Pesticides and Snake Health Concerns

[vetusvates]

I know here on the forum I have the potential for some experienced and sage advice here, so I have a problem. In the deep/humid/coastal/near coastal south of Louisiana, roaches are a perennial problem. They come in in the winter to get warm, and they come in in the summer to escape the heat.
I do take measures to keep all dog food, and other organic matter put up, and the trash put out.
Now I have snakelets. So I can't be going to the hardware store or feed & seed store and buying the industrial strength anti-bug poisons.
Any suggestions?

( Baton Rouge could be aptly renamed Baton Roach. )

 

[Jerry L.]

My aunt has a bird rescue and had a roach problem. She uses some type of roach trap that uses no chemicals. It won't get rid of all the roaches but they do work.

 

[vetusvates]

My aunt has a bird rescue and had a roach problem. She uses some type of roach trap that uses no chemicals. It won't get rid of all the roaches but they do work.

Hmmm...that would be the direct approach. And I could see the results. LOL.

 

[medusacoils]

I am not sure what kind of effect it would have on the snakes. I really hate chemicals and the effects on the snakes. I get very scared. What really got me thinking about this, is that my wife used "sevin dust" to treat her rodents. It's actually a prevenative measure more than a treatment. The stuff she uses is the one that is safe for pets and children. It works great!!

I have wondered the potential effect that this may have on my snakes, if she was treating the feeders. A friend was willing to attempt an experiment on two of her snakes that she kept back. We would treat the feeder tank with the sevin dust the usual way. Prior to feeding, we would wash the pinkies good and then feed. The two snakes fed normally and for a year now, have shown NO ILL EFFECTS! I am not saying that it will effect every snake this way, but it's a thought for treating in areas that could become affected with roaches.

This stuff has no dust and works great! We use it on our dog and cats. She does preventively treat some of her rodents, just not the feeders, with it and has been very successful with it. I am not totally signed on yet, but it is a thought. This stuff is a dustless powder!

Good Luck,

Wayne

 

[MedusaCorns]

time to get a bearded dragon dude

 

[LostNFound]

do you have a cat?

 

[vetusvates]

I am not sure what kind of effect it would have on the snakes. I really hate chemicals and the effects on the snakes. I get very scared. What really got me thinking about this, is that my wife used "sevin dust" to treat her rodents. It's actually a prevenative measure more than a treatment. The stuff she uses is the one that is safe for pets and children. It works great!!

I have wondered the potential effect that this may have on my snakes, if she was treating the feeders. A friend was willing to attempt an experiment on two of her snakes that she kept back. We would treat the feeder tank with the sevin dust the usual way. Prior to feeding, we would wash the pinkies good and then feed. The two snakes fed normally and for a year now, have shown NO ILL EFFECTS! I am not saying that it will effect every snake this way, but it's a thought for treating in areas that could become affected with roaches.

This stuff has no dust and works great! We use it on our dog and cats. She does preventively treat some of her rodents, just not the feeders, with it and has been very successful with it. I am not totally signed on yet, but it is a thought. This stuff is a dustless powder!

Good Luck,

Wayne

Well, there have been years when I would swear by sevin dust. Used it in the 70's and 80's for dog fleas. 10% and or 5%. And had it for cows and horses....oh I don't know....a barrel of 50w (50% wettable).
But sevin dust, in general, has the virtue that it breaks down immediately upon contact with water molecules...H2O. So it needed frequent outdoor re-application, and humidity, over time, renders it inert/harmless.
So even on the outside chance that it got in the mouth or in the gut (of human, dog, or otherwise) it would be rendered inert.
Hmmm....may have to think about this.
Thanks, Wayne.

 

[vetusvates]

do you have a cat?

No, Erica, allergic to cats, strangely enough. Why do you ask?

 

[LostNFound]

cat nip ... is a natural roach repellent.... you can put out little bags of cat nip OR make a cat nip tea and put it in a spray bottle and spray the base boards and roach hiding spots and stuff

 

[vetusvates]

cat nip ... is a natural roach repellent.... you can put out little bags of cat nip OR make a cat nip tea and put it in a spray bottle and spray the base boards and roach hiding spots and stuff

Well, Erica....wonderful. I did not know that. How "green"! My flower child art major sister would love that.
Thanks!

