Snakes in my house.... (Austin, Howe: to live in, shop, moving to)

[NOTAM]

If that had happened to me, I don't think I would be here, alive, to talk about it.
But if I didn't die immediately of an acute myocardial infarction, I would be evacuating immediately, and not return until I had a 100% guarantee that there were none of those 'things' in the house, and of course take all the necessary precautions at the perimeter of the house to prevent a reoccurence. I spend a good deal of money on my own "Snake-Away" concoction that I use starting each Spring. And of course, my snake shooters are never far away.
I will not be returning to this thread to read any comments/feedback/responses (if there are any) to my post, because, just like every other post about this subject, some insensitive person will always post a pic of a snake in the thread, making the thread impossible for me to navigate without becoming syncopal and losing consciousness. So, that being said, if you got something to say to me regarding this, direct message me.
Oh and yes, I have lived in Texas most of my life and I am a hunter. But I am still deathly afraid of them, and the only thing that gives me a sense of security is being armed.
I have actually moved to Hawaii before, with wanting to live in a snake free zone being a major factor. But I missed Texas too much, so I just deal with it.
If Texas had no snakes, it WOULD be true paradise.
Needless to say, I don't frequent our rattlesnake roundups.

[dixierambler]

Originally Posted by NOTAM

I will not be returning to this thread to read any comments/feedback/responses (if there are any) to my post, because, just like every other post about this subject, some insensitive person will always post a pic of a snake in the thread, making the thread impossible for me to navigate without becoming syncopal and losing consciousness.

Well, I was going to post a pic of a giant rattler (9 ft long, over 90 lbs), but I'm not an insensitive person, so I will spare you. But if anyone else wants to see it, just do a search for "giant rattler/images" and there are a couple to look at.

[case44]

Originally Posted by TexasNick

The overwhelming majority of snakes are non-poisonous. As a matter of fact, most of them are good to have around the house. They take care of varmints and eat up any decomposing stuff lying around. I got one that lives in my front yard and keeps my yard nice and clean

Still, TexasNick, we'd have to be very watchful when it comes to snakes, even small ones. You'd have to be educated about different types of snakes before handling.

[TexasGirl@Heart]

Originally Posted by dixierambler

Well, I was going to post a pic of a giant rattler (9 ft long, over 90 lbs), but I'm not an insensitive person, so I will spare you. But if anyone else wants to see it, just do a search for "giant rattler/images" and there are a couple to look at.

I am NOTAM's official snake pic watch out person here on the forums! Thanks for not posting it!

[teatime]

Ditto on the "Thank you for not posting snake pictures" message. (Shiver) I do NOT like snakes!

I was watching one of those animal rescue shows on Animal Planet recently and some idiot in Arizona was actually driving around at night taking snakes out of the road so they wouldn't get hurt. He and his friends CRIED when he found an injured rattler that had been hit by a car. Pity snakes? NO WAY! I don't mind the fact that they exist, of course, but I do NOT want them existing near me!!!!

After reading these stories, I am suddenly VERY glad that my manufactured home is set three feet above the ground and that I invested in new, sturdy steel skirting!!!!

[NOTAM]

my wonderful friend TexasGirl@Heart has been my watchdog on this forum, so i knew it was still safe to visit this thread.
teatime..i live in a wobbly box with very sturdy new skirting and i am thankful. something to be said about them.
when i lived in my last neighborhood, i lived in a big brick house and my next door neighbor had a few "huge snake" scares in the backyard. i never did because i believe my snake-away concoction and lawn maintenance spared me. what is SAD is that they had an INGROUND pool and could not use it because they would always find snakes swimming in it.
when i buy myself a house with land, i will most likely buy a trailer or manufactured home 3 feet off the ground. and i will DEFINITELY buy an ABOVE GROUND pool or hot tub, like i have had before..i never had snakes in the pool.
thanks yall for keeping this thread picture free so we can discuss this very scary and serious matter and help each other be safe against these nasty things

Originally Posted by teatime

Ditto on the "Thank you for not posting snake pictures" message. (Shiver) I do NOT like snakes!

I was watching one of those animal rescue shows on Animal Planet recently and some idiot in Arizona was actually driving around at night taking snakes out of the road so they wouldn't get hurt. He and his friends CRIED when he found an injured rattler that had been hit by a car. Pity snakes? NO WAY! I don't mind the fact that they exist, of course, but I do NOT want them existing near me!!!!

After reading these stories, I am suddenly VERY glad that my manufactured home is set three feet above the ground and that I invested in new, sturdy steel skirting!!!!

