Snake In The House

[Sam]

On Thursday we had a young racoon climb one of our oak trees in our back yard and I encountered a very large doe grazing in our field but this morning (Saturday) I came downstairs in the area adjacent to the TV in the den I saw a snake on the floor.

 

I know we have black, garden and copperheads but never have we had one in the house.

 

The snake was about 16 inches long and was just laying on the hardwood floors, minding its own business.

 

What was worrisome to me was that I went up and down the stairs five times this morning before I saw the animal on the floor in the den.

 

With the lights out I could not tell if it was a copperhead or a garden snake.

 

So I ran to the garage and got a white plastic bowl and a broom and came back and the snake had not moved so I placed the plastic bowl over it and put the White House China book (wife's favorite) on top of the bowl.

 

I then ran back to the garage and got a thin piece of plywood about 2' by 2' and an 1/8 inch thick and shoved the plastic bowl over it. I carried the wood with the bowl across the street and lifted the bowl.

 

The little garden snake took off. Thank God it was not a copperhead.

 

My wife is now ready to sell the house and move to a 10th story condo in the middle of downtown Richmond.

 

Man, that was a heart pounding experience, especially when we have our grandkids and grand dog over to visit from time to time.

 

I am going to Southern States and purchase a lot of Snake-B-Gone and calling our pest control company to do what they can to keep those critters out of the house.

 

We had a very small mouse in the downstairs bedroom and I set seven mouse traps but never caught the critter. And the the little mouse disappeared.  My wife believes the garden snake ate the little mouse and was on the move looking for another meal.

 

I think the snake got in via the garage door being left open or the front door was open when I went out to get the newspaper or was planting the new flowers in the front gallery planters.

 

I have not moved that fast in years. I guess I still have what it takes!!!

 

[MCS]

How did you figure out it was a garter snake? I mean myself know the obvious difference but you stated you didn't know what kind of snake it was at first. Just curious.

And to be a *****, but reptiles are kinda my thing/pet peeve so I appologize in advance for correcting you but it is a garter snake, not garden. And though they are not venomous, they musk and deficate when you handle them which is a good enough reason not to handle them. LOL

[Sam]

Yep, I wrote garden snake knowing it was a garter snake to try not to confuse people who have no idea about snakes.

 

In the dark I could not see if it was brown or black.  It looked brown which, as you know, is the color of a copperhead.

 

I did not want to hurt the animal so I did what I could to get him out of the house and into the field across the road.

 

He slithered into the grass.

 

Pretty coloring, a light gray with the "spots."

 

How do you think he got into the house and do you think there is another one in my home?

[Chris at Tech]

Watch out for those rattle-headed copper moccasins!

[MCS]

I would guess it was looking for that mouse. In Winchester we used to find them under the porch all the time where the mower was kept and sometimes in the basement. It is also mating season so maybe it was in search of a mate or a place to lay. They will come in through anywhere, probably same path the mouse got in.

 

Just tell you wife be thankful you don't have to deal with scorpions in the house. those are really nasty and great at hiding. painful sting I hear. We have found 1 in our place my parents have found a few in theirs.

[Raider Nation Fisher]

Why is the wildlife out to get you Sam? What did you to tick off mother nature?

[KU_Bassmaster.]

I would move

[Sam]

All I can think of getting Mother Nature upset with me are all the largemouth bass I have been catching.

[slonezp]

Open a zoo and charge admission.

[deaknh03]

Get a pet Mongoose..

[Bankbeater]

Be glad that it wasn't a skunk.  I went out to go to work the other day and froze in my tracks.  I smelled it, but I didn't see it. 

[GeorgiaBassBros]

We had a chipmunk get in the house the other day when my mom left the door open to let the dogs go in and out as they please. Got under a tarp in her room that we had put a newly painted desk. The jack russel made very short work of it, just a few squeaks until it was utterly obliterated.

[Tuckahoe Joe]

My brother has 2 ball pythons in the 2.5-3 foot range.  A few years ago one managed to push the lid off the tank open and escaped.  We didn't see it for weeks.  Then one night I got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom.  Flipped on the light and the nearly jumped out of my skin.  The snake was stretched across the toilet and had its head and neck reared up at me.  I've handled the snake tons of times so I wasn't afraid of it or anything.  Just startled the heck outta me.  Not something you expect to see at 4 in the morning when your half asleep.  I picked it up, put it back in the tank and found something heavy to sit on the lid this time.

 

At the house I live in now, we have snakes in the attack.  Whenever we go up there we always find new snake skins.  Never see the actual snakes though.  The majority of it has floorboards but there's a small section on either side where the insulation is exposed.  We think that's where the snakes are hiding out.

[Crappiebasser]

Y'all are crazy. The only snake I will handle is one with about a foot missing from the front due to the 12 gauge blast.

[Sam]

My wife and I have figured out that the poor little garter snake probably was in the EMS bags or wheelchair/strecther and it escaped when my wife had to be taken to the emergency room Thursday night.

 

Glad the critter is back where it belongs.

 

Wife has calmed down and my blood pressure is getting to normal again.

 

That was one heck of an adventure and I hope no one has to go through it.

