You've brought your snake home,  and put him in his properly put together enclosure.  You've made sure all the things that cause stress, are no longer an issue. But, for some reason, you just can't get your snake to feed.

Don't worry, I've got some techniques that all first time owners can use for their snake, and snakes they may have in the future.
 

Isolation Feeding

Sometimes, a snake just needs his privacy.  To make sure your newcomer is comfortable, place him in a small container about the size of a deli cup. This triggers the natural instinct of curling up in a small place away from predators, and its nice and cozy. Let him stay in the conatiner for a few minutes while you get your mouse ready.

To prepare the mouse, follow these instructions to preserve the scent of the mouse, and also add a healthy mix to it.

1. Heat your oven to 200ºF.
2. Get one cookie sheet, and place a few layers of paper towels or napkins on it.
3. Get your frozen pinkie mouse out of the freezer.  Make sure its the smallest pinkie in the bunch.
4. Place the pinkie on the sheet with the paper towels or napkins with some tongs or tweezers, as you do not want to leave your scent on the mouse. Your scent will confuse it, and picky eaters might refuse it.
5. You will need to add an extra source of vitamins and minerals. So at this point, sprinkle your powder of choice on the top of the pinkie. Don't let it pile up on him, but don't be shy either.
6. Place the cookie sheet with the mouse in the oven. Let it thaw for about 3-5 minutes. I usually go to the tv and watch the Crocidile Hunter until the next commerical comes on and I check the mouse.
7. As the mouse has been thawing, the natural moisture in the mouse it making the powder stick to it. This ensures the snake doesn't rub it off as its eating.
8. Take the mouse out of the oven. Get a fork and place it on top of the mouse and roll the mouse under it to let the powder on the paper towel coat the parts of the mouse that are still bare. There, now you have a mouse fit for a king. Snake. haha.
 

Ok, so now the mouse is ready. Take the snake out of the container, and place the mouse in it. You don't want to place the mouse in with the snake in it, otherwise the snake will always trigger a feeding response when you open the top and it might think your finger is the mouse.

Put the top back on. Let your snake contemplate eating for about 15 minutes. Stubborn Snakes take a little longer, but most eat within the first 10 minutes. Let him swallow the whole thing down before you take him out and put him in his enclosure, so as he won't regurgitate it.  And thats it! I hope this helped. And I will post other ways of feeding a stubborn snake in the next few weeks.