Morning all, With the rain has come the cooler temps, but still it is March and many snakes are on the move for a mate. Have managed to obtain a copperhead snake which my wonderful dog killed, before it headed into the laundry. Have spent some time thinking about the right time to catch a snake, the answer as far as I'm concerned is never, but when one lands in your laundry door, then it's time to make use of it. The copperheads are numerous in these parts and have stopped me some years from working in the garden. Only want to put the pepper around the house yard and food gardens, they can have the rest of the land.
Unable to bring myself to skin the snake, so have allowed the maggots, wasps and ants to remove the innards. It is at this point that I am unsure of what to do to make a pepper. Even unsure if whether or not leaving it to the insects was the right thing to do? The skin is still in good nick. Have read previous posts on ashing and have lost the attachment Cheryl Kemp sent to me on snake peppers, and the questions keep coming, such as: Once turned to ash how long is the pepper good for? Is it best to keep in ash form or potenise for storage. What colour should the ash finish at, and would burning it out on the plough disc BBQ, with a lid over it be good enough? Do I apply it around the perimeter or over the land I want protected? Any answers, experience or suggested reading would be greatly appreciated, Thanks. L&L Liz
