04-14-2022, 05:17 AM
No, seriously...REAL snakes, the slithery reptile kind! Not the political kind, which is I'm sure what you were thinking! LOL!
We've got lots of snakes around here, mostly Bullsnakes and Rattlers. Fortunately, a lot more Bullsnakes than Rattlers. But the thing I can't figure out is how the heck they get inside the house! Seriously...yesterday I was working on a project in the basement and I was headed back upstairs and out of the corner of my eye I saw this 'thing' on the floor which wasn't there a minute ago. I turned and looked, and it was a four and a half foot long Bullsnake sitting there looking right at me! LOL!
Now, I personally love snakes because of all the good they do, and Bullsnakes in particular are welcome guests anywhere on our property. However, when they get "inside" the house they need to get "outside" the house, else I'm thinkin' about them all night long creepin' around when I can't see them. The only issue I have with the big Bullsnakes is, unless you can see either their head, or their tail, you can't tell them from a Rattler, and they act just like a Rattler too, right down to the tail shaking and the hissing.
So yesterday, I asked the wife to toss my welding gloves downstairs so I could grab Mr. Snake and put him outside. (Bullsnakes might not be poisonous, but they can bite the shit out of you, and I've had several of them latch onto me and leave some pretty good welts, so now I grab 'em with some sturdy gloves. This fella yesterday was NOT a happy camper when he saw me, and he was huffin' and puffin' up a storm. Plus, he struck at me about 5 times. Again, I'll never kill a Bullsnake unless on total accident because they are the best rodent control you could ever hope for, but still...inside the house is a "no-no".
I kind of felt bad because it's been so cold here lately most of the snakes are still hibernating. It was warm a few days ago and this guy must have woke up from his winter nap and was looking for some chow. Yesterday it was cold again, and I had to put him outside. I hope he lives, but there's no-vacancy inside. Anyway, I'll be danged if I can figure out how they get inside. Our house is sealed up like a drum, and they still get in. Rattlers sometimes too, and unfortunately, Rattlers inside the house generally don't live to make it outside. Them's just the rules. Outside is fine, but Rattlers are not allowed inside...ever! Plus, both the dogs have been bit by Rattlers (luckily both were vaccinated, which really does work, so if you live in Rattler country definitely DO get your dogs vaccinated. It makes a bad bite much more bearable for them.) So, needless to say, I'm not so nice about the Rattlers inside, but fortunately that's only happened twice. Bullsnakes, on the other hand, is a regular thing, especially now, during spring for some reason.
Y'all probably think I'm crazy now, and we don't live in a tin shack or anything, so I have no idea how they get inside, but they do. And one did within the past couple days. That, or he wintered over inside the house and I just never saw him. He was a big fella though, a lot bigger than something which could just get through a tiny crack (and we don't even have any of those that I'm aware of).
Any ideas?
P.S. Last year I grabbed a Bullsnake which according to a couple people I talked to should have been a record. Grabbed him right in the kitchen. I've got photos of that guy; I'm 6'-4" and I was holding his head at eye level with me and 4" of his tail was on the ground so he was at least 72" long! No kiddin' either! Had the wife snap a photo of him with me holding him, before I took him outside.
We've got lots of snakes around here, mostly Bullsnakes and Rattlers. Fortunately, a lot more Bullsnakes than Rattlers. But the thing I can't figure out is how the heck they get inside the house! Seriously...yesterday I was working on a project in the basement and I was headed back upstairs and out of the corner of my eye I saw this 'thing' on the floor which wasn't there a minute ago. I turned and looked, and it was a four and a half foot long Bullsnake sitting there looking right at me! LOL!
Now, I personally love snakes because of all the good they do, and Bullsnakes in particular are welcome guests anywhere on our property. However, when they get "inside" the house they need to get "outside" the house, else I'm thinkin' about them all night long creepin' around when I can't see them. The only issue I have with the big Bullsnakes is, unless you can see either their head, or their tail, you can't tell them from a Rattler, and they act just like a Rattler too, right down to the tail shaking and the hissing.
So yesterday, I asked the wife to toss my welding gloves downstairs so I could grab Mr. Snake and put him outside. (Bullsnakes might not be poisonous, but they can bite the shit out of you, and I've had several of them latch onto me and leave some pretty good welts, so now I grab 'em with some sturdy gloves. This fella yesterday was NOT a happy camper when he saw me, and he was huffin' and puffin' up a storm. Plus, he struck at me about 5 times. Again, I'll never kill a Bullsnake unless on total accident because they are the best rodent control you could ever hope for, but still...inside the house is a "no-no".
I kind of felt bad because it's been so cold here lately most of the snakes are still hibernating. It was warm a few days ago and this guy must have woke up from his winter nap and was looking for some chow. Yesterday it was cold again, and I had to put him outside. I hope he lives, but there's no-vacancy inside. Anyway, I'll be danged if I can figure out how they get inside. Our house is sealed up like a drum, and they still get in. Rattlers sometimes too, and unfortunately, Rattlers inside the house generally don't live to make it outside. Them's just the rules. Outside is fine, but Rattlers are not allowed inside...ever! Plus, both the dogs have been bit by Rattlers (luckily both were vaccinated, which really does work, so if you live in Rattler country definitely DO get your dogs vaccinated. It makes a bad bite much more bearable for them.) So, needless to say, I'm not so nice about the Rattlers inside, but fortunately that's only happened twice. Bullsnakes, on the other hand, is a regular thing, especially now, during spring for some reason.
Y'all probably think I'm crazy now, and we don't live in a tin shack or anything, so I have no idea how they get inside, but they do. And one did within the past couple days. That, or he wintered over inside the house and I just never saw him. He was a big fella though, a lot bigger than something which could just get through a tiny crack (and we don't even have any of those that I'm aware of).
Any ideas?
P.S. Last year I grabbed a Bullsnake which according to a couple people I talked to should have been a record. Grabbed him right in the kitchen. I've got photos of that guy; I'm 6'-4" and I was holding his head at eye level with me and 4" of his tail was on the ground so he was at least 72" long! No kiddin' either! Had the wife snap a photo of him with me holding him, before I took him outside.