depends on the snake if they normally strike right away and don't after a minute... well i just try again a few days later. some of my live eaters take a while so i check on them every so often and take it out after about a half hour if nothing happens i take it out. carpet pythons i just set it in their cage and they eat it sometime during the night. easiest things to feed. and the jag carpet, well she just simply always eats.... i havn't had a refusal yet. in shed, deep shed, after being taken out, cage being cleaned, cage dirty, she does not care.