[loves2read]

having a cat helps with snake deterrant because cats also hunt for mice and bugs--so they eat what snakes eat to certain extent--
you can have an outside cat and not bring her in--I would try to find a mature cat from a shelter that might have some "outdoor" skills--not all cats are born to be snake charmers/killers--and young cats could wind up being victim of snake bite...
clear the area around your house if you are really worried about snakes--they will lie up under bushes around the house where it is cool looking for prey and keeping cool--they have no mechanism for dealing with the heat of sumjmer--(can't sweat/pant as dogs or other warm-blooded animals can) they can get TOO hot and certainly too cold which is why they are on the roads at night...seeking residual warmth...
my dad and stepmother lived in house outside Seguin on the banks of the Guadalupe--they had 18 in rattlesnake crawl into one of their bedrooms and only discovered it because that was the one they put her poodles in at night--the dogs started barking like crazy after being put to bed and when my dad went in, he found the snake coiled behind the door--killed it with a hoe or something--and he was almost 90 at the time--I know there were other snakes around her place but because of the dogs I think they kept out of their way mostly...
I would be very interested in knowing what that anti-snake concoction is...
we lived in Houston years ago and had a pest guy who would put out a powder that he swore was guaranteed to keep snakes from crawling over it...
don't know that it worked but we never had snakes that we found in our yard...

[dixierambler]

Awww, c'mon. Just 1 picture? Please?

OK, OK. No pictures.

Now, I'm not trying to give anyone the heebie-jeebies, but you should know that living in a manufactured home does NOT mean you won't get snakes in the house. Snakes CAN and DO get under manufactured homes, no matter what type underpinning or skirting you have. There are various openings/cracks/voids/holes/gopher tunnels, etc that snakes can use to get in.

Once under the home, they can easily climb up the rough surface of the concrete blocks the home sits on. From there, they get in between the insulation and the floor and can go from one end to the other. Any penetration through the floor will allow them access to the inside of your home. These openings are typically found under cabinets for water supply and drain lines, under the stove for electric supply, around the washer/dryer, around the air conditioner for refrigeration and condensation lines, tubs, showers, floor registers, and more.

But again, they will usually be tracking their prey, mice usually. Make sure you have a good rodent control program in effect and you probably won't have any problem. That and a good varmit gun.

[StressedoutMom]

My Dad told me (after I'd found a snake hanging out in our crawlspace) to throw a few handfuls of mothballs around to keep them out.
We never saw another one after that so it couldn't hurt and who knows, maybe it actually worked?

[NOTAM]

i would never have a cat for this reason, because they will BRING you the snake (possibly still alive, maybe dead) to your front porch. i dont even want DEAD snakes anywhere around me.

the snake concoction i use is:

DIATOMACEOUS EARTH (exoskeletons of brine or something, supposedly deters snakes because the powder has rough surface that is irritating to their underbelly(

SULFUR POWDER

LIME POWDER


I use a combination of both and pour LIBERALLY and i mean LIBERALLY around the perimeter of my yard starting as soon as the warm weather begins, and repeat every week or so, ESPECIALLY AFTER RAINS.

I lived in coastal Georgia-land of SWAMPS, GATORS, SNAKES, and never saw a snake again after I started doing this.

Originally Posted by loves2read

having a cat helps with snake deterrant because cats also hunt for mice and bugs--so they eat what snakes eat to certain extent--
you can have an outside cat and not bring her in--I would try to find a mature cat from a shelter that might have some "outdoor" skills--not all cats are born to be snake charmers/killers--and young cats could wind up being victim of snake bite...
clear the area around your house if you are really worried about snakes--they will lie up under bushes around the house where it is cool looking for prey and keeping cool--they have no mechanism for dealing with the heat of sumjmer--(can't sweat/pant as dogs or other warm-blooded animals can) they can get TOO hot and certainly too cold which is why they are on the roads at night...seeking residual warmth...
my dad and stepmother lived in house outside Seguin on the banks of the Guadalupe--they had 18 in rattlesnake crawl into one of their bedrooms and only discovered it because that was the one they put her poodles in at night--the dogs started barking like crazy after being put to bed and when my dad went in, he found the snake coiled behind the door--killed it with a hoe or something--and he was almost 90 at the time--I know there were other snakes around her place but because of the dogs I think they kept out of their way mostly...
I would be very interested in knowing what that anti-snake concoction is...
we lived in Houston years ago and had a pest guy who would put out a powder that he swore was guaranteed to keep snakes from crawling over it...
don't know that it worked but we never had snakes that we found in our yard...