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Re: cottonmouth problem- safe removal?
I know a lot of people recommend kingsnakes, but on a broader scale, you don't typically find kingsnakes in the same habitats as you find cottonmouths. At least I don't, and many of the field herpers I know don't either. So I question how effective this method really would work longterm: i.e. would the kingsnake stick around in a habitat that is not ideal? While technically yes, most kingsnakes in the south do include snakes in their diet, its often lizards and rodents that is their primary diet. And cottonmouths especially are not a large part of the snakes they DO eat (although again, yes they do have the ability to eat them if they themselves are large enough).
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The better alternatives is for the person to make their property as less appealing to snakes as possible: remove all unnecessary debris and places to hide (Ex: brick piles, wood piles, tall grass, junk, anything that snakes and/or their prey would hide under). If not an actual fence, build a "snake fence" along most if not all of their property: tarp 18" or so tall off the ground to where the snakes would not go through but have to slither around.
Cottonmouths in particular generally eat fish, amphibians and rodents. If there is a body of water near the person, they may have to just deal with the issue if it is not on their property.
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She may want to contact a local herp society to periodically come and remove the snakes: win-win for everyone. Herpers are always looking for new places to herp, and the snakes could be relocated elsewhere.
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