Snakes In General

[rhsgypsylady]

I just read the post of the black snake spotted by a postal center. Additionally, I was watching Animal Planet last nite on TV and the topic was Python snakes in the Everglades and how they are migrating north. I am deathly terrified of snakes. Cockroaches, spiders, mice, bugs, etc. don't bother me; but a snake will give me a heart attack.

My questions are - how many and what kind are usually seen in TV? Where are they usually spotted. I have a pool; do they go there? What areas should I avoid. What time of year are they more prominent?

Where I currently live (in the country) we've seen several snakes, big and little. However, once I put Fox urine out, I've not seen any. I plan to do the same once I move to TV. I have a CYV and will de-snake it before I ever move in.

Any info pertaining to snakes in TV is most appreciated.

This is how I feel about snakes :yuck: :22yikes: :cus: :eek: :evil6:

[otherbruddaDarrell]

We removed the shrubs from our CYV. Snakes like shrubs and will get inside the branches to hide.
I see about 1 snake a year around our Villas........black racers. And they can move fast.
They keep the mice and rat population down.

[nussbaum]

We have seen 1 black snake near our CYV and was told it was a "good snake" so we put out moth balls near the storm drain and haven't seen it since. The fox urine seems like a good idea too. The only good snake I have seen is a dead snake but I know they keep the rodent population down.

[rhsgypsylady]

otherbruddaDarrell - I don't have any bushes, trees, plants, etc. My CYV is landscaped with white rock front and back. I do have a pool though. Do they get in the pool?

nussbaum - I agree, the only good snake is a DEAD snake. They do keep the rodent population down, but I'd rather take care of the rodents by another method.

What villages do you guys live in? I'm in De La Vista South.

I'm not kidding when I say I am deathly afraid of snakes. I litteraly go postal, hyperventilate (which is not good for my asthma), freak out, get spasticated, and my heart beats so fast I think it is going to explode!! It takes my hours to calm down. By then I've spent so much adrenaline that I am exhausted.

[jblum8156]

Gosh, maybe Florida is the wrong place for you, because there are lots of snakes here, especially where there is new construction and they have lost their habitat.

[downeaster]

Gosh, maybe Florida is the wrong place for you, because there are lots of snakes here, especially where there is new construction and they have lost their habitat.

I tend to agree with you, jblum. Especially in view of rhsgypsylady saying "I am deathly terrified of snakes" and " a snake will give me a heart attack".

[Taltarzac]

You would think that Texas would have just as many snakes as this part of Florida. There were a lot more snakes in yards when I lived in Palm Harbor (near Clearwater) than there have been in the Villages. rhsgypsylady lists her location as Texas.

[Endless Summer]

As far as I'm concerned all snakes are unwelcome. But I've lived in S FL for a while and, there are good snakes that eat rats, which are a problem down here, even in nice, clean homes. So, I've rethought my snake phobias and allowed a few into my world.....just not too close...... so, when we move the TV I'll set out a fake owl in the back and hopefully........s's won't come to visit.

[zcaveman]

TRy these sites:

http://www.floridabackyardsnakes.com/

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/herpetology/fl-guide/onlineguide.htm

[Pturner]

Hi Rhsgypsylady,

For what it's worth, snakes don't want anything to do with us either. If we don't mess with them, they won't mess with us.

That probably isn't much consolation against genuine a phobia, but I figure a gentle reminder couldn't hurt.

I'd put out a urine jar for our neighborhood fox and bring it to you full if I could.

[Sherman931]

Where can I get a fox? And after I do, how do I get the urine?????

[Becky]

Don't know where to get the fox but after you get one -Give the fox salty snacks, lots of water and be careful! :22yikes:

Becky

[collie1228]

Would the fox count in the two dog limit?

[rhsgypsylady]

jblum8156 - Where I bought is north of 466 and not a new area so there shouldn't be much construction going on (I hope).

Taltarzac - yes, there are snakes in TX. When I lived in the city (Ft Worth), I rarely saw one and it usually was a grass snake. In nearly 50 yrs, I probably have seen less than 5. However, we moved to the country almost 14 years ago. I would not go out at night. The birds would usually alert us and my husband would shoot it. I came across one in a storage room (probably not even 10" long) and went into a spastic shock that took me hours to get over. At that point, I went to the feed store and asked for help. That's where I got the Fox urine. I went home and put it everywhere and have not seen a snake since, and that's been a couple of years ago. Oh, I'm sure they're still around; I just haven't seen them and that's ok.

Sue&Gene - What does a fake owl do? What role does it play in detering snakes?

Pturner - Go ahead and put out that urine jar for your neighborhood fox. Once it's full seal it and I'll get it when I come down. Lord knows I'll need all I can get.

Sherman931 - In regard to your question "Where can I get a fox? And after I do, how do I get the urine????? ", see Pturner. She has a fox in her neighborhood and I bet if you ask real nice she might catch you some urine.

zcaveman - Thank you for the websites. I will definitely research.

Becky – talk to Pturner about the salty snacks.

Collie1228 – I’m not sure how the fox counts toward the two dog limit. Check your deed restrictions.

This is a serious phobia for me and has been all my life. My dad was the same way so I guess I inherited it from him. I know snakes are all over the world, in the city and in the country. I have wanted to move to FL since 1999 and when I retire in a couple of years that's where I'm going.

