Snakes in House

RE: Snakes in House Post By Chris (Guest Post) (07/28/2008) I have recently found not one but two copperhead snakes under many boxes in my garage. I called DNR and they said there is no smell that would cause them to leave; ie mothballs. Any suggestions aside from burning the garage down? Actually this question is serious and I am terrified as I have a small child in the house as well as pets. The garage is attached and I am sure they can find their way into the house. Please answer as soon as possible. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Snakes in House Post By prairiesun (Guest Post) (07/15/2008) The black snake comes in thru tiny spaces around pipes, etc. and is harmless, just looking for den site since we take over its preferred denning sites. Will climb pipes in walls, etc. Won't have mice while black snake lives in house or garage. Won't hurt you. We lived in a house where they lived in an upstairs area we didn't use. Saw then going across driveway in mornings out hunting I suppose. Didn't worry about them. Got quite long. Didn't bother us. See info below: Handling Snakes by Linda Trueb The most entertaining and challenging inquiries we get at the Division of Herpetology at the KU Natural History Museum are from frustrated (and frequently terrified) homeowners whose basements or property are overrun by snakes. "How do we get rid of them?" they ask. "Will they kill my children?" The ratio of snake calls to those dealing with other sorts of amphibians and reptiles is probably in the neighborhood of five-to-one. Many people call to identify a snake they found in their house or yard; occasionally, we receive calls from physicians seeking verification of a snake's identity in the case of patients who have been bitten. But THE most frequent inquiries go something like this: "My basement is full of snakes. What can I do?" Or: "Snakes have congregated under my front porch; how can I get rid of them?" The first bit of information we need is a description of the snake. The most likely uninvited guests are black rat snakes and garter snakes, with the rat snakes preferring garages, outbuildings, and basements, and the garter snakes frequently congregating under porches. Black rat snakes are not insignificant animals. The rough-scaled adults are between 40 and 70 inches long, and usually dark brown or black above and cream or yellow-white below. Youngsters, by contrast, are patterned and, therefore, quite distinct from the adults. Rat snakes are constrictors that naturally feed on a variety of small animals that occur on the ground and in trees. The snakes are active from March until about November, when they congregate in dens. In less populated wooded habitats, these dens frequently are found on rocky, wooded hillsides. Black rat snakes cope a great deal better with people than people do with them. As subdivisions spread through the snakes' habitat and eliminate their denning sites, the snakes have shifted to basements as perfectly suitable and comfortable substitutes. The bad news is: (1) They can enter through any hole, even very small gaps (e.g., around pipes), and are accomplished climbers (so, once in, they can make their way up pipes and walls onto floor joists to spend the winter months), and (2) they return to denning sites year after year. The good news is that homeowners with these snakes around don't need to worry about infestations of rats and mice. The bottom line: Look for any possible points of entrance into your basement and seal them up; then, have an exterminator remove the snakes. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Snakes in House Post By Nene (Guest Post) (07/05/2008) I found a large black snake in my garage, while doing laundry! It was the worst way to see a snake (I think)! I was scared and frighten for me and my kids life! I am the type of person scared of any bugs! I put moth balls around the house and the inside and sulfur! It has seems to help so FAR! Cross your fingers! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Snakes in House Post By Tisha (Guest Post) (06/16/2008) After returning home after a long weekend at the lake my 3 children went to our master bathroom and found a little snake in our tub. They were HYSTERICAL. My husband and I were going to catch it but, by the time the kids came back with a shovel it had slithered down the tub drain. OMG. This is the first time we have had a snake in the house. We have a terrible mouse problem. After looking online to find out what kind of snake it was I have concluded it to be a black rat snake. I can deal with the fact that it was probably after the mice but I just hope I never see it again. Its too creepy to know its still alive somewhere and maybe in my house. Please Help Me. