Pestrol Snake Away to deter snakes from property

[Mark]

Pestrol Snake Away does anyone know if this snake repellent actually works? Has anyone used it before? This is a solar operated device which emits electronic signals and ultrasonic vibrations that is supposedly picked up by the snake and scares it away from the area.

The solar powered unit runs off two AA rechargeable batteries and as long as it's positioned where it can get some sun it's expected to last for 3 years before changing the batteries - which does sound pretty good! Hardly any maintenance required and easy to position with a simple spike into the ground...

Coverage is said to be 35 sq metres in all directions (so I guess that means it's radius?) so it should therefore have a frontage of about 70 metres. That means a pair of these snake deterrents would cover the back of my chicken pen like an invisible fence and stop snakes from venturing in from the adjoining bush-land scrub at the back of my property. I wonder if it also stops goannas - now there's a thought?

I have a mate, Brett, whom I play tennis with (a Pommy) who absolutely hates snakes and he asked me if I had any experience with these snake repellents because he knows I have dealt with a few snakes in my time (see this thread). Brett has just moved to an acreage from suburbia and is in the process of getting chickens etc but he is paranoid of snakes coming into his property, unfortunately I couldn't offer him any advice on the Pestrol Snake Away device or any other one. I just told him not to worry too much about snakes "they're OK mate" I said. Anyway, he went ahead and bought some of these units anyway (even though he hadn't seen a snake on his property).

But I must admit to thinking about it myself now, and I'd rather prevent snakes from hanging around my chicken pen than have to remove one or two every season by hand.

If these solar powered snake repellent devices do work as suggested it might be a pretty good investment for peace of mind and at $59 it seems like a pretty reasonable price.

Any thoughts or experience in using these snake units would be appreciated.

 

[stevo]

I have no evidence against it, but i don't believe it, you know, we're in the Skeptics club

You'd have to buy one and get some snakes to test it, and even if the snakes moved away from it that may not mean it works.

but it'd be interesting to see some testing, so he could try it?

 

[Mark]

I have no evidence against it, but i don't believe it, you know, we're in the Skeptics club

You'd have to buy one and get some snakes to test it, and even if the snakes moved away from it that may not mean it works.

but it'd be interesting to see some testing, so he could try it?

I talked to Brett tonight at tennis and he's going to set them up and test them out but I can't imagine this kind of consumer testing being very accurate because he mightn't have any snakes on his property to begin with... sometimes I never see a snake for ages but I know they are around so it would be hard to qualify by just sticking them in the ground for a season and then say "see, no snakes" cause it could be a complete fluke.

The testing would need to be done in a controlled environment like a pen with a heap of snakes and see if they go near the snake repellent then if they all stack together on the side without the unit and avoid the side with the unit like the plague we know it works. Any volunteers

 

[Mark]

Here's a video I found and here's an online shop called OzStock selling both a snake repeller and rodent repeller for only $19 - kind of seems too good to be true...

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[stevo]

The testing would need to be done in a controlled environment like a pen with a heap of snakes and see if they go near the snake repellent then if they all stack together on the side without the unit and avoid the side with the unit like the plague we know it works. Any volunteers

I think @Steve would have the best place for testing, his courtyard, and we know how much he loves snakes

 

[Steve]

We need a new smilie for 'gotohell'.

Funny ba$tards.

 

[Mortein]

Here's a video I found and here's an online shop called OzStock selling both a snake repeller and rodent repeller for only $19 - kind of seems too good to be true...

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I was at the local "ECO" shop today getting some "lifestyle" books and when mentioned chooks the lady behind the counter sprinted out the back(big lady. Sight to be seen). She came back with the above snake repellers fo $20 each. She was quite pushy with them and said how they worked so well. I didn't get any though. Has anyone got real world experience with them?

 

[Mark]

The guy I played tennis with has left so I can't get any feedback from him unfortunately...

 

[Mortein]

Ok. I was telling the Minister about them at tea and as she is not a snake person . She has suggested that I get one to try. So stay tuned. I do have my doubts though but for $20 its worth a try.

 

[Mark]

Ok. I was telling the Minister about them at tea and as she is not a snake person . She has suggested that I get one to try. So stay tuned. I do have my doubts though but for $20 its worth a try.

Yeah, my wife is terrified of them... Where are you going to put it and how will you know it definitely works (not just luck you haven't seen a snake)?

 

[Mortein]

Mark I am going to put one beside the chook pen and see if a snake visits. I have seen a couple of pythons around the place. For $20 I will give it a go. If I see a snake then it doesn't work. I also have to please the Boss and she told me to get one.

 

[Krisyy]

One of my chooks went missing yesterday my coop is snake proof but the run isn't so not sure if she was taken in the early evening or daytime in regards to your question I don't have a snake repeller but I remember a lady on my local chook fb page post a pic of a snake sleeping on top of one at night we get a lot of sun up here in cairns so don't know if it just didn't get enough charge on that day but have heard that they don't work from other sources, don't know what happened to my chook but if it had a belly full of isa brown (she was a big girl probably my biggest) ex battery hen u would think I would have found it lying in the coop run trying to digest her but there was nothing a snake can get into the coop run through the fence which is high but wouldent be able to get out with a full belly as an ex battery hen she didn't know how to fly and couldent get up to the nesting box so would leave her eggs where ever she liked left some eggs out the day she went missing and they haven't been touched if it was a snake will it come back and when should I expect it back??

 

[Mark]

Sorry to hear you lost one of your Isa's - it's frustrating when that happens and you're not sure what took it...

Yes, you're absolutely right usually large pythons are still there in the morning but having said that I have lost a duck without a trace before and it's entirely possible the python moved on through the night. Also, if it's an open run an eagle or large hawk could have grabbed it although pretty unlikely. And, are you sure foxes can't get over your run fence? They can climb a 2 metre fence.

If it was a snake, I doubt it will be back soon but possibly in a few weeks because they will come back.

I'm flirting with danger at the moment because I've still got an open run also but I have built the framework now I just need to wire on the sides and roof to totally enclose it so my hens are protected through the night from large pythons.

 

[Ash]

Here's a video I found and here's an online shop called OzStock selling both a snake repeller and rodent repeller for only $19 - kind of seems too good to be true..

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I bought a 10 pack of these Mark, and put them in the ground. A couple of pointers on them compared to the RAiDAR branded ones: the cheaper variety are variable in how loud they are, anywhere from a quiet hum to a loud buzz (the RAiDAR ones are consistently quiet). The cheaper ones also have a flimsy plastic stake bottom that you would really only get one chance at sticking it in the ground, because if you have to pull it out, the bottom stays in the ground with little hope of retrieving it (the RAiDAR ones are more adherent to the aluminium pole). The cheaper ones have a softer aluminium structure that one you've bent it out of shape trying to gently hammer it into the ground, it is almost impossible to fit the top of the apparatus onto it (the RAiDAR ones are slightly more sturdy but are just as troublesome to try and fit on once the pole has been buckled). The cheaper ones need unscrewing to get to the rechargeable battery but the RAiDAR ones have a battery compartment access point as well as an on-off switch, which would be useful to save it from running down in the winter when the snakes are not expected to roam.

Overall, if you can get it right the first time, and don't hammer the pole in too much, the OzStock no-name ones fit the bill at a fraction of the cost ($7-8 each vs $50). Whether either of these things work is beyond me...