AFRAID of mice?

I think my snake is afraid of mice. I've tried to feed him a few times now and he has only eaten one time. Last time I tried to feed him the snake seemed to pull away from the mouse whenever it got close to him. I've only fed live about 3 times and I was wondering if I should give it a try. I'm on small rats.

I don't think he's afraid...possibly stressed. when i see my bp's coil back and act scared, I take their food out and leave them alone. You could always try f/t.

I think that's a great alternative to live because some mice/rats are curious when you drop them in and they'll start runnin around and climb all over the snakes...(usually they don't get the opportunity because they're getting the hug of death)...but when a rat or mouse starts climbing all over them and sniffing around, and nothing happens, it's a sign of stress. Your snake will be just fine if it skips a meal or 2.

Where do you live? What's your temps and humidity like? do you have hides on the warm and cool side?

I feed thawed right now. Those are what he is afraid of. It has been warmer here (70-80s) for the past 2 weeks. Is nevada so its a desert but I try to keep the tank around 50% or so. Sometimes a little higher, sometimes a little lower. I have had hides on both sides. I've tried leaving my snake alone (i feed in a seperate tank), offering multipule times, offering at different times of the day/night, offering two color mice, white, and black mice, I've been offering between every 7-10 days and before this I tried waiting it out. I think my snake has eaten once in the past 2 months. I thiought I was past this since he ate once but he hasn't eaten in...ill say 3-5 weeks.

My brother has a snake that lives at my house for now. I have had this ball python in my care for about 4 months. She lives in a rack with 8 other balls who are eating and thriving and she only eats when she feels like it. She was fasting for at least the first 21/2 months she was with us. Now she eats a rat pup about once a week. Some times she still skips a meal. I would not worry to much some times they just stop eating because of the season or because of a stressor and it takes them a while to come around. Keep an eye on him and check his weight every month or so. I feed all my guys in their tubs, I have some that get stressed when I put them in separate tubs to feed.
Also I have one ball that was in a large enclosure 36''x18''x16'' 80+ ambient and 94-96 in the hot spot water dish to hides all that jazz and he was doing horrible. He would refuse to eat for a month or so at a time. He has a brother that is in the same age and in the same type of enclosure and he is well over 300 grams. Poor slick is just barely pushing 200grams. I moved him to a much smaller enclosure and bamm! With in 2 weeks he came around and he has eaten a mouse every week since the move.
All in all I wouldn't stress. Keep your temps in a good range and your humidity up, if the snake becomes dehydrated or is looking emaciated take him to the vet. Other that I would say wait him out and it will be fine.

Cage temperatures were what the previous poster was asking about...if they are 70-80s. That is likely the reason for your snake not feeding.

HHMoore has a very valid point and beyond that maybe you could try feeding him in his home instead of a different feeding bin. I can just forget about Lickity eating if its not in her home. lol That and even sometimes still some days she has p.m.s.

The other thing is that it sounds like you are putting the f/t mouse right up to the snake's face...a lot of BPs aren't fond of that particular move, lol. Hold it a ways back, let it get the snake's attention, & let the snake come to the mouse (though some of mine actually respond best to the mouse being laid right on their body & jiggled around til they take it - you just have to figure out what your snake responds to)

My snake comes over to the mouse, touches some of the fur with it's snout (do snakes have snouts?) stickes his tongue out to smell it then starts to move up it's body towards the tail. Then pulls back as if I smacked it or something.

I hold the mouse in my fingers by the tail and I let it completly thaw and warm up slightly. I'm thinking it's temps because before I left for vegas the temps looked a little low but not drastically. I'll check those and try again in about 10 days

yeah...it's temps. Snake bumped into the thermometer and turned it off. Cold side was 64 when I turned it on. Checking the warm side now. Snake currently on my neck and trying to move into the space bewteen the couch cusions(sp?).

you really should invest in a pair of long tweezers - they're cheap, and keep your hands out of they way at feeding time (never mind reducing the risk of being bitten, but your less likely to scare the snake & you have much better control of the prey item if you need to dance it around)