up there.

You could re locate a few chain kings to your yard. As long as they have what they need....(shelter, food and the opposite sex) they'll hang around.

D

[alton32]

If copperheads are really that serious of a problem, i would consider either
a) choosing an personal to eliminate them or
b) removing the environment where they are breeding/overwintering.

[Amadeus]

If copperheads are really that serious of a problem, i would consider either
a) choosing an personal to eliminate them or
b) removing the environment where they are breeding/overwintering.
c) move...