Had a surprise in the shop this morning.

[Jim Andrew]

Is this a snake only thread? We had a small cat shop up last winter, and now we have no mice at all. She was wild, and it took a while to tame her down, but we talked nice to her and kept cat food out for her, and now we have baby kittens in the garage.

[Karl Andersson]

We have a 6-foot black rat snake that has lived in the yard the past 5 or so years. It goes in my tool shed or workshop when it is time to shed so nobody bothers it. I will see or hear it moving around the shelves in the open toolboxes, tarps, etc. but only once did I find it sunning itself in the open, in the middle of my workbench. It was clean that time, usually it's too cluttered for a snake to be comfortable. There is a mouse nest in my workshop somewhere too, but that snake is too big to bother with a mouse (it hasn't gotten them yet) but the baby cottontails in the yard tend to not make it to adulthood. Squirrels as well. I would relocate a poisonous snake, but they are just about gone from my area - rat snakes, however, have thrived. The toads have adapted to human invasion as well- plenty of them to patrol the garden.
Karl

[Joe Tilson]

It's amazing what woodworkers will come up with to talk about. It must be spring and life is renewed. We get froggie (pun intended), start making shavings, and talk about animals.
This is the life. Yes, I'm the one who started this mess. It goes to show, animals are part of us and are helpful in many ways. It's the circle of life. As I said, Amazing!

[Adam Grund]

I have a pond, lots of firewood, and overgrown brush. A real Snake/mice/spider heaven. I’ve grown more tolerant of snakes over the years, I just have to keep telling myself they aren’t poisonous and aren’t hurting anything. Most of what I have around here are garters, there is a 3ft black snake that lives in the pine trees across the pond. Only see him in spring and summer after heavy heavy rains.
Did have a milk snake hold up in my garage for a couple years. After half a doz attempts at relocating, I did finally get rid of him for good. Like a damn dog- id take him down the Road 1/4 mile and somehow he’d find his way back.
Probably the most unnerving is reaching for a handful of wood to throw in the boiler, only to uncover a couple garters. So far I’ve been lucky enough to uncover them, not have them fall out of the wood in my hand on me

[Jake Rothermel]

Nope. Nope. NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOPE. Lock up the shop. Board the windows. Burn the house down. Only way to be sure.

I quote the famous Henry Jones Jr., "Snakes... Why'd it have to be snakes...."

[lowell holmes]

I would only kill rattle snakes, water moccasins, and copper heads if they are in my yard.

I don't confront any snake if I am out and about.

[Jim Mackell]

Some years back, visiting my sons place in Maryland, a black rat snake dropped down from the rafters in his garden shed. Scared the living crap out of both of us. Being from Maine, the only snakes we are familiar with are the little garden snakes. He went after it with a hoe, I used an axe. We won after a fierce battle! Wife said it was the funniest thing she ever saw.

Now that we know what it is, we leave them alone. There are always one or two around his property.

[Thomas L Carpenter]

I watched a small black snake slither into my shop/garage last year, then lost track of it. Amazing how all those black power cords look like a snake. Have to admit they creep me out.

[James Waldron]

My son's first home was in a community called "Tiger Hole Swamp" that was actually adjacent a decent sized swamp of the same name. Produced that most prolific numbers of water moccasins, an aggressive strain that will charge at a dog, a child and even an adult. Quick buggers, too. Son kept a machete at hand when in the yard and in hand when the dog started barking or one of the things was spotted. Got a lot of use out of that machete while he lived there.

[Jim Tobias]

My wife and I saw this one sunning last summer near the deck. This photo was taken from about 15' above. It was around 5-6' long. It's been around for years as I find the shed skin nearly every year in the same place....just under an overhanging edge of the siding on the house where it uses the siding to help pull off the skin I suppose.
Left him alone and we have no mice, rodents. I have killed a couple of copperheads along the street in front of our house over the last 2 summers.

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