#  >  > Living And Legal Affairs In Thailand >  >  > Farming & Gardening In Thailand >  >  > Thailands Zoos and Animals >  >  Does A Snake Repellent Exist?

## friscofrankie

We've gone and rented a older wooden home, nothing fancy, but nice.


 Rent's a thouisand baht savings over the two-room apartment we now occupy; coincedentally, the cost of a 1Mb ADSL connection  :Wink:  .
We checked the place out and liked it fine paid out depsoit and the landlady is kind enough to give us full access to get stuff moved in and cleaned up.  We've got public water, plenty trees and are way back at the end of a quiet soi inside a nice compound with what appear to be nice neighbors. 

Today we met one of the neighbors and was very helpful in telling us there is an abundant supply of "Ngoo How" (apologies no Thai fonts) or cobra to the uninitiated.  Now the old lady is just about scared to death of anything that slithers, slinks or even crawls and was quite happy to show here fear in the clearest possible way by spinning around, in a panic as if he had yelled "LOOK OUT, SNAKE!!"

Now are nice new neighbor is quick to catch on he has a live one so he begins to regale here with tales of near death, snakes in the shitter and how brave is ragged ol' muttis when then come in the yard.

While the ol' lady's soakin' up the ambience and counting allthe snake hide-outs in the genreal area of teh house I was there to measure and take stock of the truck load of shit I gotta buy in the next two fuckin weeks so I headed inside to get to work,

Wellthe first thing I find in what I had already identified as the "office corner."  Was this thing stretched out for a hole in the floor:


If any of y'all could identify this skin as something other than what it appears to be sure wold make my life alot easier.

Well, to get to the point, I am now researching *Snake Repellent*.  Old wive's tales, or tradition, (however you wanna call it) speaks of the cobras aversion to limes now I had heard of lime but not *limes*.  I have also read that this is a fallacy.  

There is 'scientific evidence on both sides of the fence on the effectiveness of *naphthalene* and there are some pretty high claims about one product mixing this with Sulphur powder, called *Snake-Away*, seems to be directed at the US market so it claim effectiveness against the pit vipers ther and the southern coral snake.
A short excerpt from their site:



> Snake-A-Way is the world’s only EPA approved,  university tested, patented snake repellent.
> 
> Snake-A-Way has been proven effective against rattlesnakes, coral snakes and other poisonous and non-poisonous snakes. When used and applied as directed, it is safe for humans, animals and plant life. It has been universally approved and endorsed by naturalists, conservationists and ecologists.
> 
> Does Snake-A-Way Really work? You can be confident with the use of Snake-A-Way. It's efficacy reached over 83% in laboratory testing and is at almost 100% with field studies that all 4 branches of the military ran during the Gulf War. Dr. T's utilizes the knowledge about the snake’s Jacobson organ and interferes with the snake’s sensory reception ability. In simple terms the snakes nervous system its temporarily shut down. Naphthalene (a volatile product and Snake-A-Way’s active ingredient) vaporizes, is brought into the sensory receptor (Jacobsons organ), and creates an immediate interference that is repressive enough to close down the sensory system. This in turn scares the snake into a hasty retreat. It was found to be so effective that it protected our military during the Gulf War from sand vipers and cobras. You can be confident in its ability to do the job.


Then right at th top of the page



> Cannot be shipped to AK, CA, HI.


Oughta be fine for Thailand eh?

