Snakes in the house (Charleston, Clarksburg: camp, to live in, shop)

[Blalock]

This past week I found a large black rat snake in my bedroom closet. I'm willing to live in harmony with nature but I'd rather do it outside. Should I expect this to be a common thing here in the Mountain State? And has anyone ever found a poisonis snake in the house?

[Janipoo]

We found a young black snake in our basement a couple of months ago. I was afraid that we may find more but haven't. I put moth balls down by the door and window wells to try to keep them out.

[Georgia]

They don't call West Virginia Wild and Wonderful for nothing
I grew up with snakes in the garage, snakes in the barn, and snakes in the garden.
Mostly black and garden snakes. Rattlers are found in the wooded areas and in the Eastern Panhandle, they just love Sleepy Creek.
Copperheads are around the wet areas and rotten tree trunks.

Keep the moth balls out. and get rid of any Honey Suckle around your house. The Black Snakes just love honey suckle. One positive of black snakes, you don't have to worry about mice nor copperheads. Trust me, you don't want any of those melon smelling, knee jumping, copperheads. They are mean and deadly.

With all said, snakes are just passin' through. They don't want to be near you as much as you don't want to be near them. Unfortunate, but sometime they, just like you make a wrong turn sometimes

[Sharedspirit]

We have lots of black snakes. Had a copperhead in the compost bin yesterday.

My dad had a copperhead in his kitchen up in Tyler County a few years ago. He got out his shotgun and blew the snake and his kitchen to bits. He really hates snakes! A few years later, he purchased Camp Copperhead. We all thought that was pretty funny.

Last week I heard 3 runs for the EMT for copperhead bites.

[Threerun]

Snakes in the house means you have mice in the house. Get rid of the mice- no snakes. Happened in our old place too. Once we got rid of most of the mice, snakes went bye-bye.

[David Kennedy]

If this event with snakes in the house occurs more than once in a lifetime...I would think you are the intruder and live in a snake oriented community...that's diversity!

[Sharedspirit]

Originally Posted by David Kennedy

If this event with snakes in the house occurs more than once in a lifetime...I would think you are the intruder and live in a snake oriented community...that's diversity!

That's what I keep telling my 9 year old daughter. If I were a snake or a rodent, I'd head to her room! We live in an old farm house. Lot's of spaces for snakes to sneak in. Haven't had any in the house yet except for the resident black snake that sneaks in the attic from the back porch roof. He heads through the attic to check out the grackle nest at the other end of the attic where the siding has a whole in it.

The house is an old yankee frame that needs torn down. We are considering a Yurt!

[ArcticPhoenix]

Huh. I lived in WV for the first 20 years of my life or so, and I never found a snake in the house I grew up in - and I grew up WAAAYYY out in the country, mind you (Clay County).

Even when we had a problem with mice for a bit (we have an absolute infestation at one time, with probably 30+ mice in our very small house - YIKES!!!), we NEVER found a snake inside our house.

I wouldn't expect it to be too terribly common, but try to seal any places where the snake could get in.

Either way, it's interesting to see how many people have had issues with snakes in their house.

[atlantagreg30127]

My Aunt lives in Clendenin, WV and had a black Racer get into her house once. Surprisingly docile she said for a Racer. Her kid caught it and turned it loose in the woods where sofar it has never come back.

I remember seeing Racers and Rat snakes back up there growing up, but we mostly lived in Charleston and Kanawha City so it wasn't an issue with them getting into the house. Down here (Atlanta) you tend to see snakes but I honestly haven't heard of anyone getting any in their homes except for the occasional "Corn" Snake. For some reason, Corn snakes almost seem to like being around people, and folks here will find them in their utility and laundry rooms all the time taking naps.

[Sharedspirit]

Here is my favorite (so far) WV snake story.

My 9 year old daughter loves critters. She found a cute little ring snake and was keeping it to observe it for a few days. She does this with frogs, turtles....then she lets them go.

So this mother's day, I was going to Clarksburg to see my mom. She was moving from Pittsburgh to Charlotte NC for a new job. Daughter wanted to bring along the snake to show her. I knew it was a bad idea but she was determined. We met my mom for lunch and went back to the car to show her the snake. Daughter left the cage open and the snake was missing. We tore the car apart looking for it...no luck. So I assume the snake got out and we came back home.

The next day my friend takes the car back to Clarksburg and does some shopping. We carry our own grocery bags and she took them in the Krogers with her. She fills up the cart and is at the check out. She hands the bagger our bags and hears him say "is that for real?" She looks down at the counter and there is the snake.....slithering up the counter. She says "oh yea, that's real" and she puts the little snake in a bunch of flowers she purchased. You can just imagine the reaction she got from the Kroger employees. The snake made it home and we released it back into the yard.

Two weeks ago, daughter finds another ring snake. She looses this one in her bedroom. We searched...couldn't find it. I assumed it got out.

Last Monday we went to Holly River for three days. We get to the cabin and bring all our stuff in. Daughter unpacks her bag and we go sit on the deck to decide what to do first. I look in the doorway and there is the ring snake, trying to get out. It must have been in her backpack. Daughter catches the snake and it now resides near the creek at Cabin 8 at Holly River state park.

Daughter is no longer allowed to keep ring snakes to observe. Currently she has two little frogs in her aquarium. She is trying to be much more careful with the critters!