Haven't handled in awhile... tips? I'm nervous

[coelacanthteeth]

Since becoming an owner of pet rats, I haven't been able to handle my BP, mostly because I'm terrified he'll smell a rat and bite me. Any tips? I'm going to try to handle him soon, I haven't taken him out except to feed him in a few months. I'm thinking wash my hands, wait til he's eaten again recently. Any other tips? He's always been docile, but every time I go near his tank recently he seems excited about something. He's never bitten me, and he's only struck at me once. Thanks guys

[rubberduck]

well wash your hands well and follow the protocols about handling. Your snake(s) can ofcourse smell the rats but in that case they will know that the smell isn't coming from your hands. Try rubbing lemon on your hands (it seriously removes smells).

You don't have to handle your snakes if you don't want to, but if you do you should always be prepared for a bite so you don't get disappointed when it does happen. You do realise it's not the end of the world right?

Having exotic animals that cannot be tamed (at least in our lifetime) comes with consequences. just my 2 c

[Mr. Misha]

Definitely wash your hands before handling or try not to handle your rats that day at all if possible. After lifting his hide up, scoop him up from thr back and you should be alright. If you're nervous, wear a leather glove. Also, don't forget to leave your BP alone for about 48 hours after his meal.

[hungba]

Oh just let them bite you. Doesn't hurt really anyway. You'll get used to it after a while.

I opened my top tub on a rack one day and the snake came out and bit the top of my head (I looked down for a moment to get a handful of aspen), and I didn't even put rats on my head beforehand.

[Albert Clark]

Since becoming an owner of pet rats, I haven't been able to handle my BP, mostly because I'm terrified he'll smell a rat and bite me. Any tips? I'm going to try to handle him soon, I haven't taken him out except to feed him in a few months. I'm thinking wash my hands, wait til he's eaten again recently. Any other tips? He's always been docile, but every time I go near his tank recently he seems excited about something. He's never bitten me, and he's only struck at me once. Thanks guys

Why don't you wear rubber gloves when handling the rats? I would. Why do you have to take out the bp to feed him? Are you feeding him in a separate enclosure? That is only stressing the bp out unnecessarily. Rubber gloves extra cheap at WWW.Healthykin.com Plus, their delivery is super fast and reasonable. Stay in peace and not pieces. Good luck. Wash your hands after you take the gloves off as well! They have the McKesson brand that I use for 3.00 for 100 gloves in a box. Gloves are a necessity when dealing with any kind of animal.

[Daigga]

The best tip I can give is to not worry about it. The absolute worst that can happen is that it may bite, which you'll come to realize isn't so bad. The fear is the hardest part by far, and once you get over it you'll see there wasn't anything to be afraid of in the first place.

[coelacanthteeth]

I couldn't wear rubber gloves when I handle the rats, because I don't handle them much; rather, they are given free range of the entire apartment for 5 hours of the day. Rats need a great deal of exercise.
I was feeding my BP in a seperate container, but I won't anymore if it's not necessary! I thought it was so that when I put my hand into his home, he's not expecting a rat to drop from the sky.
And yeah, I assume I'm only nervous cause I've never been bitten. Once it happens I won't be scared of it anymore, pain is just pain after all
Thanks for the great replies

[influence]

Keeping rats and snakes in the same house does trigger some 'feeding instinct' for the snake, in my opinion.
I notice this as sometimes when I feed live, due to a busy schedule, I leave the rats in critter boxes overnight. My snakes (including my 2 burms) will usually get 'excited' when I go near their enclosure due to the smell of rats in the house. I believe they have more fine tuned sense of smell as compared to humans, and my bumblebee did try to strike me because of this last time.. probably due to our heat signature and the rat scent in the air.
What I would do if this happens, is try to get a roll of paper towel or few pieces of newspaper (held together) and 'tap' their head lightly to turn off their feeding response, if they strike it won't harm them as the paper towel roll and newspaper is soft. For my burms, I will use a small rounded-edge snake hook and rub their head lightly. This will send a message to them that you are not food and its not feeding time. But this only happens when there are live rats in the house.
Other than that, feeding them in a separate enclosure will condition them not to mistake your hand for food, everytime you reach out in their enclosure.
Hope this helps

[JoshSloane]

Wash your hands well, change shirts, and maybe throw on a pair of work gloves. Don't show fear and just reach in and pick the snake up. You could also use a snake hook if you want, but really isn't necessary for a bp. Bp bites are pretty harmless compared to the big boys.