Dirtygardener,

I assume you are just poking fun at the article. The problem is real. Since the late 80's these snakes have been turning up now they are a threat to the environment. I spent plenty of time in the Glades back in the 70 & early 90s. Never saw one and only heard of a few being caught. Flash forward 20 years and these snakes are eating everything in the Glades including the gators. One study done in Everglades NP on the road kill showed the rabbit & raccoon road kill was down to zero. Big gators will fend for themselves, anything under 6 ft is at jeopardy of being eaten. Everything I mean EVERYTHING in the Glades is at risk of these snakes.

I agree that the python hunts have little chance of reducing the snakes population but it is really worth the effort.

Sorry for the rant but it is a serious issue.

Craig

http://www.wideopenspaces.com/florida-man-saves-whitetail-from-pythons-death-grip/

http://www.wideopenspaces.com/florida-man-saves-whitetail-from-pythons-death-grip/

I'm not really poking fun. I really do believe that what I said is the only choice we have right now. I know it's serious, but aside from poisoning the entire Everglades to kill them, what chance do we have? This whole state is being taken over by exotic alien species, and soon all the native species will be gone. I haven't seen a green anole since I went to visit my friend up in Punta Gorda some years ago. She says she hasn't seen one in years. Forget native frogs. Between pythons and Cuban tree frogs, they're almost all gone too. Entire habitats have been taken over by invasive plants.

Soon, the welcome sign will say "Welcome to what was once Florida."

The global economy has screwed up the entire environment but to say just let it all die goes against everything. Florida Whitetail deer; gators, raccoons, bobcats all gone. With that thought Brazilian Pepper has won the war, everything else must die. Sorry but I am not on the same bandwagon...

Well, when they ran out of food in the everglade maybe they can take care of all the stray/feral cats... any hope?

A python eating a wood stork in the Everglades, - the home of the wood storks for eons before a python ever slithered in there. Sorry, am finding it somewhat hard as well to be on that bandwagon !

O.K., so what is the solution? To kill a couple hundred a year when they lay 80-100 eggs apiece? How much money would you like to put into this, because it's YOUR tax money, and remember -- we don't have state income tax, so the tax will come from raising the taxes on gas and your utilities and whatever else they can get it from. This is survival of the fittest. I found out really quickly when I lived in the country that nature is cruel. I'm going to ask Houzz to delete this thread. I wish I had never posted it. I didn't expect it to become an ecological firestorm.

My goodness, everyone on this forum has a right to their opinion. If you throw
out an opinion on something do you not expect anyone to disagree? This
is not something to stress about, there are bigger hills. The cause of this problem are the people who buy and sell these invasive species so I think they should outlaw them completely and levy a HUGE fine and possible jail time on anyone found in possession of them to help finance the eradication of them. I'm talking thousands of dollars just like when people dump toxins into the environment, which to me an invasive species is the same thing. And BTW I'm not an eco-radical, I think we should do all we can to take care of our world but not to the extent that we eradicate ourselves.

Hang in there DG,...just GW'ers expressing their opinions. No one has all the answers. I just recall how pristine the Everglades were when I first came down to the Keys in 1988. Things change,..many new species coming our way that we have to deal with.

I even recall me going a bit berserk about the Cuban Tree Frogs invading my homestead about 6 yrs ago. They are mostly all gone now,...and believe it or not, am beginning to see an occasional native green guy now and then. I fought against them very hard at the time,..and like the Marines and Army riflemen on Guadalcanal and Leyte we, hereabouts anyway, seem to have triumphed !

Am in agreement with Rita on the idea of banning these pythons from being imported, and anyone caught harboring or worse, releasing them into the Everglades, should be slapped real hard ! Then observe like an osprey and hope for the best !

Jofus, please tell how you got rid of the Cubans. We have them here and although I do see the native ones I'm afraid they will be gone. The worse thing is, I'm so afraid the we might have brought them here from Tampa when we moved in some outdoor stuff, along with the Caribbean Anoles. I hope I'm not to blame but can't bet on it. Maybe we should start calling ourselves invasives!!

We are the ultimate invasives and we may yet exterminate ourselves. I like the comparison of dumping toxic waste and releasing/trafficking in exotic animals. I hadn't thought about it like that. I do think they should pay by the pound for the snakes, rather than by the hour. It would be much more cost effective. I guess some people would cheat the system, but maybe people could hunt them to extinction like they do everything else.

Suncoast,

They are paid by the hour this tracked by cell phone GPS plus a cash bonus for the snake. $50 for one up to 4 ft, bigger snakes bring a additional $25 per ft. Extra $100 if it is a female on a nest.

Thanks TC. Maybe eventually, it will make a dent then.

UF IFAS EDIS has quite a few good articles on how to collect and euthanize Cuban Tree Frogs (CTF).

