Snakes In The House

Florida Cracker

Florida Cracker

Ejection Handle Pulled
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Florida Cracker
I popped my back out charging to save my bride, yesterday.

Not one but TWO big black snakes got in our kitchen and we're doing the premature dance, getting ready for their annual egg celebration, were whirling around, slithering and snapping their tails, and my wife walked right up on them.

The door out to our lanai was open to let in the wonderfully cool breeze and allow our pups to go in and out as they chose, but still be inside the screened area.

One got back out and the other decided to make a stand and came right at me. His strategy was flawed as I had a pick handle by the kitchen door and it gave me an advantage that I used to break his neck.

Snakes don't always die when you kill them. I have heard for years that a snake doesn't actually die till sundown and this one, with a broken neck wiggled it's tail for hours, hung from a post, toward the citrus trees.

My poor wife was terrified and I HATE to kill a black snake, except whe they get too familiar like this one. Mating time makes them make bad choices and these two will miss out on procreation now.
 
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Stories like this make me think cold winters aren't necessarily all bad.
 
Here I thought this was a thread about politics. :lol:

;)


Legless reptiles. Never understood why people are so freaked out by them. :no:

We have bull snakes here, 4-6'. They are considered good luck to have one in your barn. They love rats and mice, steer clear of people. Will bite if provoked. :yes:
 
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Well, you did the right thing. I agree that it is best to leave them alone, but in this situation, could you really have done anything else?

Florida Cracker said:
I popped my back out charging to save my bride, yesterday.

Not one but TWO big black snakes got in our kitchen and we're doing the premature dance, getting ready for their annual egg celebration, we're whirling around, slithering and snapping their tails, and my wife walked right up on them.

The door out to our lanai was open to let in the wonderfully cool breeze and allow our pups to goin and out a story chose, but still be inside the screened area.

One got back out and the other decided to make a stand and came right at me. His strategy was flawed as I had a pick handle by the kitchen door and it gave me an advantage that I used to break his neck.

Snakes don't always die when you kill them. I have heard for years that a snake doesn't actually die till sundown and this one, with a broken neck wiggled it's tail for hours, hung from a post, toward the citrus trees.

My poor wife was terrified and I HATE to kill a black snake, except whe they get too familiar like this one. Mating time makes them make bad choices and these two will miss out on procreation now.
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dmspilot said:
Are black snakes dangerous?
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Nah. They're eminently beneficial, actually. They'll bite you if you step on them, but it's not a bad bite. They also get a bit frisky during the mating season. But they do a great job keeping the rodents under control.

I have black snakes here and we get along fine. In fact, the only snakes I kill here are the copperheads. The rest of them are beneficial.

However, I don't think I'd take kindly to a pair of black snakes doing the wild thing in my kitchen. That's just... well, it's rude.

-Rich
 
RJM62 said:
Nah. They're eminently beneficial, actually. They'll bite you if you step on them, but it's not a bad bite. They also get a bit frisky during the mating season. But they do a great job keeping the rodents under control.

I have black snakes here and we get along fine. In fact, the only snakes I kill here are the copperheads. The rest of them are beneficial.

However, I don't think I'd take kindly to a pair of black snakes doing the wild thing in my kitchen. That's just... well, it's rude.

-Rich
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LOL!!!
 
RJM62 said:
Nah. They're eminently beneficial, actually. They'll bite you if you step on them, but it's not a bad bite. They also get a bit frisky during the mating season. But they do a great job keeping the rodents under control.

I have black snakes here and we get along fine. In fact, the only snakes I kill here are the copperheads. The rest of them are beneficial.

However, I don't think I'd take kindly to a pair of black snakes doing the wild thing in my kitchen. That's just... well, it's rude.

-Rich
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We have had at least two blacks snakes living in our flower bed, right outside the front door, for 15 years. I love having them eat rats, mice and keep other vermin from wanting to set up housekeeping in the house.

