snake-proofing an area

News item: Jay Richitelli says he is the third Floridian in three years to be attacked in a Wal-Mart by a pygmy rattler. Two others were bitten in 2006 at the retailer's stores in Central Florida. (Fort Lauderdale)

Is the following thinking accurate? Snakes go where their food is. Their food goes where their food is. WalMart's prices are good, so thats where the food goes; the plant section. (Richitelli says ... he's been back to Wal-Mart several times, saying their prices are too good to shop elsewhere.)

The only way I can see to keep snakes out of such an area would be to put refrigeration coils in the pavement around the area. Sorta like an ice rink. Ask snake experts if this would work, and how wide it would need to be.

After I wrote this proposal, I looked for someone to confirm or laugh at the idea. Any input, please?

Honestly, it won't work. The sheer cost of cooling that much area in the Florida heat and sun would be far greater than the store's entire profit by a huge margin.

What I was thinking was a strip just a couple of feet wide, maintaining a temp of maybe 40 F at night. Would snakes avoid this strip?
Another responder pointed out that the snakes may be coming in with the shipments. Which may be, especially in refrigerated trucks, if that is what they are using.

I personally doubt they would avoid it. They will cross highways heated to the point they would blister our skin I doubt a 4, 8 or even 12 foot wide strip of 40F pavement would even slow them down.
A better idea I think would be a cement ditch 3 feet wide at the top opening and 4 feet wide at the bottom so the sides slope inward toward the top and about 4 feet deep total.

Additionally your would need to contract with someone to come around every morning to remove any snakes caught in the pit trap.

Thanks, John. I was supposing that the cold strip would be too uncomfortable for a cold-blooded critter.
But there seems to be no practical way for WalMart or anyone else to guarantee a snake-free shopping experience.

Originally Posted by Walt L G

Thanks, John. I was supposing that the cold strip would be too uncomfortable for a cold-blooded critter.
But there seems to be no practical way for WalMart or anyone else to guarantee a snake-free shopping experience.

Only by checking each plant that comes in and installing a hardware cloth fence around the perimeter of the property. This will need to be buried into the ground 6" to provent rodent burrows. It should be about 2ft tall with the top bent outward at a 45' degree angle. We put these up here in the Austin area and they do work for western diamondbacks and copperheads. They will not stop a rat snake. Of course having roads leading into WalMart doesn't make this totally effective.