Snake in the barn/how do I get it out?

[BB_TX]

Seems the subject of snakes is coming up a lot lately. I have found a large snake skin about 4 times in the last 2 yrs in my barn/shop. I have not been able to find a snake yet. I have looked everywhere I can get to with no luck. There are only a few places that I can't look, such as behind the walls of the bathroom I built. I am not sure if it stays in the building or just comes in to shed. Last weekend I found a new skin. And a dead mouse in a trap had appeared to have been swallowed up to the trap before being spit back out.
It is a metal building with concrete floor. There is some space under the roll up doors that I can't find a way to seal off. Is there a way to trap a snake? Or otherwise get rid of it?

 

[Bird]

Bill, in the 8 years we lived in the boondocks, I saw one snake in the barn (went over the wall between the main barn and the lean to on the side) and one in the yard (nighttime and my wife noticed our rat terrier playing tag with it in the grass). But in my concrete floored, metal shop building, I found large snake skins 4 or 5 times, just inside the overhead door. Maybe they like to shed on concrete at night. But I also found a couple of large snake skins under the house (double wide mobile).

 

[Egon]

It's time for Riki Ticky Tavi, the courageous Mongoose of my youthful school years! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[sneaky_pete]

I would rather have the snake(s) than the rodents, as long as it's not a rattlesnake, but realize this is a matter of personal preference. There's no way I know of to trap a snake. My wife's Jack Russell Terriers would kill it in short order, if they had time to find it.

 

[Birdman]

Crank up the AC and then put a heat lamp out on the floor. My nephews had a pet snake that got loose in the house (yuck this makes me shiver every time I think of it) and they caught it this way. It was winter time so they just turned the furnace down at night and put out the heat lamp. Got up one morning and the snaked was curled up under the lamp trying to stay warm.

 

[jinman]

Bill, I like Birdman's solution, but you might also try a cat in the barn. Since the snake is most surely a rat snake, there will be no harm to the cat. The other thing you might try is to put some eggs in a cage with a trap door. The snake will crawl in to get the eggs and not be able to get out. While we are still having cool nights, you might try a small 25 watt light bulb and the eggs to get the snake's interest.

I think if everyone who has a rat snake in their attic knew about it, we'd surely have a lot more homeless people. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[ByronBob]

I think if everyone who has a rat snake in their attic knew about it, we'd surely have a lot more homeless people.

Oh heck no. What's with you guys in the south letting the critters in the house like a pet?? Does anyone own a Remington down there for heavens sake?

 

[thegreatrandini]

I would just keep the snake to get rid of the rodents...If you really want to catch it I like the heat lamp idea.

 

[hobbyfarm]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Oh heck no. What's with you guys in the south letting the critters in the house like a pet?? Does anyone own a Remington down there for heavens sake? )</font>

Hey ByronBob,
Sometimes it's not snakes, but possums, rats, birds, (cousin even out-did us all - he had a skunk. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif And yes, he was homeless a while!) /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
It truly is like the wild west here sometimes.

 

[edski]

I prefer snakes to rats.
Get rid of the rats/rodents and the snake will leave.
Good luck.