snakes in Huntsville area (garden, resident, garage)

[movingforwork]

If you are going to live next to a pond you might want to invest in a shotgun loaded with birdshot. Copperheads and water moccasins will flock to it, and calling pest control all the time will get pricey. I know you don't want to kill them, but despite what others here have said it has been my observation that copperheads will stand their ground until you get close enough to bite and watter mocassins (cotton mouths) will actually come after you. The only one that will warn you off are the rattlesnakes and they will strike without rattling if you get too close. I am all about letting local wildlife be, but these guys are a real hazard.

[Threestep]

Discharge of a loaded firearm within city limits. Anyone feel like checking the local law? Especially after the recent incident where a boy got killed while a trooper tried to shoot a snake.

Lets get real. Who had a showdown homeowner versus snake standing her ground?

Talk you your vet, have information on his backup and be alert. You check before using a zebra crossing even though pedestrians have the right of way. Use common sense; be prepared and do not let potential dangers keep you out of your yard.

[justlovesbooks]

I've heard mothballs keep snakes away. I've never had that problem so haven't tried it, but my boss used to say it worked. I don't know how safe they would be for dogs though. Keeping them underneath the doghouse or your house might put them in a place the snakes can get and the dogs can't. Just a thought.

[Bcool]

Snakes? I have been here 10 yrs & have not seen 1 snake.
I have lived in NW Hsv.,Madison,Harvest,Meridianville & now new market.
I would be careful of the spiders though particularly the black widows since they can kill dogs & small children.

[Reactionary]

Snakes? I've seen garden snakes and blacksnakes downtown (Echols Hill), Five Points, and SE. I've seen several species of snake (i.e., green, water, rattlesnake) at Redstone Arsenal (including one that snuck into an office building). I've seen rattlesnakes, blacksnakes, watersnakes, and more on Land Trust trails, Nature Trail, Hays Nature Preserve, and Monte Sano Park.

If you don't bother them, they don't bother you. Most are harmless; they're all part of the natural order. I would either catch (not myself) or more likely kill any poisonous snakes in my neighborhood; think about the children.

I'm more bothered by the alligators at Wheeler Wildlife Refuge - which were introduced during the Carter administration (IIRC) to repopulate the species and control the beaver population - which failed and we're left with <14 foot gators spread through Madison, Limestone, and Morgan counties.

[drlivingston]

I am one of the dumb people who have had the misfortune of being bitten by a copperhead while walking at night and by a cottonmouth while walking a golf course. The copperhead was just defending his area and all I had to do was go to the hospital for a shot of antivenin and go home. The cottonmouth was far more serious requiring 5 days in intensive care. On top of this, they had to collect antivenin from four different hospitals to have enough to treat me. Some people get struck by lightening... I seem to get bit by snakes. Oh well... at least 99.5% of venomous snakes in Alabama are hemotoxic.

[Frog-ttown]

Please do some research. If the snake(s) have been identified as a cottonmouth, this snake is unusual in that it does not try to escape and many times becomes aggressive.

[HouseFullaBoys]

I have been here almost 5 years, and have been lucky with creepy crawleys thus far. I saw some snakes in a pond in Hampton Cove, I thought they were turtles. Okay, only the head was popping up and you have to admit when you only see the head a turtle head and snake head are similar...maybe?? Anyhoo, I am more afraid of the spiders down here. My Cooks guy told me a few days ago he found black widows outside under the plastic things where the downspouts drain. (Don't know the technical name). So I spent a couple hours today educating myself on the brown recluse and black widow. Has anyone had personal experience with either??

[HsvMike]

I have been down here 3 years and have killed 5 black widows around my home in that time. They are definitely around but are not aggressive at all, or from what I have seen. They like to hide so just becareful about where you are putting your hands outside. As far as the recluse I don't know a lot about them but know they are dangerous as well.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by HsvMike

They like to hide so just becareful about where you are putting your hands outside.

I am very careful about putting my hands in gardening gloves or shoes which have been laying around in the garage.