Found this 11-rattle dude snuggled up to our hen house, probably staying warm overnight. At this time of year they are waking from hibernation and hungry! Here are some tips I’ve gathered over the years, add your own in the comments below.
- Short grass is the best prevention.
- Not all snakes are rattlers, and most are “good” snakes. So be sure you only kill the actual rattlesnakes. Gopher snakes in particular look a lot like rattlers, but are actually competitors for the same food sources. King snakes actually kill rattlers! The more gopher and king snakes you have on your property, the fewer rattlers you will have.
- A shovel works great to dispatch most rattlers. For bigger ones, I prefer the working distance of a 20 gauge shotgun with #7 birdshot.
- Snakes like to hide under things. We had a dog get bit (she lived) when we flipped over a board. So keep stuff picked up and help your dogs keep their distance when you investigate their barking.
- The snake’s jaws will still work long after you might assume it to be dead. So dispose of it in a way that protects yourself and your animals. I read somewhere that most snakebites to people are actually the result of idiocy – poking the snake with a stick or playing with the body.
- If you prefer not to kill rattlers in the Diamond XX, it is also acceptable to capture them, put them in a burlap bag, drive them at least 50 miles East of Tonopah, NV, and release them.
For your reference, here are some pictures of some snakes common to our area:
King Snake – these are your friends
- Gopher Snake – note the smaller head and no rattles
- Rattlesnake – note the big head
Hello faithful DiamondXX.info readers. A new neighbor posted the comment below, but I thought it might be worth putting this on the front page to get some discussion going. You can view and add comments by clicking the comments link above.
Casey writes:
Hi!
I’m not sure if I’m in the right place, so feel free to redirect me if necessary. We are brand new residents of Diamond XX, after buying 2868 Singletree Dr. I have questions…..lots of questions. Is there an HOA, what do you do about tresspassers, road repairs, and the such.
Having said all that, I want to tell you how thrilled my husband, Dave, and I are to be living up here in God’s Country!
Casey
Copperopolis Town Hall Meeting This Wednesday
6-8 PM at the Armory. Come hear and be heard!
Want to show your community spirit and help clean things up? Here’s a great opportunity. Details below.
Organic Gardening Meeting – 3/24 at 2pm
Hello fellow gardeners of the Diamond XX. Let’s get together to talk about Spring plantings– please mark your calendars for Sunday, March 24, 2pm-3pm. Meeting Place: my house, located at 4399 Buckboard Drive.
This will be our second garden gathering, but don’t worry if you missed the first gathering last year — the event is very informal and welcoming.
In a nutshell, these gatherings are an opportunity for Diamond XX neighbors to come together and to share helpful tips about organic gardening (growing techniques, ways to save water, predator control suggestions, American homesteading skills, and so on).
To receive event notices for this private group, you can send me an email.
Thank you. Have a nice day.
Greg Glaser
From the Road Committee:
Roadside weed spraying is scheduled to begin next week, subject to weather conditions. County Service Area roads will be included in the program.Anyone who is sensitive to the herbicides may request that their road frontage not be sprayed. We have a list of ‘no-spray’ addresses from prior years which we automatically continue. Residents can contact Brenda Johnson at Public Works if they would like to be added to the ‘no-spray’ list or if they have questions about the program. Public Works – 209-754-6401
Chipseal work scheduled for Stagecoach Road & Pommel Way
See the attached notice for details. In short, don’t park on these street sections on Oct. 11, and take care if you drive on fresh chipseal not to track it onto your driveways or carpets.
Want to have a say in the future direction of the Copperopolis area?
Copperopolis Fire District Training Room
370 Main Street, Copperopolis, CA October 1, 2012, 6:00 p.m.
Thanks to Carleen Mansour for the head’s up.
A quick note from Jeane Kennedy:
Over the years the Road Committee has been approached by residents asking to be hired to do road work within our community rather than have Public Works or some other contractor hired. For contracting and purchasing, the community is subject to the provisions of the State Public Contract Code, as well as the County Code (see Chapters 3.28 – Purchasing System and 3.29 – Bidding Procedures for Public Projects of the County Code). There are also the state Streets and Highways Code and the County Encroachment Ordinance (Chapter 12.08).