Have you ever found a snake in your house? (neighborhood, buy) - Jacksonville - Florida (FL) - City-Data Forum

titaniummd · 10-09-2008, 07:05 PM

I have a person in my neighborhood, in a planned community, who found a snake in his house in the bathroom. He also had one in his backyard. When I walk my dog, his garage door is always open.

I can't imagine how the snake got in except for through the garage.

You ever find a snake inside your house? I have not and hope never to find one in there. I suppose the Ninja Sword and Doggy Poopy Picker-Upper that I have in the garage would have some use, otherwise.

KerryB · 10-09-2008, 09:07 PM

Snakes are, well, sneaky. The neighbor probably left his back door open a few times without looking & the snake just came right on in like he owned the place.

I've seriously been here for a little over a year & have already seen 3 snakes in my backyard alone (and one snake-hole that I plugged up with a wash cloth). Never in the house though. Some lizards, plenty of spiders & other small insects, but no snakes inside...yet!

I have small dogs & a baby, so even though I'd hate to do it, I'd probably bust him up good if he got in the door since there's a possibility of poisoning & since I dont know the difference between a harmless one from a lethal one.

riveree · 10-09-2008, 09:33 PM

I've never had a snake in the house. In the yard, yes, but not in the house. I keep the house locked up tight though, doors don't get left open around here, not even garage doors.

I also have dogs, and the scent of dogs (predators) is a good deterrent for wildlife. When I wash the dogs' beds and blankets, I take them out back first and shake them out, I figure the dog fur and scent settles in around the back door and it's a little "extra"....seems to be working so far

.

mawipafl · 10-10-2008, 05:06 AM

Resident black racer in the yard, but he's not wanted to visit inside (yet anyway). I, too, keep doors closed. Lizards and frogs find the smallest holes to sneak in, but not snakes.

clay · 10-10-2008, 06:33 AM

I'm in JCP and we have had about 5 snakes in the backyard in the last 2 years. Mostly black racers. Neighbor had black racers, a coral snake, and the other day he killed a pygmy rattle snake. That ones kindof scary as it's poisonous. We are not on a reserve, but there is one a few yards down from ours. None in the house thank goodness. My wife would make us move!

jrmutley · 10-10-2008, 07:17 AM

Early this past spring my wife and I were in the backyard doing some work typical for that time of year. We have one of those Rubbermaid storage bins by the patio back there. It is about 4' high with a lid that lifts up. I lifted the lid and was holding it up for several seconds looking for something. When...in the corner of my eye...something moved. There was this rather long snake all coiled up laying right on top!

I immediately jumped back and dropped the lid. When the lid closed, you could hear the startled snake thump and fall down off of what he was laying on. My wife goes..."Uhhh, what was that?" As soon as I said snake, she was in the house claiming that she wasn't going near that bin until I got rid of our visitor.

Now, I have no major phobia about snakes. As a kid, we would pick them up in the woods all of the time. I was a boy scout and regularly camped. But, I've only been in Florida for two years and had no idea what type of snake this could be. So, I go inside and google Florida snakes. The first picture is of a black racer. I'm 99% sure this was what I saw. But, I wasn't taking any chances.

So, I called the Clay County Sherrif's office for advice. I'm told that they have a "snake guy" who will call me back. Yeah...right...they have a "snake guy". Sure enough, though, I get a call from Maynard Cox, resident snake expert. I told him my story. He confirmed that I probably had a black racer.

Now for the advice he gave me that would apply to the OP and anyone else who is interested. He said go to home depot and buy moth balls. Make sure the primary ingredient in them is napthylene. Drop a couple in the storage bin, under shrubbery, in the corners of your garage near the door and walk the perimeter of your property dropping one every couple of feet. Napthylene burns the snake's lungs. So, they stay away from it and your property. It forms a chemical barrier that the snakes will avoid.

judithexit · 10-10-2008, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by titaniummd

I have a person in my neighborhood, in a planned community, who found a snake in his house in the bathroom. He also had one in his backyard. When I walk my dog, his garage door is always open.

I can't imagine how the snake got in except for through the garage.

You ever find a snake inside your house? I have not and hope never to find one in there. I suppose the Ninja Sword and Doggy Poopy Picker-Upper that I have in the garage would have some use, otherwise.

Yes , I live in New Jersey and my parents had a sneak once in the sewer trap in the basement the terminx guy said to put bleach in there so he would leave or die sorry don't remember but it worked. so you don't need a sword just a cup of bleach.

MovintoJax · 10-10-2008, 12:05 PM

We had one in our sunroom (black racer) but it figured out how to get out in its own...it didn't want to be in there anymore than we wanted it there.

I would be careful with moth balls. They can be toxic to small animals (don't want to kill the neighbor's cat along with the snakes), harmful to children, and I have read reports that they might be linked to throat cancer. I believe it, the smell is horrible and burned my throat the one time my husband scattered the crystals around.

We decided it wasn't worth the health risk (my dog has cancer, too, so we are trying to create a toxin-free environment).

Best prevention is keeping doors shut and making sure small holes are plugged up so it's hard for them to get in.

jrmutley · 10-10-2008, 12:35 PM

Just like anything else...the key is not overdoing it. A couple in areas where snakes like to hide (like my storage bin)...and around the perimeter of my property...isn't going to kill anyone's cat. The only time I can smell them is when I first open up the enclosed storage bin.

I think I'll trust the premier snake expert of the area. Google Maynard Cox. You'll see that he is THE guy people go to on this topic.

riveree · 10-10-2008, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MovintoJax

We had one in our sunroom (black racer) but it figured out how to get out in its own...it didn't want to be in there anymore than we wanted it there.

I would be careful with moth balls. They can be toxic to small animals (don't want to kill the neighbor's cat along with the snakes), harmful to children, and I have read reports that they might be linked to throat cancer. I believe it, the smell is horrible and burned my throat the one time my husband scattered the crystals around.

We decided it wasn't worth the health risk (my dog has cancer, too, so we are trying to create a toxin-free environment).

Best prevention is keeping doors shut and making sure small holes are plugged up so it's hard for them to get in.

I tend to agree, I don't want to harm any animal if I can help it. Most snakes will move on once you've discovered their hiding place. Black Racers are the most commonly seen snake around here, they're harmless to humans and they're beneficial to have around.

One of my dogs kills snakes and I wish she wouldn't. On the rare occasion when I've spotted the snake before she has, I hustle her inside before she can get to it.

Here's a link to our locally found snakes with some good pics as well:

WEC214/UW251: "Black Snakes": Identification and Ecology