Snakes in the Shop

[Gary Hensley]

My shop has a garage door I open every day in warm weather to get more light and fresh air. In the 20 years since I built the shop, there have been two snakes come in and check everything out (That I am aware of). The first incidence was about 2015 when I opened the storm door and started to insert the key into the entry door to go inside. I jumped backwards when I saw a large Copperhead Snake killed by being crushed on the hinge side of the door when I closed it the last time. I have custom built shelves behind that door, so he had to be on a shelf 5 feet high and either saw his chance to exit the building or bite me in the back as I left. He was hanging with a full 12 inches of snake on the outside of the door, so he moved fast when the door crack was open.

Today was the second incident with a snake. I saw a small black snake inside the shop near the garage door. I made noise to scare him out of the building and shook boxes he might be behind. Not that I was especially scared of him, but I didn't want him to get lost inside the shop and make a stink, if you know what I mean. I tried to get him out the friendly way for 15 minutes and was only chasing him from one hiding place to another one. I finally found a stump axe, which is mounted to a 6 foot handle, and stopped him with that. I hated to kill him, but preferred that to other outcomes.

Anyone else have similar problems? Anyone know of a way to prevent snakes from coming into the shop, besides the obvious?

[Dan Hulbert]

I had a rattle snake in my shop once few years ago. We get them around the house two or three times a year. Snake stick and a sharp shovel come in handy. Tough to get the wife to leave the bull snakes alone. I have no idea how to keep them away, but we have learned to be snake aware in warm weather.

[Steve Eure]

Years ago I had a gray rat snake hanging from the rafters of my shop. I left him alone since he was performing a service for me by keeping the rats and mice away. On one occasion, (not having seen him or evidence of him in quite some time), I opened one of my wall cabinets without turning on the lights, and was surprised when he wrapped himself around my arm in nothing flat. To say the least, I almost wet my pants.

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

We have a small second house that is used mostly for storage because the foundation is full of tiny holes. I went in looking for some camping gear I was going to lend and moved a wooden box to find several little corn snakes, perhaps a whopping 5 or 6 inches long. I swept them into a dust pan and put them in a giant solo cup and gave them to my daughter (who likes creepy crawlers) she took them somewhere down near the River and released them.

In my old shop, I was used to having the company of an occasional mouse or snake. I found a deer mouse in a piece of hollow firewood that I had just brought into the shop I named him Mickey and kept him in an old lizard aquarium. Even made special visits to the shop to feed him on holidays.. Had mickey for almost 2 years. In the new shop, there have been no such visitors to my knowledge. The dogs wander in and out, but that is all.

[Rich Engelhardt]

I get them all the time. They feed on the mice. Given the choice, I much rather have the snakes than the mice. The mice announce their presence in a disgusting way. The snakes only shed their skins once in a great while.

[Thomas Wilson]

My shop is in the woods so the potential is always there for snakes. So far I have only seen one tiny one, the size of a pencil, which I swept out the door. We have water snakes that live on top of flotation cushions under the dock. It really stinks when they molt.

[Bill Bukovec]

I heard that snakes do not like the smell of human urine. The urine is poured on the ground in a line. The theory is that the snakes will not cross the line. I have no idea if this works.

[Ronald Blue]

In my old shop I had an occasional snake from time to time. One left his skin on the bench once. In that shop they were clearly after the mice. My new shop is tight. I've only had a couple mice and I'm uncertain how they got in. Captured in a trap though and haven't saw any in a year probably. I've only saw one snake outside when mowing and he didn't make it. I think because of my location they don't show up here often because the thinks they need/want are not plentiful.

[George Yetka]

All I get is crickets and some pesky family members. My assumption is that the prey brings the snakes in. I would think if you could eliminate the mice/rats you could probably eliminate the snake presence.

I often read about people with loads of scorpions or large spiders and snakes. Im glad I live far enough north. We do get widows and brown recluses but Im pretty dry where I am so I havent seen any. My friend just killed a widow with babies on its back on his deck and my uncle get the recluses in his basement.

[Malcolm McLeod]

Get a pig. I’m told pigs love snakes (but have no direct experience). Numerous folks in TX Hill Country have dealt with rattlesnake ‘invasions’ by getting 1-2 pigs for their ranches.

Of course, some may consider the cure to be worse than the disease?

[Ronald Blue]

Get a pig. I’m told pigs love snakes (but have no direct experience). Numerous folks in TX Hill Country have dealt with rattlesnake ‘invasions’ by getting 1-2 pigs for their ranches.

Of course, some may consider the cure to be worse than the disease?

That's absolutely true. Pigs are death on snakes. If you keep rings in their nose they won't tear up the grass so much. Think of the free fertilizer. Then the sweet aroma that accompanies it. A win all the way around. Or maybe not....