Hype or Bullshit?  I mean, are we talkin Mothballs and match heads here? I'll give that a try  :Wink: 
Doing some mroe research I found some rferences to a research study done regarding the effectiveness of *ERYNGIUM FOETIDUM* as a cobra repellent.  Problem is, I can't find much more than a references (not that I've given up just yet). Now Ernygium Foetidum (say that real fast, ten times). Is a very commn herb here in thailand ;and one, I might add, I will be planting alot of 'round the house, research results or no.
This is none other than "Pak Cee Farang."  Come to find out it is native to Central and South America.  Maybe that's why it's got the "farang" moniker?
This is what it looks like growing:
 Figure even if it doesn;t work I'll have supply of Pakchee that is freesh and delicious.  th flavors is a bit stronger but the texture is coaser.  you need to chop this stuff up pretty fine for fresh sauces and add it a bit sooner in teh final cooking prcesses but for some fo the hot & sour Thai soups it's got a flavor that stick through longer cooking so no losss there.
For those of you that go to market and actually buy fresh veggies and herbs it looks like this in the market:


All you up country folks what do the locals do to discourage the odd cobra or python from wandering intothe house and takig up residence in the couch or under the sink? My google searchs have yet yield anthing concrete, difinitive or even encouraging. In fact, the info I have found has done nothing more than remind me of the old idiom "Snake Oil Salesman."  Any hints, tips, tricks, or vodoo are welcome.

In the meantime I'm goin' out and buy a box of mothballs, a kilo of 'Pak Chee Farang' seeds 'n a big bag of sulphur.  Plant the seeds, rip up the floor boards, dump all the other stuff under the house 'bout an inch thick; maybe call a monk or nine out to the house for a party, cover all my bases.
Maybe then the ol lady'll come down-stairs.

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## Sir Burr

A mongoose?

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## friscofrankie

Ain't any in thailand, are there?  In Fiji the things were like flies, everywhere. Ran over about five of em in maybe 20 - 30 trips down the main hiway there.  Think the Gov't would support me importing a few?

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## Thetyim

Mothballs and sulphur would be my first try but as you say some websites have dissed it.
Can you keep a Mongoose as a pet ?

Failing that we used to have two cats and one day a large 2 metre ridgeback came slithering in through the front gate.
The cats just pestered the shit out of it until it went away.
One stood in front taking it's attention whilst the other would bite the snakes tail.  When the snake turned around the cats would reverse roles.

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## Thetyim

> Ain't any in thailand, are there?


Yes, loads of them

In thai it's a Pung Pon

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## dirtydog

They have mongooses in Thailand, they make good gaurd _dogs_ aswell, good at killing the snakes, 9 times out of 10 they win.

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## Little Chuchok

I asked the wif.She said nothing works,but i can remember (on another forum) people were talking about sulpher and lemon grass???

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## friscofrankie

> Yes, loads of them


I always thought there should be.  nver have seen one.  Seriously, in fiji they were thick as ants.  any drive on the main hiway you would see dozens Hard to hit, they're fast little buggers.
The research on the curiander looks promising. Now I can get me mongoose or two...  Do they get along well with cats?  
Funny thing the nice neighbor was braggin about his dog being a good snaker, The thing walks up where I dumped the snake skin stops, looks all worried siffs at abut a meter away and walk around the other side fothe house  :Very Happy: .  Yeah, great snake dog...

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## Rigger

All I can reconmend is keep the grass short 
Dont stack stuff on the ground like wood and sheets and crap
Put on screen doors and keep them shut 
Have good lighting for night and dont wonder around the back yard looking for a place to piss in the dark. 
Have a dog as they will normaly sniff them out as well as the snakes dont like dogs 

Had a cobra in the bike shed last time home didnt like working in there Knowing there was a snake in there pulled all the gear out still couldnt find the bloody thing

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## Thetyim

First thing you will have to do is cut the grass and ground foliage as short as possible. Then seal the walls as best you can so that it is more difficult for them to get in.
You won't be able to stop them completely because you must have a gate and the buggers will have no problem sliding along that power cable that I can see in the picture.

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## ChiangMai noon

> with what appear to be nice neighbors.


nice caveat.

