First snake of the year (safe, activity, snakes)

[PDXmom]

Originally Posted by yoda_jives

What is the chance of finding a snake at the dinner table ? Have people encountered them as guests in the house ?

Ok... so my snake stories are from Eastern NC where my folks live... near Topsail Island area. And the stories are from my youth (lets just say a few decades ago. ).

My older sister had left the back door open so I went to shut it and then went to turn on the TV. TV was beside a long brick hearth. On the long brick hearth curled up in the corner was a rattlesnake, which I noticed when it woke up at the noise of me turning on the TV. This room was a den converted from a gargage so it was very wide. The couch was on the opposite wall. I leapt for the couch and I think my foot only hit the ground once. I would have totally medaled in the standing long jump if this was the Olympics. Mom got a broom and shoed the booger outside. Yes, I'm pretty sure I peed on myself that day.

There were a couple of other snake incidents in our home (same scenario back door open) but the above was my most tramatic.

My SIL who lives in Eastern NC had a similar event last summer. Daughter ran outside to jump in the pool.... left the door cracked and a rattle snake found it's way behind a very heavy, large piece of furniture. She had a time getting him outside.

Snakes really are more afraid of us than we are of them. (If that is even possible in my case). But I'm always worried I'm going to find the one with the tough guy attitude. When we told friends in Portland we were moving back to NC they all started to bring me rubber snakes in hopes that I'd stay in snake free Portland.

[AnNYYankee]

Let me ask this. I jog and walk on trails all the time. Once it gets warm am I going to be tripping over snakes all the time? We have copperheads up north but I rarely saw any.

I'm also wondering about fire ants. My assumption is you actually have to step on a mound to be attacked or am I wrong?

Of course where I used to live there's Lyme Disease and the cockroach is the state bird so I guess you learn to deal.

[sacredgrooves]

copperheads (and snakes in general) tend to stay away from the areas people frequent. I am in the woods alot and maybe see a snake a couple times a year in those conditions.

[convergent]

sacredgrooves, did you see my question back a page for you?

[NCN]

Originally Posted by GarnerMama

I hope the kid is okay. As far as I'm concerned snakes can balance our ecosystem in someone else's yard. I have a huge phobia of snakes. I wish there was a magic anti snake dust I could spread in our yard. Not looking forward to them coming out early this year.

I was told they do not like loud noise like a boom box. It shakes the earth and that is where they crawl. Another thing I have been told about is moth balls. Lime is supposed to be something they do not like because it dries out their skin. I don't really know if these work, but these are just solutions people have shared with me, so I am passing them on.

Don't put your feet or hands any place you can't see.

[tpitt]

Originally Posted by AnNYYankee

Let me ask this. I jog and walk on trails all the time. Once it gets warm am I going to be tripping over snakes all the time? We have copperheads up north but I rarely saw any.

I'm also wondering about fire ants. My assumption is you actually have to step on a mound to be attacked or am I wrong?

Of course where I used to live there's Lyme Disease and the cockroach is the state bird so I guess you learn to deal.

I also hike and prefer doing so in wooded areas. I rarely gave it much thought up north but here, I do NOT go into the woods in the Spring, Summer or Fall. Not only are snakes a concern but the chiggers are enough to keep anyone indoors through all 3 seasons.

[tpitt]

To date, I haven't seen my first 2008 snake but I'm sure he/she is out there. Since 05, I've seen 3 snakes in my yard, one green and the other two a tannish color. The green one slithered away immediately but the two were not inclined to do so even though I yelled, through things, etc. everything short of hurting them. I gave up both times and went back into my house waiting for them to continue their respective journey's. A snake crawled between my legs when I was a little girl so to this day I do my best to avoid a similar reoccurence. Has anyone seen a cotton mouth in the Wake Forest/Youngsville area? My neighbor said he did.

[J_Lurk]

I grew up in NC, and I'd never seen a copperhead before last year (we saw plenty of black snakes, but as mentioned they aren't poisonous). Last year we saw three of them on the Black Creek Greenway. However, every time we saw them it was towards the end of the day and the walkway was warm. If you are running in the morning I'd bet you will never see them. In general copperheads stay clear of people and will move if they hear you first, so when we walked in the woods as kids we always carried a stick, hit the ground with it, and made a lot of noise.

We've gotten chiggers, but only from walking in high grass, never from just walking in the woods. We do check ourselves for ticks whenever we walk in the woods. The risk here is more Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever than Lyme Disease.

[PDXmom]

Originally Posted by J_Lurk

If you are running in the morning I'd bet you will never see them. In general copperheads stay clear of people and will move if they hear you first, so when we walked in the woods as kids we always carried a stick, hit the ground with it, and made a lot of noise.

As a kid in eastern NC snakes would find some place warm at the end of the day... like the road or a concrete pad that had retained the day's heat. I remember riding my bike at dusk and seeing them curled up on the road. Good advice about running in the morning.

Someone else asked about fire ants. Generally, yes you have to step on their mounds or near the edges of their mounds to get bitten. BUT I swear they like how I taste. Many times last summer I was bitten but the person(s) near me were not and neither of us saw any mounds. Of course, it could have been revenge biting since I was the one putting the ant killer out.

[sundaze]

I have been told that when hiking the snake always bites the second person.
The first person disturbs it, the second one gets bitten
I don't believe it though, not afraid to hike second