Is there anything we can do about Snakes?

[bertha07]

about those snake-away stuff you buy in the stores, folk's it's only grinded up moth balls go to wally-world buy a couple of boxes of just plain ole moth balls throw them in your yard around spring time keeps snakes at bay and whole lot cheaper . big old cat works too get some from a shelter .

[texas7]

I don't think you can have an actual allergy to snakes - fear maybe. However getting bit by a venomous snake does require medical attention. If you do, best to cut off snakes head and take toner with you so they know what anti-venom, if any, is necessary.

[lhafer]

You don't want to get rid of snakes... then the area would be overrun with mice and rats. Snakes, while scary for some, are good for the environment and wild life cycle. Mice and rats carry diseases and can infest your house and attic and are great at destroying things in their wake.

[hellpaso]

Originally Posted by texas7

I don't think you can have an actual allergy to snakes - fear maybe. However getting bit by a venomous snake does require medical attention. If you do, best to cut off snakes head and take toner with you so they know what anti-venom, if any, is necessary.

Be careful cutting off the head--people get bit by dead snakes!

[cockermom]

Originally Posted by texas7

I don't think you can have an actual allergy to snakes - fear maybe. However getting bit by a venomous snake does require medical attention. If you do, best to cut off snakes head and take toner with you so they know what anti-venom, if any, is necessary.

Exactly! Listen to Texas7. Why someone would say otherwise is reckless. Copperhead bites are not uncommon in Texas -- it's not happening daily but ask medical personnel in The Woodlands and they'll tell you they get a fair number of snake bite victims during a certain time of year. One of my neighbors in The Woodlands was bitten by a copperhead in his yard and he nearly lost his leg. He was in the hospital for a week and his ankle swelled like a balloon. He was pumped with antibiotics and they saved his leg but people do die from venomous snake bites and hospitals don't always have enough anti-venom. You're supposed to call ahead to check first if you've been bitten.

One of the reasons we moved from The Woodlands was because of the high number of snakes I personally encountered while walking my dog; some non-venemous and posed no threat but I did encounter some copperheads (one of which did turn towards us and slithered near me before I screamed and ran -- I guess he/she thought I was a threat because I froze with fear and didn't move away). There are coral snakes as well in The Woodlands but like someone said, they tend to hide and not want to bother people. And of course the water moccasins in/near water and the rattlesnakes. Those four snakes are the ones you need to look out for.

In the city of Houston, I've only seen ribbon snakes (in the Arboretum or dead on the street) but there are a lot of stray cats in the city of Houston so that probably helps bring down the snake numbers in certain areas. So while I'm not familiar with snakes in your particular area, I can tell you about my personal experience in The Woodlands and tell you that if you're near woods or water then yes, you can expect to at least see or hear of the occasional snake.

[gsmj]

15 times as many people die of being struck by lightning annually, than those from snake bites here in the U.S. (80 vs. 5, on average).

My house backs up to a bayou, and I've only seen the non-poisonous variety, i.e. garters, rats, and water snakes. I've seen more rat snakes be mistaken for copperheads, much the same for water snakes as water moccasins. My advice? Get an outdoor cat. I have a manx that lives in my garage that has killed four snakes in the last two years, as well as about a dozen field mice (that I know of).

[Weatherguy]

I'll bet snakes are having a conversation, wondering what to do about all those humans. Snakes were there first, and their habitat was invaded by humans.

Be that as it may, in all my 18 years in Houston, I saw one snake, and it was a garden snake in the back yard. But I would expect more to be seen in newer suburbs. I would definitely be careful walking through any woods or fields. Seems like that would be the case just about anywhere in the country, actually.