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## Thetyim

The Indian mongoose is easily tamed and is often kept as a pet and a destroyer of household vermin. Imported into the West Indies to kill rats, it destroyed most of the small, ground-living native fauna. Because of their destructiveness, it is illegal to import mongooses into the United States, even for zoos.
Source :
http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/sci/A0833718.html

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## Rigger

I did hear someone say some thing about lemon grass for keeping snakes away

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## friscofrankie

> The Indian mongoose is easily tamed and is often kept as a pet and a destroyer of household vermin.


Where can I get one?  have to head down to the pet shops behind Lotus Kam Thieng price a mating pair out.

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## Little Chuchok

There is a kiwi herpatoligist that sometimes plays rugby for the Irish pub team.Don't know how often that he is about etc, but CMn could ask the bar owner (Sandy) the next time he is in there for a pint(Which should be tomorrow.. :Smile:   )

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## RandomChances

I've heard thelemon grass thing before, not sure if it works though, Geese are supposed to be pretty good for snakes, make good gaurd dogs ( well gaurd birds actually) and you can eat them after  :Smile:  We've got a big fishing fork, a 3 pronged fork on a bamboo pole, that worke really well.

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## hillbilly

Have to go with the lemon grass suggestions. Well, that is what I have planted around my upcountry home. :Smile:  

And as suggested earlier try and get rid of the snake's habitat.

Good luck.

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## Thetyim

> Geese are supposed to be pretty good for snakes,


That rings a bell.
Something about snakes not liking goose shit ?
Means you have to leave the goose shit lying around everywhere but thats better than a snake bite any day.

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## mrsquirrel

Who is the 1mb internet connection with?

I live in a jungle like surrounding as well FF.

Snakes in the out house but thats my own fault for leaving boxes in there for them. I will get the maid to throw them out later.

The only time I have seen snakes though is when the garden floods. The rest of the time they keep themselves to themselves.

Touch wood no big insects either.

I do have a problem with frogs climbing inside my bike boots though,

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## hillbilly

Waitrose.com - Lemon Grass - Waitrose Food Illustrated

...The Thais believe growing lemon grass in the garden helps to keep snakes away...

Uganda District Information Portal (DIP) - Health Sector

...“The grass can also be a snake and insect repellent if burnt inside the house,” Nankya says...

Amanda's Kitchen - Flavour of the Month

...In folklore, lemongrass planted around the home and in the garden was used to repel snakes... 


Seattle City Council Public Safety, Civil Rights, and Arts Committee Meeting Tuesday, 2 P.M., August 2 , 2005 Words&#226;€™ Worth


As we work, Ahn tells me
in his country
*lemon* *grass* grows in the backyard
a natural fence to
keep *snakes* away...

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## friscofrankie

> Who is the 1mb internet connection with?


 ToT heard horror stories and praise.  Really kind of locked in though as it's the only line in the neighborhood.  We were told one week so when all my other shit gets delivered on Thursday I should be able to check out the line too! 1950 THB for installation, including runnin the line, modem/4 port router  and first month.  Will see how it goes they say they will fine me 3K If I leave early they can;t keep a decent service level fuck 'em.  The can sing for their 3K.

We've got one place I can see the snakes migh finagle a way in under the stairs the floor boards appear to be loose and one baord is too high.  We got a maid service coming in on Tues or Wed to fumigate the place.  There is false wood floor on slab in the front half ot eh house and the 1/2 inch chicken wire is maybe too coarse.  all except on set of hollow cinder blocks are tightly screened the screen doors now fit tightly.

I will put mothballs and sulphur under the false floor, screen the opening and fasten down the floor boars under the stairs.  There's on nice tree that is up against the top of the awning you see over the front door all the vents to the roof are screened (new stuff too!).

When biuyinbg furniture I going with more traditional teak open designs with little area for vrmin to hide.  I fuckin hate geese but maybe a bag of goose shit?  :Very Happy:   The house has about 1.5 - 2 meter swatch of gravel around it .  