When they get that aggressive, they have to die. Our grand kids play all over the house, run in and out, lay on the floor and read and generally have the run of the house, yard and grove. Snakes need to keep a prudent distance and we are happy to leave them alone.

When my wife screamed, she was kind of trapped because walking up on them without seeing them, I jumped so fast I really bunged up my back. After "saving" her from the wicked, harmless, snakes, she has the nerve to keep making fun of me, because I can barely straighten up. Keeps calling a little old man.

That's just wrong and mother's day is coming up fast...
 
I have some sort of little bird that built a nest under my deck. It just sits there and grins at me as I walk by... animals tend not to be afraid of me, for whatever reason.

Today, however, I walked by and the bird flew away at warp speed. I couldn't figure out why until I realized I was dragging a hose over my shoulder. I guess it looked like a snake. I've never seen a snake actually eat a bird, but maybe the birds aren't taking any chances.

Here's a bird I made friends with last autumn. I have no idea what kind of bird it is, but I almost stepped on it while doing some work outside. Then I put it on my shoulder and went about my chores for a while. It stayed there for quite a while before it flew away.

-Rich
 

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RJM62 said:
I have some sort of little bird that built a nest under my deck. It just sits there and grins at me as I walk by... animals tend not to be afraid of me, for whatever reason.

Today, however, I walked by and the bird flew away at warp speed. I couldn't figure out why until I realized I was dragging a hose over my shoulder. I guess it looked like a snake. I've never seen a snake actually eat a bird, but maybe the birds aren't taking any chances.

Here's a bird I made friends with last autumn. I have no idea what kind of bird it is, but I almost stepped on it while doing some work outside. Then I put it on my shoulder and went about my chores for a while. It stayed there for quite a while before it flew away.

-Rich
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What a great photo! You must have a very gentle spirit.
 
RJM62 said:
Nah. They're eminently beneficial, actually. They'll bite you if you step on them, but it's not a bad bite. They also get a bit frisky during the mating season. But they do a great job keeping the rodents under control.

I have black snakes here and we get along fine. In fact, the only snakes I kill here are the copperheads. The rest of them are beneficial.

However, I don't think I'd take kindly to a pair of black snakes doing the wild thing in my kitchen. That's just... well, it's rude.

-Rich
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You've never done it in the kitchen? :dunno:
 
RJM62 said:
I have some sort of little bird that built a nest under my deck. It just sits there and grins at me as I walk by... animals tend not to be afraid of me, for whatever reason.

Today, however, I walked by and the bird flew away at warp speed. I couldn't figure out why until I realized I was dragging a hose over my shoulder. I guess it looked like a snake. I've never seen a snake actually eat a bird, but maybe the birds aren't taking any chances.

Here's a bird I made friends with last autumn. I have no idea what kind of bird it is, but I almost stepped on it while doing some work outside. Then I put it on my shoulder and went about my chores for a while. It stayed there for quite a while before it flew away.

-Rich
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You need a bird identification book. Birding is great fun.

Looks like a female yellow finch. Do you have bright yellow & black birds in the area?
 
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Normally we just shoo or otherwise relocate the black snakes out into the yard again.

The one exception was when my wife came in screaming that a snake had eaten her baby blue birds. I came out to find the things tail hanging out of the bluebird box. She made me kill it in revenge. I also relocated the box from the tree (big mistake) we had it on to a metal pole with installed snake baffle elsewhere in the yard. Fortunately, the birdy couple was not as traumatized as my wife and came back for another brood which fledged successfully. They were back this year as well.
 
flyingron said:
Normally we just shoo or otherwise relocate the black snakes out into the yard again.

