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Snake problems

Sphere | Posted in General Discussion on May 24, 2004 03:46am

As some of y’all know I got a log home. It appears Cow snakes love log homes. Yesterday, I was squirtin down the walls outside for ants..I got lots of ants, and beetles, and wood roaches..and SNAKES

My dog is transfixed in the front yard ,staring up at 3 shed snakes skins..I saw 2 at 4′ long in the Maple tree, and one just his head poking out from THE INSIDE yesterday sprayin..

When we gutted the place this winter, I found many skins..I thought by disrupting the nest or whatever they’d leave..Nope.

Today while I was stacking rock for a porch..a big azz snake nonchalantly slid outta my soffit, down the log wall across the area I was diggin and headed for the Saturn (DW’s ride) with it’s window open.

Now before she has a coniption by finding a serpent in her car..any humane ways to deal with these?

Locals ain’t a lot of help..the answer is a sly grin and “welcome to Kentucky..log house huh?”

 

 

Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations. 

 

 

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Replies

  1. Snort | May 24, 2004 03:50am | #1

    Flute 'n basket?

    Don't worry, we can fix that later!

    1. User avater
      Sphere | May 24, 2004 03:53am | #2

      Guitar an shotgun? LOL

       

      Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

      Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations. 

      1. brownbagg | May 24, 2004 04:20am | #3

        I got rat snake everywhere, they love the frog and lizard. Rat snake is total harmless, there are the pet store snakes. there are so many in my yard you just step over. But to keep away from house, I drop some moth balls. It will keep them at bay.

        1. User avater
          Sphere | May 24, 2004 04:25am | #4

          good thinking!..reminds me of a joke

          Did ya ever smell mothballs?

          (you say YUP)

          How did ya get yer head between thier legs?

          Sorry BB..could not resist..I will try some tomorrow! 

          Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

          Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations. 

  2. User avater
    MarkH | May 24, 2004 04:53am | #5

    You need a snake dog and that's spelled B E A G L E.  Now I myself don't really like beagles that much, but a beagle would look good on the porch of a log home, and I'm from Kentucky so I've seen a few hanging around a log house here and there. My grandfather always had beagles and hounds to kill snakes.  Dad said they rip them to shreads, poisinous or not.  The next two best choices are hogs and goats, but they have even more drawbacks than beagles. 

     I saw a copperhead bit beagle that had an ear about 2" thick from the swelling, but he was ok after a couple weeks. Made him hate snakes with a vengence. He got bit when my grandmother went to open the barn door to milk the cow.  At least you don't have a copperhead den in there. Puff adders are a pain too.  Heck, I hate it when a black snake hisses, and they are relatively (but not totally) harmless.

    1. User avater
      Sphere | May 24, 2004 02:58pm | #12

      BTDT with goats..Never again. They were a PITA like never before..

      Neighbors beagle comes here all the time to romp with my dog..aussie shepard and border collie..he's a squirell dog tho' The snakes are too high up for the beagle to SEE much less kill.

      I once had a BIG azz Black snake getting my hen's eggs, right outta the nest box..I took an egg and poked holes to blow out the egg, and filled it with salt. Put that where the snake was stealing eggs. A few days later no more egg thief.

      I'd have to bait these up in the tree somehow..hmm, got any hummunigbird eggs? These snakes got tiny heads (for a snake that is)..and I guess they are after bird nests.

       

      Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

      Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations. 

      1. User avater
        SamT | May 24, 2004 04:51pm | #13

        Think you got snake problems?

         View Image

                        87 Rattlesnakes

         

        Arguing with a Breaktimer is like mud-wrestling a pig -- Sooner or later you find out the pig loves it. Andy Engel

        1. User avater
          Sphere | May 24, 2004 05:56pm | #14

          yeowza!

          pass the TNT.. 

          Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

          Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations. 

          1. ZippyZoom | May 24, 2004 06:02pm | #15

            I found this cute little feller in my chicken coop on Monday.  I was wondering why the old girls weren't cranking out the eggs at the usual rate....