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Snakes in House Post By Helen (Guest Post) (03/13/2008) I have snakes in my attic & walls; believed to be black rat snakes. I've sealed up my entire home last summer but they are still here. It's driving me crazy because they are active at night and are directly above my ceiling (attic) and running around in my walls. Exterminators have come to my house and say that I don't have mice but they (the snakes are eating something).PLEASE , I need your help. I live in Ohio. I'm fearful for my 2 beautiful labs and myself. Is there some type of bomb you can use to get rid of them? PLEASE HELP ME! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Snakes in House Post By terri (Guest Post) (09/05/2007) A product called "grate stuff" it is a spray silicone foam that hardens after it sets. I have it around all the incoming pipes to my home. I need to know how to fill snake holes up? Report Spam or Abuse RE: Snakes in House Post By nancy (Guest Post) (08/28/2007) I had snakes in my basement last year but forget exactly when. i live in north jersey and would like to know when they start coming indoors. I'm not exactly sure whether they were coming or going and i want to stock up on moth balls and sulfur and anything else that will work. i wouldn't go in my basement for a good month and then never by myself. At Christmas time when getting decorations out of the attic i was told that skins were up there. help Report Spam or Abuse Snakes alive Post By JackSkellington (Guest Post) (07/12/2007) I have found a nest of cobras under my house. They have crawled up through the pipes and swallowed my cats and dogs. This morning my wife was missing. I feel I may be next...any help appreciated. Editor's Note: We are pretty sure this is a joke but decided to post it anyway. :) Report Spam or Abuse RE: Snakes in House Post By Lynn (Guest Post) (05/15/2007) You don't want to get ferrets to get rid of snakes. Domesticated ferrets don't always kill snakes, and the cost of taking care of a ferret properly is expensive. You need to plug all holes into your house, snakes can crawl through the smallest gap. My snakes came in through the shingles into a gap in my door and under my door trim, they also climbed into the dryer vent and got in my basement and came up through the washer drain. They can also climb under screen doors. Check the drain under your sink where the drainpipe goes through, if there's a gap in it they can come in. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Snakes in House Post By Julie (Guest Post) (03/02/2007) i heard that ferrets will kill snakes and they are fast so they wont get bitten. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Snakes in House Post By Yolanda (Guest Post) (09/07/2006) Hi, i live in South Africa. I had a snake in my house last week. A scary green snake - in my bedroom cupboard!!! Please help because i cannot sleep at night any more. I have 2 cats, but they didn't scare the snake. Is there anything i can do? Please mail me with suggestions: yolanda00 AT gmail.com Report Spam or Abuse RE: Snakes in House Post By harleypow (Guest Post) (07/11/2006) In May, found a 6 foot black snake in our guest bedroom and this past week found one on the door ledge on the deck. We do the moth balls, sulfur around the house. My husband likes his birds, so I gave in and got rid of the cats this past winter. We had some snakes in the past, but never in or around the house so close. My son- in-law is allergic to cats and I don't know what to do snakes vs cats vs children or a new house.I do believe they are after mice. We are calling an exterminator. We live in the country with fields of corn and beans all around. so city vs country any help, please email harleypow@aol.com. Thanks, I am scared to sleep at night. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Snakes in House Post By Jo in KS (Guest Post) (06/29/2006) http://www.research.ku.edu/explore/v1n2/snakes.html This is a good article about finding snakes in your house. Killing, capturing and keeping a wild snake in Kansas is illegal as well as in alot of other states. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Snakes in House Post By Lani (Guest Post) (04/26/2006) just found the 1st snake in my house this year there have been ones in past years...help how do we get them out. the one today was in my 3 year olds bedroom. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Snakes in House Post By Barbara (Guest Post) (04/24/2006) What an unwelcome birthday gift I got this past Sunday morning! Went into the bathroom with ni lights on. I heard a THUNK against the bath tub and thought I saw something strange. When I turned on the light, there he was! Though he was undoubtedly young, skinny body and all, I'm certain it was either a baby Pygmy Rattler, baby Cottonmouth, or baby Water Moccasin! He became agressive when my brother came to remove him! Never had snakes in the house until I moved to Oklahoma! Does clorox help deter them? I will try anything while sealing up every open space I find! