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ACK!!!!!! Don't post snake pictures without warning me!

We had a cotton mouth (a few years ago) slithering along the fence line...right where I was standing watering my flowers. He had one of my garden frogs in his mouth and was moving really slow.

I was screaming SNAKE! SNAKE! SNAKE!! KILL IT!! KILL IT!! KIIIIIIIILLLLLLL IT!!!!!! MH was able to cut its head off but my frog was still dead

Mr. Slithers wasn't one of those...that I'm sure of.

Over the years, the neighbors have grown used to me screaming my head off about once a year. They usually will call and say "Are you ok? Or was it a snake?"

They are not territorial in the sense that they try to follow the food supply.

Throw some rats over the neighbor's fence and you'll be just fine ... with the snake problem.

I don't know if it has been posted yet, but snakes don't like ammonia.

It messes w/their senses... hey that rhymes!

Also, you know what contains large amounts of ammonia.... urine! You can draw your own conclusions from there.

Pee in yer fountain!

Maybe try putting down a small patch of black top or dark stones in the back corner of your yard. The snake should be respectful and only stay there or you know...leave your yard.

Snakes should know to stay away from Kyle and Teddy's yard!

You know...it was only a matter of time until other critters heard all about Penny's sweet set-up she has there. Sounds like the snake was just politely waiting on the patio in anticipation of the morning tray of goodies.

You really can't blame the poor snake for checking it out!

DS, I used to have a garter snake that lived in the rock garden beside my outdoor hot tub. Sometimes when I soaked in the tub, he'd pop up his head to say hello.

Oh yah, I did want to say he will leave your dogs alone, as long as they leave him alone. Most dogs inately know to leave a snake alone. I say most because my Gma's fox terrier did corner one, and barked and barked at it until it bit his nose, a small black snake, we saw it happen he was carrying on, went out to look what the deal was, and pow, Buddy got bit. My dane got bit by a rattler too, not sure what happened there. Buddy got antibiotics, the Dane got steroids, and lots of benadryl.

Those are the only two dogs that I have had that won't skirt around the area where they have been, and most will be even more avoidant of poisonious snakes.

ammonia and urine? I think I'd rather have the snake

The good news is Penny still came for her strawberry salad this morning and her sister Linda was out on the grass waiting for her strawberry salad. That mean old snake did leave them alone

I really appreciate everyone's help...even tho all the information will never, ever change my mind that snakes are evil and gross and scary, at least I'm armed with a bit of an education on them now

[This message edited by SI Staff at 3:10 PM, September 27th (Friday)]

You could always try 'faking him out' ...

[This message edited by TrulyReconciled at 4:33 PM, September 27th (Friday)]

Well.. Trigger city here.

Lived with a reptile crazed WH until last year. We had between 20-30 snakes in our house most of the time. He bred some, had some just as pets, and rescued rattlers and other harmless snakes in our community. (Along with lizards, spiders, etc...)

Living in Texas, you will have snakes. As long as it's not venomous you have nothing to worry about. Snakes are not territorial, so once he gets hungry again the black snake will move on.

I love that you feed the turtle at your door. We have two baby box turtles (Franklin and Harriet are about the size of a large peach pit right now) and they are so cute! We feed them mealworms- which they love!!

Your fountain is a source of food and water, so you are kind of laying out the welcome mat for critters with that. :)

[This message edited by PurpleRose at 8:22 PM, September 27th (Friday)]

I just went to take Kyle out for his last potty for the night and as I was walking back up to the patio that damn snake was coming out from under my fern!! He wasn't a foot away from me!!!!!! I screamed and ran into the house and then realized I left Kyle behind

Kyle was fine, he was right up at the back door pretty much looking at me like "WTF?"

We have to get rid of it...I can't live with a snake that close to where I am all the time.

And let me reiterate...he's big. Before I sprinted back into the house, I saw his neck and body again and he's long and fat

(((DS))) shudder, shudder, shudder...freaking snakes!!! I know it's not funny, but when you said you screamed, I pictured poor Kyle running for his life...and then looking at you, like WTF did you do that for, I was just relieving myself for the night!

We had a snake visitor a couple of weeks ago, freaking shudder, gag, chills all over, it was a cottonmouth moccasin and it was coiled up in one of my hanging baskets and moving into the hanging basket next to that one!!! It was about four feet long and was watching the bird bath where I have regular feathered visitors. Thank goodness they didn't come to the bath/feeder while he was there!

Hopefully the snake will leave your yard soon. It is one dumb snake to be hiding out in your yard! And I hope you don't see it again.

(((Crushed))))

Remember a long time ago you shared in PM with me a really sad situation? ANd I said "may a thousand angry dogs chase him for eternity"

I really wish those thousand angry dogs would chase your snake and Mr. Slithers away

[This message edited by SI Staff at 9:42 PM, September 29th (Sunday)]

Did you put out Snake Away??