Here's an excerpt from one of them:

Collecting Frogs in Pipes:

You can attract the frogs to hiding places where they can be easily captured and removed.

Place 3-foot long segments of 1½-inch diameter PVC pipe in the
ground around your home and garden. After a few days or weeks, frogs
will appear in the pipes.

To remove a frog from a pipe, pull the pipe out of the ground and
place a clear plastic bag over one end. Insert a broom handle or other
plunger device in the other end to scare the frog into the bag.

Let native treefrogs return inside the pipe.

Humanely Euthanizing Cuban Treefrog:

Remember to use gloves when touching the frog.

After positively identifying a frog as a Cuban treefrog, humanely
euthanize by applying benzocaine ointment—a numbing agent used to
treat skin pain and itching—to the frog's back. Name brand and generic
products are available over-the-counter in tubes or sprays.

After the ointment is applied, place the frog in a sealable
plastic bag for 15–20 minutes, so the benzocaine makes the frog
unconscious.

Keep the frog in the bag, and place it in the freezer overnight.
In the morning, throw it away in the trash. Do not throw live frogs in
the trash.

Carol in Jacksonville

As for the pythons, after they've eaten the entire everglades, they have other ideas than just giving up and quietly dying:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39427458

my chickens will eat the smaller CTR but they have no idea what to do with those big ones. Although not the most humane solution it is nature at work.

I heard that they had gotten some snake hunters from India to get the pythons. The Indians have a long history of hunting snakes I guess.

Time out Green Bay !!!! Getting back to the CTF's, - yeah, we all know about the University of Florida's great disclosure,... I read all about it at the time, like most GW'ers. That ingenious method of sawing up the 1 1/2 " diameter white plastic pipes into 3 ft long segments works real well in trapping them. How they get "euthanized " after that however, is up to each individual !!!

I'll tell you one thing, I ain't NEVER going to put any of those ugly, aggressive, glutinous monsters in my freezer, in my kitchen,..ever,..whether he's in a plastic bag or a wooden coffin,..it ain't happenin ! ! lol

I agree 100% jofus about putting CTFs in the freezer. The first time I read about doing that I laughed because I knew it wasn't going to happen. I was on the phone at the time helping in my role as Master Gardener and got to tell the client this wonderful bit of news. Gross!

Yesterday I saw a giant CTF within easy reach and caught it with my hand. It was sleeping and didn't see me coming! I killed it with a hatchet. Life is cruel. No PC around here.

Dirtygardener

I noticed you haven't posted in a while. I hope that is not because or me! The everglades is way south of where you are so it is a different issue for you north Florida folks.

Hope to see some of your gardening post real soon.

Craig

Me too DG,...I was one of the Grouchy Old Grizzly Bears re the python discussion. However, am well aware that even I am wrong on occasion. Looking forward to your next thread ! ( smile )

Hmm, her account here is "not found". But she was posting after the controversy in this thread, so I wonder what happened.

I hope you're okay, Deb.

Deb, I hope you decide to come back. This was a good thread and it showed a lot of different points of view. I learned a lot from everyone who posted - sometimes new knowledge, other times just more about the person. Some I nod along with, others I raise an eyebrow. All of the thread activity is the hallmark of a good thread, so you shouldn't regret posting at all.

Not everyone agrees with me, either, by the way, LOL. Everyone is different and that's what makes the world go round.

Please come back. You have great gardening knowledge and valuable input.

Carol in Jacksonville

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVRhRzE_AkQ

I'm friends with Deb, aka "dirtygardener". I told her that several
people on this forum had been asking about her. Deb asked me to post her
response.


Rhonda


"Hi all, Sorry about the abrupt departure, but I need to cut back on
social media, and this was one of my most tempting places to be. I was
spending way too much time here, to the detriment of my pocketbook (I
work online), my house and my garden, so I decided to leave.


I should have said goodbye. I'm sorry, but I left here once for
years and years and no one seemed to miss me, so I figured that would be
the way it would be this time.


It had nothing to do with the replies on the Python post. Lord
knows, I've posted enough controversial stuff here not to get my
feelings hurt when people disagree. In fact, as many of you know, I'm
pretty crotchety sometimes, and can give as good as I get.


There are so many knowledgeable people on this forum. Thanks for the
love, seeds, and plants I have gotten from the generous people here
over the years, but I have to do what is best for me right now.


If you want to keep up with me, my blog is still up and running at http://theconsummategardener.com.


Happy Gardening!

Love,

Deb"

Thank you for the update, Rhonda.

Ditto. Thanks for the update, Rhonda.

You're both very welcome.

Thank you Rhonda

You

Helped them Rhonda, help, helped them, Rhonda

You're welcome TC.

Embothrium...I heard that song soooooooooo much growing up. I still get it every now and then :)