[retiredbosn]

A black snake got into my grandparents house once, you can still see the patch in the wall. Lets just say granddaddy didn't like snakes.

[derekxec]

lol sounds like a friend to me he came over to help you with your mouse problem snake b gone should do it for you...at the condo i used to work for we used it and never saw snakes...put a bird feeder in your yard the birds will help take care of the snakes too 

 

or you could get you a ratel lol they will eat all your poisonous snakes  without being harmed lol

[Ima Bass Ninja]

My dogs killed 2 snakes yesterday in the back yard. I was there for one and have to say labs are pretty viscious when they want to be. One would distract it and the other would grab it by the tail and fling it around. They did this a couple of times until I was able to get them to stop and move them away. The snake was done at that point but it didn't stop me from shooting it Just incase.

[Sam]

Ima, my wife wants us to get some peacocks.

 

Peacocks were used in the southern plantations and throughout the northeastern, eastern and southern part of the US back in the 1900s to help control the snake problems in horse stables.

 

Jackie Kennedy's farm still has peacocks in their stables.

 

I said I would have no problems with peacocks but we had to fence in our entire back yard.

 

That ended that discussion.

 

I then told her we need to get a few ostrighs but she was not in favor of that.

[Ima Bass Ninja]

Ima, my wife wants us to get some peacocks.

 

Peacocks were used in the southern plantations and throughout the northeastern, eastern and southern part of the US back in the 1900s to help control the snake problems in horse stables.

 

Jackie Kennedy's farm still has peacocks in their stables.

 

I said I would have no problems with peacocks but we had to fence in our entire back yard.

 

That ended that discussion.

 

I then told her we need to get a few ostrighs but she was not in favor of that.

Sam i have never seen a peacock battle a snake before but after watching what those two dogs do what they did to that snake I have to say it puts me a little bit more at ease. I don't think I will have to worry about stepping out in the yard a having mr no shoulders sneak up on me.

[Hyrule Bass]

Be glad that it wasn't a skunk.  I went out to go to work the other day and froze in my tracks.  I smelled it, but I didn't see it. 

you could of also smelled a sasquatch lol

 

 

 

Y'all are crazy. The only snake I will handle is one with about a foot missing from the front due to the 12 gauge blast.

i wont even handle a dead snake, im extremely terrified of them lol

 

 

 

Ima, my wife wants us to get some peacocks.

 

Peacocks were used in the southern plantations and throughout the northeastern, eastern and southern part of the US back in the 1900s to help control the snake problems in horse stables.

 

Jackie Kennedy's farm still has peacocks in their stables.

 

I said I would have no problems with peacocks but we had to fence in our entire back yard.

 

That ended that discussion.

 

I then told her we need to get a few ostrighs but she was not in favor of that.

get some chickens, then you only have to build a chicken coop and pen. chickens will obliterate snakes. keep them in the pen at first, let them learn thats where they live and get fed. then in the mornings you can let them out to roam free and put them back up in the evenings before dark. plus they will eat a bunch of bugs and ticks in your yard. plus fresh eggs.

[Darren.]

My house is critter central. We raise rats and mice to feed our collection of snakes, and our savannah monitor. We've also got a pair of russian tortoises.

 

Fav snake I caught was a black rat snake which entered through a hole in our foundation. Awesome snake...

 

Love snakes, my boys and I go out of our way to rescue them and other critters we find out on the road, or when neighbors freak out.

[ww2farmer]

Ima, my wife wants us to get some peacocks.

 

Peacocks were used in the southern plantations and throughout the northeastern, eastern and southern part of the US back in the 1900s to help control the snake problems in horse stables.

 

Jackie Kennedy's farm still has peacocks in their stables.

 

I said I would have no problems with peacocks but we had to fence in our entire back yard.

 

That ended that discussion.

 

I then told her we need to get a few ostrighs but she was not in favor of that.

I would advise strongly against the pea fowl. We had them for many many years around the farm. They are more of a nuisance then the snakes. You think a roosters crow is loud. Wait till the peacocks starting screaming. It can be heard for miles................I'm serious. They crap all over the place, and they like to fight with there reflections on shiny surfaces...............like car hoods/bumpers, windows, etc. They are not friendly, yet are oddly bold. they will get into EVERTHING, and as a bonus they breed like rabbits. We didn't have them fenced in, and if there is food and water, females for them to "guard" and a place for them to roost up high at night to avoid fox's, etc... they will not go far. I don't even recall them being fascinated by the road, they seemed to stay away from it. They taste like turkey.

[Raider Nation Fisher]

I find that mothballs keep them away. That and my cat. If Mr No Legs is brave enough to cross my ammonia barrier then a 9mm snake shot seems to do the trick. Personally I have no problem with them. They keep the vermin away, and don't bother me. My wife on the other hand is TERRIFIED of them. She dumped an 18 rd clip of snake shot into a garder snake in my grandmoms back yard. Dang thing wasn't even 12in. long.

[scrutch]

I let snakes live if I see them in the woods, but in my house is a different story.

Wrong turn, snake. You're dead.

It has never happened and hope it never does. If it did my wife would probably burn the house down.