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Snakes in House Post By Suzanne (Guest Post) (03/01/2006) Can you smell snakes? I think there may be snakes under the house, there is a funny smell in my son's room like bad food or something and I can't find anything...a couple of years ago we had two snakes get in somehow and were umm, mating...I remember they kind of smelled. Am I smelling snakes or am I just crazy? Report Spam or Abuse RE: Snakes in House Post By miss rain (Guest Post) (01/31/2006) where do you usually find the snakes? my own PET snake got out of his cage, and I can't seem to find him. I know he is going for a warm, dry place. But our house doesn't have any mice in it except for the one in his cage (which he didn't eat). My house is also fairly new, so I don't see how he could have gotten in the walls or anything. does anyone have any Ideas where I can find my 3 1/2 ft. ball python? (at least I know he doesn't bite) Report Spam or Abuse RE: Snakes in House Post By lillseester (Guest Post) (10/03/2005) One more thing is possible - Have you checked to make sure you don't have a hole in the dryer hose leading to the outdoors? They tend to get in that way too. Sorry, don't have any additional repelling advice. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Snakes in House Post By miguel (Guest Post) (10/02/2005) snakes are after food and shelter so if you get rid of the food and plug up your holes you should be fine. i had a problem with copperheads in yard after spraying for insects and cleaning up all the leaves and juck around the house i have not had any problems. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Snakes in House Post By eleanor monahan (Guest Post) (09/21/2005) TODAY HAD GARTER SNAKE IN KITCHEN, CAT WAS ON TABLE HOWLING,!! NEVER IN OVER 40 YRS HERE HAD SNAKE IN HOUSE, HOPE NEVER AGAIN, DOES HAVING 1 MEAN MORE WILL SHOW UP ?? COULD IT HAVE SLIPPED UNDER STORM DOOR AND WHY NOW ? ELEANOR IN NJ monahan @ nac.net (remove spaces) Report Spam or Abuse RE: Snakes in House Post By melanie (Guest Post) (06/11/2005) i have tried the moth balls--seemed to work. Weed spray to kill weeds near the house--have cats and dogs --sealed every hole we can find but last night after an hard rain a 3 ft. plus black snake was in our kitchen--#11 in 6 yrs.-- i am desperate--new house in the future but works NOW??? I feel your pain!!! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Snakes in House Post By (Guest Post) (08/25/2004) The snakes are after the mice -- you will need to get rid of your mice (easier said than done!). We sometimes have had snakes in our walls and I don't mind so much knowing they are mouse hunting. However, like you, I did object after finding a snake in my bathtub. Also, plug up all the holes you can find -- the steel wool works well at keeping mice out so probably will keep the snakes out too. After we insulated some eave spaces our snake visitors declined in numbers. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Snakes in House Post by toni k. (30) | (08/20/2004) Contact Try looking for a chemical company in the phone book and call them and ask. Also you might try asking a pharmacist. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Snakes in House Post By Donna in Kansas (Guest Post) (08/20/2004) Any ideas where I could buy powdered sulfur? I've never seen it in the stores, but I've never looked for it either. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Snakes in House Post by Jonid (21) | (08/19/2004) Contact Donna, I have had tremendous luck with keeping all types of vermin out of my house by having two house cats. My grandfather always kept dozens of wild felines in his barns because snakes won't come around them. Of course, some people might consider cats to be vermin............! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Snakes in House Post by Harlean from Arkansas (353) | (08/18/2004) Profile | Contact Just scatter a path of mothballs all the way around the foundation of your house. We have problems with copperhead snakes in our dog run in the summertime. We use mothballs and replace them after a rain. or anytime they become dissolved. Harlean from Arkansas Report Spam or Abuse RE: Snakes in House Post By Denise (Guest Post) (08/18/2004) I've read that buying powdered sulfur and sprinkling it around your house deters them. Also, if you think you know where they come in at, place a few moth balls around in that area. They don't like the smell of those. Good luck! Report Spam or Abuse