If not, you should.

It's no guarantee- I saw one crawl all over it- after a big rain, though.

I didn't try Snake Away yet...but our exterminator is coming here at noon today

Not sure what/if he can do anything but I'll corner him until he tells me what I want to hear

When I came back from my walk this morning, Penny (box turtle)was walking up the pathway to the patio and now she's stopped and just sitting there. I bet Mr. Slithers is somewhere hiding and hissing at her! I think she's scared. I made her strawberry salad and I keep checking on her...but she hasn't moved.

I hate Mr. Slithers!

I'm with you, DS - I HATE snakes. Scare me to death.

Last year, I had one IN MY HOUSE. I came downstairs, and laid out in my foyer was a black snake. I opened the front door, and tried to "encourage" him to leave. He started moving towards the door, and I thought, "whew...he's going outside".

NOPE. The b@stard slithered into my freaking AC VENT!!!!!

OMG, that created a completely different level of scare for me.

Ended up calling in a wildlife trapping company (useless) and an exterminator. As fate would have it, the snake actually appeared in my basement WHILE the wildlife removal company was here and they carted him off. In my situation, the exterminator proved much more useful.

He told me that the snake wouldn't be in my house if there wasn't a food source there, i.e., MICE. I live in the woods, so yes, I had seen a mouse or two in my garage. Exterminator put down bait and glue traps in my garage, attics, basement, and mechanical room (where furnace & water heater are). No traps of any kind were put in areas that my dogs had access to.

I was SHOCKED at the mice I caught on those glue traps. I had more than a "few". Exterminator also changed out 2 of my foundation vents that weren't fitting well enough to keep the vermin out.

Sooooo, the moral of my horrible story? Mr. Slithers wouldn't be there without a food source. Do you have mice in your yard, perhaps???

NOPE. The b@stard slithered into my freaking AC VENT!!!!!

OMG, that created a completely different level of scare for me.

Oh. My. God. I would have fainted for sure!!

Last night before bed, I was standing at the back door looking out and I asked MH if I kept the porch lights on would it keep Mr. Slithers away. MH hugged me and then pretty much laughed in my face All I could think of was Mr. Slithers trying to squeeze through the back door and then of course slithering up into our bed all to scare me to death

We had a mouse/small rat up in a tree last week...I saw him at night when I took Teddy and Kyle out for a potty break. But I don't see any sign of numerous mice/rats so I can't imagine he has a huge food source here.

I just want him to go away...he doesn't belong here! And I don't appreciate him!

Remember I live in the country, so this slight T/J may not apply to you.

So I was about 15, and my sister arrived home in evening from work, I ran to the kitchen to turn on the outside light for her so she could see walking into the house, it was early spring, first warm night, widows, screen doors open.

It' dark when I run into the kitchen, and I step on what I first think is the dog's pull toy, then realize the texture was wrong, standing on the screen porch, reach around and flip on the light, lying right there on the kitchen rug was a black rat snake. He was about 3 feet long, I of course freaked a bit. I believe I said, "Holy Shit there's a snake in the house!" My poor dad was working midnights at the time, and was taking a prework nap. He comed flying down the steps, just in time to see the snake go under the door to the hall linen closet. So here he is Mr. Peace love, and happiness, standing in his tighty whities, which are always loose on him because he was soo skinny. He has a rake in one hand and a shovel in the other. My mom the whole time is yelling at my dad. YOU HAVE TO KILL THIS ONE, My dad doesn't kill anything except, black widows, brown recluses, and copperheads. Like I said he is a total hippy.

So he's got his tools ready, and we have a plan in place, I'm going to open the closet door, and pull out the vacumn, and he's going to scoop him up, and take him out of the house. Of course we are all huddled around this closet this includes both dogs, my sister, my mom, my dad, and myself. OK on the count of three. 1, 2, 3.....Open the closet grabe the vacumn, and look at the floor of the closet. Hmmm no snake, take the other thing out that are on the floor, including an old bathroom trashcan that holds cleaning rags. Dad says dump it, I bet he is in there. (yah because snakes like to snuggle up so much, nothing a snake likes more than a warm fluffy blanket. ). No Snake, about that time, I say dad, could he climb the wall the way they will a tree? He says I don't think so, at the same time the snake's head pops over the edge and is eye to eye with him.....All us women, start screaming...There he is! Get Him! So Dad does his bet Steve Irwin, and grabs him behind the head, and pulls him out, takes him out of the house. Now Mom is Screaming at him Damnit you have to kill him. My dad (Mr Peace love and happiness) says oh you don't mean that, he eats mice and lizards. Takes him down to the edge of the woods and sets him FREE!!!! My mom of course is seven shades of pissed off at this point. My sister and I are too busy laughing about the whole thing, and making fun of my dad, The Half Naked Snake Catcher.

The reason for this story.... To let you know it could be far worse. Having a snake in your yard isn't that bad.