The one exception was when my wife came in screaming that a snake had eaten her baby blue birds. I came out to find the things tail hanging out of the bluebird box. She made me kill it in revenge. I also relocated the box from the tree (big mistake) we had it on to a metal pole with installed snake baffle elsewhere in the yard. Fortunately, the birdy couple was not as traumatized as my wife and came back for another brood which fledged successfully. They were back this year as well.
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Hillbilly, this is why birds hate snakes.
 
write-stuff said:
Correct. And if you have some of them in your yard you are lucky. They bite, but don't do any damage. Completely harmless unless you're a mouse or a frog.
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Yeah Ive seen them around before and they are actually kinda fun to watch since most of the time they bolt as soon as you come around unlike rattlers which will just coil up.

We use to get them through our backyard occassionally, but we also got cottonmouths through as well :nono:. Now a days there isnt a snake to be seen.
 
I grew up in central Fla and as a kid, caught snakes for years. Fascinating creatures. I'd keep them for six months or so then release them back to the wild. I'd find probably 200 non-poisonous snakes for every poisonous one. As far as everyone else was concerned, they were all venomous. There is a lot of ignorance in the world.
 
now you know what pitch forks and metal rakes are for . . .

you scoop up the serpents with the pitch fork so they can't get away on ya, then you chop the heads off with a shovel. They don't really bleed much so you can do it inside.

My neighbor called in a panic one morning in South Carolina - husband left for work at the MCAS and there was copperhead sitting on her porch. I grabbed my rake and my shovel, held the sucker down with the rake and chopped the head off with the shovel.

You don't want a copperhead living under your stairs, which is apparently where it had been living for Lord knows how long . . .
 
Seanaldinho said:
Yeah Ive seen them around before and they are actually kinda fun to watch since most of the time they bolt as soon as you come around unlike rattlers which will just coil up.

We use to get them through our backyard occassionally, but we also got cottonmouths through as well :nono:. Now a days there isnt a snake to be seen.
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Most rattlers will run away if you give them half a chance - and thats all you give them.

We have a part of our biking riding trail near the house here that have a pair for Mojave Green living on the side of the trail - the big nasty Timber Rattlers run away at the first sign of human coming down the trail - but the Greens will not give up their warm spot on the trail and instead are very aggressive - I've warned a couple of hikers who saw them and said they're just rattlers and will slither away and I no, they won't. Don't go near those two. The green is very obvious. . . .
 
FC, you done fine in my book.

Live and let live,


Outside my house!
 
Skylane81E said:
FC, you done fine in my book.

Live and let live,


Outside my house!
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:rofl: thanks

I told my wife she better be happy with dinner and no flowers this year, if she keeps laughing at me all bent over...
 
One time I had a farrier in the barn shoeing a thoroughbred when a couple of 3' black snakes doing the nasty fell out of the rafters and landed right beside him. The horse stood stock still, but the farrier must have cleared 10 feet in the air...
 
Chip Sylverne said:
One time I had a farrier in the barn shoeing a thoroughbred when a couple of 3' black snakes doing the nasty fell out of the rafters and landed right beside him. The horse stood stock still, but the farrier must have cleared 10 feet in the air...
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When confronted with the two snakes lost in the throes of foreplay, my wife moved faster than I have ever seen her. She had me take her BP when things calmed down, and it didn't go all the way back to normal for about an hour.

I can't imagine why they picked our kitchen for their honeymoon suite. No idea.

We get snakes in our pool at least six times a year, particularly when the night was cold and our solar system has the water well above air temp, and I usually scoop them up, carry them out beyond the trees and toss them in the field. Now and then one comes right back and gets his head chopped off.

We live bordering a big old swamp and the wild life is outta sight. ferrel pigs, bears, raccoons the size of big dogs, eagles, turkey buzzards, deer, snakes and every kind of bird imaginable. The highway isn't far and I wonder sometimes if the constructin disturbs them and they come toward the house to avoid it.
 
Geico266 said:
Hillbilly, this is why birds hate snakes.
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Ah, yes. Now it makes sense.

And yes, I do have yellow and black finches, by the way. Or at least that's what my dad told me they were.