The jungle is really more like a coulple rai of wild land mostly banana and grass.  Will plant lemon grass (shit gets pretty hard to control tho, I've heard) Pak Chee farang, and muy  long handled gig.  Reall not to worried but all of this will calm the ol lady down and help me get some sleep.  

While reading up on the repellent stuff I got to spend a few hours readin up on the Cobras, did you know the King cobra is not a true cobra? I didn't.  A the "nice neighbor" is probably a drunk it was 11:00 AM when we met and his eyes were quite watery and red.  

He just kept going on and on until I had to turn and walk away.  Snakes are solitary creatures so I doubt there is a "nest" any where near.  if there is then after teh snakes hatch they'll leave for less densly populated pastures.  so, a  "nest of cobras" is a fallacy.

My experience with cobras is that they prefer to avoid people, rather than snuggle up next to 'em.  They have a highly developed sense of smell (or air tasting if you prefer).  They are S--l--o--w; well, compared to a california ratttler.  

I'm not gonna freak out *too* much, may try and be more careful sticking my hands in hidden areas, and check for danlging slitherin' things up in the tree.  Maybe for the first week r three I'll look under the desk before I stretch my legs out, but I imagine if I don't run into one in the first few weeks, I won't be bothered too much.  It's small old-style redwood house with the upstairs partitioned off into two bedrooms (coulda swore there were three, but I've looked at so many fuckin houses in the last couple weeks I get a bit confused).

Once we get things all closed up and stinkin' should be OK. if I do get lax and stick my hand in some cobras mouth, don't worry, If I live I'll tell you guys all about it, just so you don;t have to try it yerselves...

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## Little Chuchok

If you do get bitten, it would be considered damn rude if you don'tcapture the event on film... :Smile:

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## friscofrankie

See it all now, "Honey! I just got cobra bit!! get the fuckin camera willya?"
I go t hospitals with in ten minutes in about three directions,  Yer kindofa big fella, why not come over 'n hel a fella out, just so's I'll be lucid enough to do the filmin' you unnerstan'.  
I'll even let you keep the skin.  The neighbors got dibbs on the meat tho.

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## Little Chuchok

^ can you make sure that it's a really,really big one? I need a new belt. :Smile:

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## Spin

I can EMS you a pair of my missus running shoes. They will keep snakes away :Puke:

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## Eliminator

I've got a skin in my freezer that's almost big enough to wrap around me 1 and 1/2 times but the hood got cut in the wrong spot. Need to find a tanner here to make a belt. Trying to find a couple of big cobras to make a pair of boots out of. I keep telling my neighbors to call if they find one and I'll go catch the snakes for them. A couple have called but by the time I got there they had already chopped them into a bunch of pieces.  :Sad:

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## friscofrankie

> ^ can you make sure that it's a really,really big one? I need a new belt.


Dunno man maybe have to get bit twice I read that cobras only get about 6 - 8 ft in length.  if you're lucky maybe we got King Cobras.  

Did you know that the King Cobra's venom is much weaker than other cobras? If injected in the same quantities it most likely would not be fatal. Not to worry, they can inject up to 7ml at a go. Did I really read that this is supposed to be enough to kill like 200 people?  Both the King and others can inflict dry bites too.  Did I mention I've been doing alot reading on the subject?

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## Little Chuchok

I can remember watching Steve irwin talking about the Cobras and a "warning bite" that can be dry etc.Wouldn't like to try it though!!

As for the inference that I have a large girth, I will take great delight in calling you and  saying..."gee frankie, this WIld Turkey Single Barrel 12 year Old Straight Kentucky Bourbon Whisky that is 101 proof is really fcuking nice.Have a great day." click! :Smile:  


Snake Repellent, Snake-A-Way, Snakes

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## friscofrankie

Naw man I'm sure a itty-bitty garter snake wold fit your svelte and slender midsection; twice over!  Huirry up with the booze now willya?  :Very Happy:

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## Little Chuchok

^You sweet talking bastard! :Smile:

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## forreachingme

Party time ! Firecrackers and drums, cobras like that, they will come out to have a look...