 

[medusacoils]

Well, there have been years when I would swear by sevin dust. Used it in the 70's and 80's for dog fleas. 10% and or 5%. And had it for cows and horses....oh I don't know....a barrel of 50w (50% wettable).
But sevin dust, in general, has the virtue that it breaks down immediately upon contact with water molecules...H2O. So it needed frequent outdoor re-application, and humidity, over time, renders it inert/harmless.
So even on the outside chance that it got in the mouth or in the gut (of human, dog, or otherwise) it would be rendered inert.
Hmmm....may have to think about this.
Thanks, Wayne.

When it comes to a pesticide and the health of the snake, it is really hard to decide. As I said, I am not ready to commit and as you said, constant reapplication is necessary! It's one of those "Fouled if you do and fouled if you don't situations!" If ya know what I mean!

Good luck and I can't wait to see how this turns out! My flea season, approaches and it's something I will have to consider!

Wayne

 

[medusacoils]

Just curios and following up. Have you found out or decided on anything?

Wayne

 

[Jerry L.]

I found out what my aunt actually uses at her bird rescue. I thought they were traps but I was wrong. It's an all natural non-chemical roach killer. She started using them about 2 months ago and hasn't seen any for 2 or 3 weeks. They were pretty bad too! She got them from a local "mom and pop" exterminator but here is a direct link: http://www.roach-killer.com/roach-killer.html

 

[Nanci]

time to get a bearded dragon dude

I wouldn't recommend feeding WC bugs to a dragon! We had a member here whose dad killed one doing that. You neer know what they've been poisoned with.

I have my house treated professionally, monthly. They do this barrier thing around the outside. Of course, the stupid flying Asian roaches can still fly in, and 20 feet away from the house the ground is still crawling with them, but it really cuts down on how many walk in. Now those huge roaches? IDK, maybe we don't have as many here. I get maybe 2-4 a year. I HATE them. They come in to get warm. But the pest control guy told me they want to live outdoors, and want to be outdoors as much as I want them to. I've never found them breeding in my house or anything.

I get these little black, hard bugs. Like the size of bird seed. They get into anything, like my snake feeding containers and the dog food, anything with a handle in the lid, so there is a crack. But I just throw them away.

 

[Caryl]

I know what you mean about the roaches, Eric. I live on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and the roaches and palmetto bugs just love it here. I've tried telling them that I won't invade their house if they don't invade mine, but they don't listen.

Sevin dust is recommended as a safe and effective treatment for mites & other pests by Kathy Love. In her corn snake guide, she states that it's been "safe and effective" for years, and she's had no ill effects in her snakes as a result of its use.

I'd love to say the catnip tea worked for me, but it didn't. I have a cousin in Indiana who swears by the stuff, so I tried it here in the south. The only noticeable result was an extremely happy house cat.

Have you considered getting a pet skunk? They eat roaches. Of course, the average household pest is probably carrying a gut-load of toxins, so I wouldn't seriously feed them to any pet. uke01:

I've got to ask why you're asking this question. Is it just a joy-of-living-in-the-Gulf-south question, or is there a reason I ought to worry more about potential roach problems with snakelings?

 

[Suzy]

I don't particularly know if this would work, but there's a natural bug killer called Orange Guard. I just picked some up (because of ants) and it says that it works on ants, fleas, and a number of other bugs. I don't know if it works for roaches or not, but it's a possible option for you as well.
Apparently the way it kills the bugs is by destroying the wax coating of the insect's respiratory system, thereby suffocating them. I don't imagine it would be much different for a roach, but then again, I'm not an entomologist.

 

[airenlow]

How about that Riddex Plus thing that sends electrical pulses through the wiring in the house? Not sure if it would would mess with the snakes at all, but it might be worth looking into.

 

[Pal-O-Mine]

I can't stand roaches! I've never had any problem with them because we've been rural. Ants yes, spiders of every type, even black widows in the woodpile but thankfully no roaches! Then hubby helped a friend move from a row-house in center city Baltimore. Roach central! Now our house isn't infested, not like some of the people on the "Exterminators" show. But every now and then I see one and I get to squirming thinking about the ones I'm NOT seeing! UGH! They make me paranoid about hygene and I go into a rabid cleaning mode!

I love herbs and I'll try the catnip spray. I've got some growing outside. ( If nothing else, it will be amusing to see the effects on the cats! Kitties at Woodstock! ) But I'm also interested in that Riddix thing but scared about the effects on snakes. So PLEASE let me know if it works!

Devon