[Tom M King]

Not in the shop, but we had a Black Racer in the Tackroom once. I tossed it out with a broom handle. It landed draped over the hot wire on the fence. As he slid down to the ground, he was long enough to still be touching the hot wire. As it crawled away, he was doing the Herky-Jerky even after he was off the fence.

[Alan Rutherford]

After I got bitten trying to grab a rat snake in the chickens' nesting box I made a catch pole. You can Google "PVC animal catch pole" for details, but it's pretty simple. This one used old TV coax cable because it was the right size, it was right there and it's stiff so the loop doesn't collapse. All you really need is a few feet of pipe and a loop. Mine has a clothesline tightener in the handle end, which is convenient.

The snake doesn't react much to slipping the loop over its head until you tighten it. This worked better than I expected and only took a few mintues to make.

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[John K Jordan]

My shop has a garage door I open every day in warm weather to get more light and fresh air. In the 20 years since I built the shop, there have been two snakes come in and check everything out (That I am aware of). The first incidence was about 2015 when I opened the storm door and started to insert the key into the entry door to go inside. I jumped backwards when I saw a large Copperhead Snake killed by being crushed on the hinge side of the door when I closed it the last time. I have custom built shelves behind that door, so he had to be on a shelf 5 feet high and either saw his chance to exit the building or bite me in the back as I left. He was hanging with a full 12 inches of snake on the outside of the door, so he moved fast when the door crack was open.

Today was the second incident with a snake. I saw a small black snake inside the shop near the garage door. I made noise to scare him out of the building and shook boxes he might be behind. Not that I was especially scared of him, but I didn't want him to get lost inside the shop and make a stink, if you know what I mean. I tried to get him out the friendly way for 15 minutes and was only chasing him from one hiding place to another one. I finally found a stump axe, which is mounted to a 6 foot handle, and stopped him with that. I hated to kill him, but preferred that to other outcomes.

Anyone else have similar problems? Anyone know of a way to prevent snakes from coming into the shop, besides the obvious?

I kill copperheads but I've caught and relocated dozens of black snakes. If you are fast just grab it by the neck right behind their head. Easier is to use a golf club or stick (or an axe handle!) and gently pin it down behind the head then pick it up with the hand. I keep a 10-gal plastic tub with air holes drilled in sides and top to keep them until I can haul them far away. Note that I have nothing against black snakes since they eat a lot of mice and such but they get in the chicken house and eat the eggs too. Once a black snake chased two peahens off a nest with almost 30 eggs which killed them - that was potentially $3000 worth of peacocks! :(

I've caught snakes 6' and longer this way. They will wrap around your arm and squeeze like a baby python but they can't hurt you. Even if they were to bite you it probably wouldn't break the skin.

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(I'm the guy the neighbors call when a snake gets in their house or they [gasp!] see one in the yard. :))

[Alan Rutherford]

.... Even if they were to bite you it probably wouldn't break the skin....

Anybody who uses tools has had worse injuries than this, but those tiny teeth are extemely sharp and they are angled back, so they don't come out as smoothly as they went in.463973

[John K Jordan]

Anybody who uses tools has had worse injuries than this, but those tiny teeth are extemely sharp and they are angled back, so they don't come out as smoothly as they went in.463973

Yikes, that doesn't look pleasant!

I've been lucky I guess. The time a black snake got my hand it must not have gotten a good grip. So long ago I don't remember, maybe it was a small snake.

I'm far more cautious around cats and dogs, even my own - it was the annual vet farm visit this week for shots and such and the horses and donkeys were a lot safer to handle than one frightened cat and a hyper dog. Had to break out the muzzle for that one!

[Thomas Wilson]

I kill copperheads but I've caught and relocated dozens of black snakes. If you are fast just grab it by the neck right behind their head. Easier is to use a golf club or stick (or an axe handle!) and gently pin it down behind the head then pick it up with the hand. I keep a 10-gal plastic tub with air holes drilled in sides and top to keep them until I can haul them far away. Note that I have nothing against black snakes since they eat a lot of mice and such but they get in the chicken house and eat the eggs too. Once a black snake chased two peahens off a nest with almost 30 eggs which killed them - that was potentially $3000 worth of peacocks! :(

I've caught snakes 6' and longer this way. They will wrap around your arm and squeeze like a baby python but they can't hurt you. Even if they were to bite you it probably wouldn't break the skin.

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(I'm the guy the neighbors call when a snake gets in their house or they [gasp!] see one in the yard. :))
Now I know how to get you to come visit.

[Tom Bender]

I understand that the standard weapon when you need to kill a snake is a garden hoe. Easy enough for women and children to handle.

[John K Jordan]

I understand that the standard weapon when you need to kill a snake is a garden hoe. Easy enough for women and children to handle.

Hoe, rake. But consider relocating harmless snakes instead of killing. Unless you kill to eat. Rattlesnake is pretty good if properly cooked.