Keep partying is a solution to keep them away ! Hire Dj pat's services and advertise for ravers in Pangan, after one week non stop they will be few miles away...

Get yourself a Rottweiler, friend over here as 3 dogs, one of them spot a snake, and  the one rotty goes straigth to him, one bite and a good shake in the mouth, the snake is done in a blink... 

the 2 other dogs are not rottys and just bark and stay away from the reptile, the rotty has proven successfull quite a few times now

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## benbaaa

> Now the old lady is just about scared to death of anything that slithers, slinks or even crawls


So how'd she end up with _you_, FF?   :Razz:

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## benbaaa

What you need is a secretary bird.






> The Secretary Bird is instantly recognizable as having an eagle-like body on crane-like legs which increases the bird’s height to around 1.3 m (four feet) tall. It's largely terrestrial, hunting its prey on foot. Adults hunt in pairs and sometimes as loose familial flocks, stalking through the habitat with long strides. Prey consists of insects, small mammals, lizards, _snakes_, young birds, bird eggs, and sometimes dead animals killed in brush fires. Larger herbivores are not hunted, although there are some reports of Secretary Birds killing young gazelles.


Better keep your pet gazelles indoors, though.

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## breezer1

Thais would have that on th BBQ  :Smile:

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## Kidneystone

With regards to the OP and apologies if its already been stated but I have it on good authority that the coastline of Ireland has been painted with a patented Snake repelent that appears to have been working for some 2000 years.

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## Lily

Frankie, fox terriers are good snake and rat dogs. They are as game as.

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## Skulldigger

> What you need is a secretary bird.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 			
> ...


That's amazing. She looks exactly like Aon at the AIS office.

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## Bluechild

I heard theres a shitload of cobras in thailand but most folk manage. Whys that?

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## Eliminator

I'm always looking for the cobras and can never find them. By the time my neighbors call and I get there, they've chopped them to bits. Looking for 2 big cobras right now. I've got the skin of a 5 footer in my freezer now but they chopped the hood, so only good for a belt, want a pair for boots to be made.

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## quikia

In my country, we keep a pair of the barnyard geese. It seems to pester the snakes as much as Thetyim's pair of cats. It also seems that the geese's shit is a repellent!

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## Whiteshiva

> I heard theres a shitload of cobras in thailand but most folk manage. Whys that?


Because countrary to popular perception, they will run/slide for cover as soon as they notice you, which is usually way before you notice them.

There is also a shitload of mozzies/tourists/motorbikes/spicy food/bad liquor/katoys/rain/karaoke bars in Thailand, but folk still manage. :Cool:

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## attaboy

Is there anyway to smoke out your house?  Snakes around here don't like smoke.

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## benbaaa

^ Set fire to the mattress?

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## Whiteshiva

> Is there anyway to smoke out your house?  Snakes around here don't like smoke.


A bonfire in the living room should do the trick. Throw some wet grass and a couple of old tyres on, and you'll get rid of the mozzies as well. :Cool:

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## attaboy

I'm happy to play the straight guy on this topic.  :Smile:  Howabout ten or more of them giant spiral incense?  The wifey will think you got religion.

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## friscofrankie

> A bonfire in the living room should do the trick


 This sounds like a nice idea with the temps where they've been lately alshot I think it would only work for one day, house bein wood 'n all.  Coulda used a fire last night, fuckin cold.

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## blackgang

They say that you should smoke your house once a month, use a charcoal braizer and use a shit load of chilis so they saturate everything, good for snakes, mossies, termites and most vermin, but after a day closed up, air it out well before going in.

And the word is, if you have a bull cobra hanging around a nest, do not bother him, he is waiting for the eggs to hatch and he will eat all the young, kill him and you will be up to your ass in cobras.

Least thats what they tell me.  Let me know if it works..

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