            =====Zippy=====

          2. User avater
            Sphere | May 24, 2004 06:45pm | #16

            blow out an egg an fill it with salt...that really works. Set it back in the nest box. Now if the 'possums would quit killin chickens!

             

            Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

            Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations. 

          3. User avater
            MarkH | May 25, 2004 12:30am | #19

            I was picking up some layer mash at the tractor supply Co. and saw some Dr. T's Snake repellent. About a half gallon for $20.  It's safe to use in and around the house.  Makes them feel itchy or something, I'm skeptical but might be worth a shot anyway.  http://www.repell.com/researchsnakeaway.html

            Edited 5/24/2004 5:42 pm ET by Martha Stewart

          4. Treetalk | May 25, 2004 02:19am | #20

            Well here is what you need! Now he doesnt come cheap since he wont fly and has to be transported in a  air-cond. limo (tho he does like to hang his head out a sunroof ).Once there he is totally one minded unless a possum,raccoon,skunk,mole,deer,turkey goose or cat get near him.He will terrorise and harrass the snake so bad Ive seen 7' black snakes turn themselves inside out!For copperheads and rattlers he has a full body suit made of kevlar but hates it when its hot outside. 

          5. User avater
            MarkH | May 25, 2004 03:42am | #21

            Hmm.  Looks like the snake is backing up the dog to me.

          6. User avater
            Sphere | May 25, 2004 02:26pm | #26

            Goin to town today..will swing into TSC and see whassup there. 

            Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

            Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations. 

        2. VaTom | May 24, 2004 07:45pm | #17

          87 Rattlesnakes

          You crawled in there and counted 'em?PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!

          1. Gabe | May 24, 2004 10:03pm | #18

            Two female snakes were chatting about one of their own that had recently returned from the life of a city snake and the one turns to the other and says "I remember when she didn't have a pit to hiss in".

            Budda boom.

            Gabe

  3. User avater
    IMERC | May 24, 2004 06:56am | #6

    Waddya mean peoblem????

    Yur there..

    I'm here..

    No snakes here...

    No problem...

    Either way....

    Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming....

                                                                       WOW!!!   What a Ride!

  4. MisterT | May 24, 2004 12:59pm | #7

    Snakes eat mice.

    you got snakes then you got meeces

    git rid of snakes and you will have meeces up to your armpits.

    would DW rathe find a snake by her car or a mouse in her bed?

    Mr T

    Happiness is a cold wet nose

    Life is is never to busy to stop and pet the Doggies!!

    1. User avater
      RobKress | May 24, 2004 02:09pm | #9

      Exactly how it is for us at our weekender in PA.  No snake....lots of mice.  No mice.... one really big black snake.

      Rob Kress

    2. User avater
      Sphere | May 24, 2004 02:49pm | #11

      have not seen a live moose in the hoose ever..two cats handle that..it seems these "cow suckers" as they call em' are after Birds and eggs..I got nests in my soffits (even after hangin a rubber snake to scare em off LOL) and the snakes get in there and a BIG Maple tree in the front..

      Maybe they are tryn to mate with the scare snake?

       

      Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

      Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations. 

  5. rez | May 24, 2004 01:51pm | #8

    You think they might be digging up thru yer crawlspace?

    heh heh.

    Just marinate in cider and add vegetables on yer shiskabob.

    1. User avater
      IMERC | May 24, 2004 02:11pm | #10

      Ya fergot to tell him to watch out fer the bonessss.....

      Careful Sphere... Don't choke...

      Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming....                                                                   WOW!!!   What a Ride!

  6. User avater
    RichBeckman | May 25, 2004 05:31am | #22

    On a roof tear off (two layers shingles and one layer wood shingles) we just did, we found several snake skins in the attic. One of them was about seven feet long.

    I spent the rest of the tear off nervously stealing looks under where I was about to tear off to be sure there were no surprises.

    Never did see the snake.

    Rich Beckman

    Another day, another tool.

    1. User avater
      Sphere | May 25, 2004 02:28pm | #27

      I did not see it , but my customer with the cedar roof..saw a large skin up there..I been duckin all the friggin wasps that are under the shakes.