Snake-wise, we do get black rat snakes here, and some locals say we get black racers, as well. We also get garter snakes, Eastern milk snakes, Northern brown snakes, red belly snakes, Northern water snakes, green snakes (as far as I know, that's their actual name), the occasional ribbon snake... probably a few others, as well.

The only venomous snakes around here are the copperheads, which are not very common. Supposedly the timber rattlesnake is also making a comeback, but I haven't seen any around here.

-Rich
 
comanchepilot said:
Most rattlers will run away if you give them half a chance - and thats all you give them.

We have a part of our biking riding trail near the house here that have a pair for Mojave Green living on the side of the trail - the big nasty Timber Rattlers run away at the first sign of human coming down the trail - but the Greens will not give up their warm spot on the trail and instead are very aggressive - I've warned a couple of hikers who saw them and said they're just rattlers and will slither away and I no, they won't. Don't go near those two. The green is very obvious. . . .
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Well around here what I see the most is Pygmy Rattlers which are tiny little things with a nasty bite. Then there is the Hognose which looks just like a Pygmy but isnt venomous. Then Black Racers, big ugly Pine Snakes, occasional Water Mocassin (:no:), Eastern DiamondBacks are around as well and boy are they big and scary 6 feet long and as big around as my bicep.

We also have every flavor of Corn Snake imaginable. Then there is the Coral Snake which is super tiny as well but will kill in a heart beat. It gets imitated by the King Snake. The Coral Snake has different color rings, red, yellow, black. But the King Snake has red, black, yellow.

Cool creatures though.
 
Seanaldinho said:
Well around here what I see the most is Pygmy Rattlers which are tiny little things with a nasty bite. Then there is the Hognose which looks just like a Pygmy but isnt venomous. Then Black Racers, big ugly Pine Snakes, occasional Water Mocassin (:no:), Eastern DiamondBacks are around as well and boy are they big and scary 6 feet long and as big around as my bicep.

We also have every flavor of Corn Snake imaginable. Then there is the Coral Snake which is super tiny as well but will kill in a heart beat. It gets imitated by the King Snake. The Coral Snake has different color rings, red, yellow, black. But the King Snake has red, black, yellow.

Cool creatures though.
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"Red against black, friend of Jack, red against yellow, kill a fellow"

I went to school in Gainesville, and rented a house that backed up against Paines Prairie, which is essentially a huge shallow sinkhole. All manner of stuff that crawled, walked, slithered and flew right in the back yard. Gators didn't bother me, but hated the "hot" snakes.
 
Chip Sylverne said:
"Red against black, friend of Jack, red against yellow, kill a fellow"

I went to school in Gainesville, and rented a house that backed up against Paines Prairie, which is essentially a huge shallow sinkhole. All manner of stuff that crawled, walked, slithered and flew right in the back yard. Gators didn't bother me, but hated the "hot" snakes.
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I learned the very same rhyme when I was about 5 years old haha.
 
Growing up in Alabama I killed every one I ever saw with a shovel or a lawn mower...an Easter diamondback will kill your ass dead.
 
tmyers said:
The rhyme I learned was "Red on Black Venom lack, Black on Red dead dead dead"
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That doesn't work, red on black and black on red are the same thing. It's which colors are adjacent that tells you whether it's coral or king.

One upside to living in Michigan is our only venomous snake is the Massassauga rattlesnake, and they're more afraid of you than you are of them.
 

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Fortunately I have never lived where they live so it hasn't been an issue. I really don't care for snakes BTW. They are sneaky!!!!!
 
Awww, people are sneakier than snakes. Most snakes just want to run away and hide when they feel you coming.

BTW most of the rattlers in Michigan are in the SE corner where I live and I've hiked the local woods all my life, but I've never seen one in the wild. You have to go out of your way to scare them to get bitten.
 
Snakes were one of my childhood fears and yes I have known some people that I would classify as Snakes.
 
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