Conflicts between snakes and humans are becoming more frequent, especially when people continue to encroach on the snakes’ natural habitat. Snakes would often move into a person’s house if it provides a good place to hunt and live. While there are lots of snake traps commercially available, it is also possible to build one of your own.
Below are some tips on how to make a funnel snake trap.
- Get the supplies. You will need the following supplies to make the trap: hardware cloth and cage rings. You can get hardware cloth from any hardware store. A quarter-inch mesh of standard grade will do just fine. You will need three pieces of the hardware cloth. One piece should measure 4×4 feet while the other two should measure 1×4 feet.
- Coat the hardware cloth. To make the trap more durable, you can coat the hardware cloth with two-part epoxy. The coating will also protect captured snakes from being hurt against the hardware cloth’s sharp edges.
- Form a cylinder. Begin making the trap by forming a cylinder with the use of the 4×4 foot hardware cloth. Connect the edges and the cage rings. Take a 1×4 foot piece and cover one end of the cylinder with it. Use enough cage rings to attach the cover onto the cylinder and seal any openings that may be big enough for a snake to escape.
- Make a funnel. Take the last hardware cloth and form it into a funnel. The large opening of the funnel should be slightly wider than the opening of your cylinder. Place this funnel into the cylinder as firmly as possible, inserting first the small end.
- Set the trap. Place the trap near any place or along the wall where snakes most likely crawl. While it is not necessary, you may place live bait into the trap to capture certain snakes. Be sure to check the trap everyday to see if you have caught any snakes. Remember that it is also possible for other animals, such as frogs, turtles or squirrels to be trapped inside.
- Identify the snake. Once you have captured a snake, it is important to immediately identify if it is poisonous or non-poisonous. Identification of a snake species depends on its length, body shape, color and pattern to name a few characteristics. For example, certain vipers like some species of rattlesnake are banded. This means that there are areas of distinct colors that tend to run around the body and are distributed throughout the snake’s length. To remove the snake from the trap, cover the trap opening with a bag. If the snake is venomous, use a bucket or any hard container. Turn the trap upside down to let the funnel and the snake fall into the bucket or bag. After the removal of the snake from the trap, immediately tie the bag or seal the bucket.
You should be very careful when disposing of snakes. Check with your area authorities to see if there is a law on how to get rid of captured snakes. Some areas do not allow relocating the captured snake, so check with your local authorities first. As always, safety is your number one priority. In case you do capture a snake, it is best to call an expert to help dispose it.