      Shakes, snakes and wasps..another country song here? 

      Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

      Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations. 

    2. Snort | May 25, 2004 03:36pm | #29

      When we used to recycle old houses, we never failed to find blacksnakes in the roof cornice returns. They scare the bejeezus outta me, but my partner, would flick 'em to the ground (which seemed to stun them pretty good), run down and throw them into his VW beetle. After work he'd drive home with them. I didn't want to know what he did with them:-0 Don't worry, we can fix that later!

  7. freeman2 | May 25, 2004 06:42am | #23

    try diatemacious earth (spelling?) or sometimes called D.E. (basicaly its ground up seashells)gardners use it to keep away snails, and snakes purty much anythin' that crawls, just mound it up or form a "mote"around the area where they enter/exit, works for me very well, obviously wind will tend to blow it away, 'cause it is very fine powder, but them pesky critters just hate it! as for the mice... cats are best i have three and couldn't live without 'em. i spread D.E. all over my crawl space and they went packin' real fast. don't breath the stuff other than that it is very safe and non-toxic.

    fm2

    "the large print givith, and the small print taketh away"          Tom Waits

    "those with accurate observation are often called a cynic by those who have not got it" george bernard shaw

    1. User avater
      Sphere | May 25, 2004 02:24pm | #25

      I actually have a bucket of DE..use it all the time..didn't think of snakes. Thanks. 

      Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

      Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations. 

  8. 4Lorn2 | May 25, 2004 07:03am | #24

    A classically southern solution is to get a pair of pigs. I have heard from farmers in this area a standard practice is to put pigs into any land a few weeks before they run cattle. The pigs seem to have a natural animus to snakes and will tear into any snake they find. I once watched a pig stomp and bite a pygmy rattler to death. Afterwards it ate the poor snake. 

    For those unfamiliar a pygmy rattlers it is a rattle snake that is about half the length of a full grown regular rattler but reportedly it has the same amount of poison as its larger cousin. They also are reported to be a bit more aggressive. Not that I think snakes are generally aggressive. Its smaller size makes it easier to miss while walking.

    I was told that the pigs are well protected from bites. Once the area is snake free you can have a nice BBQ.

    1. User avater
      Sphere | May 25, 2004 02:32pm | #28

      I actually have an old goat pen out back..certainly not hog tight tho'...would not mind havin some ..next year.

      I had 11 goats in NC..never again..they'd jump the ele. fence, I'd add a wire..they learned to jump higher. PITA 

      Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

      Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations. 

      1. 4Lorn2 | May 26, 2004 03:58am | #30

        I would think 'hog tight' would be a pretty low standard. Now that I have flaunted my ignorance ... I would think they wouldn't jump too high or go through any really tight spots. Perhaps digging might be a problem but I can't say as I have seen any great amounts of underground run hog wire.

        The hogs I have seen seemed to be rather contented as long as they were fed. Of course they may all don camouflage clothing and blacken their faces to team up and break out in a porcine version of 'The Great Escape'. So what do I know?

        I would think groups of pigs exercising on a wooden horse would be a dead give away.

        1. User avater
          Sphere | May 26, 2004 04:08am | #31

          Actually, remesh is good for hog wire, but the real stuff is galvanized..the problem with hogs is thier mass...just laying down next to a substandard enclosure and it's kindlin. Yes, rooting is problem, and again..if a tasty morsel is just out of reach ( they have a better sense of smell than bloodhounds I've heard,truffle hunters use them) they will push an old rusted Chevy with no wheels outta thier way. Don't ask.

          Now if pigs could fly, man would I be busy! 

          Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

          Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations. 

          1. 4Lorn2 | May 26, 2004 04:36am | #32

            Re: "Now if pigs could fly, man would I be busy!"

            And a lot of people would be very nervous.

            View Image

          2. User avater
            Sphere | May 26, 2004 04:42am | #33

            rotflmao!!!  too funny, I gotta save that one..thanks, ya made my night. 

            Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

            Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations. 

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