Inside the snake, that is. All this means that rat snakes are major predators on eggs and nestling birds. One species that has figured out how to deal with this problem is the Red-cockaded Woodpecker. Obviously, though, most birds can't do that. So the only practical way to avoid unpleasant snake encounters is to put a predator baffle around the support pole.
Baffles are available from a number of sources.
Banner Golden-cheeked Warbler photo copyright 1988 Greg Lasley. All rights reserved. Travis Audubon Society. All rights reserved. Send comments and questions about TAS and its activities to Travis Audubon Society .