In this post, I've replied to each of you, some in a humorous way. Thanks so much for responding to my initial post and any advice you have given me. Just remember - if you want us to be friends when I come down, DO NOT play any kind of tricks on me with snakes (dead or alive). On the other hand, if you do not want to be friends, just give me a shot of penicillian. I am deathly allergic to it and the next dose will kill me.

Got my villa bought - now I just have to get myself there. Until then. . . . . mucho frienship!!

[thistrucksforyou]

Do you believe in live and let live? I don't believe in killing any animal just because it is inconvienient for someone...They are doing what we all are trying to do...Stay alive and eat ... We keep building and building with no regaurd to the animals who live there...Where will they go ...What will they eat ....Where is the new habitat for them or are we going to build there also....Be nicer to the wild animals , they have been evicted from there homes..

[LuvItHere]

Do you believe in live and let live? I don't believe in killing any animal just because it is inconvienient for someone...They are doing what we all are trying to do...Stay alive and eat ... We keep building and building with no regaurd to the animals who live there...Where will they go ...What will they eat ....Where is the new habitat for them or are we going to build there also....Be nicer to the wild animals , they have been evicted from there homes..

I agree with you to an extent, about animal life, but killing a snake is not done "because it is 'inconvenient' for someone". To many of us, snakes are the most hideous, terrifying thing we could encounter here. And, many of them here are poisonous, so killing one that is an immediate threat is NOT because it is "inconvenient". Kids should be able to play in their own yard, and people should be able to enjoy parks etc. without the place being infested with snakes.

Besides that, God created the earth and all plant and animal life FOR MANKIND, not the other way around:

27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.

28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

[rhsgypsylady]

Yes, I believe in live and let live and snakes should be allowed to live. However, they are not an inconvenience to me; to me they are a death threat. And no TV is not building and evicting them from their habitat, at least not for the boas. For most of them their habit originated in Africa (watch Animal Planet). When hurricanes hit Florida and the Everglades, snakes who over the years have taken up habitat there, are blown north to wherever they land. IMO, when God creates hurricanes, He has no regard to these reptiles (not animals), where they will go or what they will eat.

On another note, I get a weekly email from a website called It’s All About Women. After my post yesterday, when I went home and checked my home computer as I always do, below is what was in my inbox from that website – ‘7 Tips For Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone’. Those steps and my reactions are:

Change something every day. I don’t know what but I’ll change something.
What is your greatest fear? Snakes
Accept that fear is in all of us. That means others may be afraid of snakes as well.
Change the word from fear to curiosity. Learn more about them.
Look for a physical challenge. Come in contact with snakes in a safe environment.
Relax, and reflect. Learn to appreciate their purpose on this planet.
Don’t be on your own. I know I will have support from my new Village friends.

But mind you, this will be no easy feat. A 60 year phobia can’t be overcome overnight. One day at a time.

[thistrucksforyou]

Yes, I believe in live and let live and snakes should be allowed to live. However, they are not an inconvenience to me; to me they are a death threat. And no TV is not building and evicting them from their habitat, at least not for the boas. For most of them their habit originated in Africa (watch Animal Planet). When hurricanes hit Florida and the Everglades, snakes who over the years have taken up habitat there, are blown north to wherever they land. IMO, when God creates hurricanes, He has no regard to these reptiles (not animals), where they will go or what they will eat.

On another note, I get a weekly email from a website called It’s All About Women. After my post yesterday, when I went home and checked my home computer as I always do, below is what was in my inbox from that website – ‘7 Tips For Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone’. Those steps and my reactions are:

Change something every day. I don’t know what but I’ll change something.
What is your greatest fear? Snakes
Accept that fear is in all of us. That means others may be afraid of snakes as well.
Change the word from fear to curiosity. Learn more about them.
Look for a physical challenge. Come in contact with snakes in a safe environment.
Relax, and reflect. Learn to appreciate their purpose on this planet.
Don’t be on your own. I know I will have support from my new Village friends.

But mind you, this will be no easy feat. A 60 year phobia can’t be overcome overnight. One day at a time.

I can appreciate fears of some kind....We allhave them...I have them...I have a fear of heights....I deal with it....I don't want to kill something to make me feel better about it....My only point is , Living where I do building is at an all time high....I live in a small town country community, or use to be....Indianapolis people found us and started building here because they thought raising children in the country would be nice for them....A 180,000 people later where is our small country town....K-Mart,Walmarts,StarBucks,traffic, all the woods are now additions, our wildlife here is just gone or living in fence rows....This year we had no, and I mean not one Monach butterfy here...We used to have thousands...The fertilizing and spraying for weeds has killed them off and they are gone....God may have given us dominion over animals b ut what have we done with that....What you do for the lesser of thee you do to me...We as humans look for the easy fix...an employee is a problem, fire them, if an animal is a problem, kill it...most can be removed and relocated and in florida there are many agencies that will remove any animal and relocate it ,try to use them...
Be kind to animals, just because GOD gave you dominion over animals doesn,t give you the right to beat your dog...RIGHT, you would be up in arms if you saw that ....Not trying to make enemies here ,but I respect all life for all reasons....

[SALYBOW]

:22yikes:


"This morning I had a guy from our irrigation company over to fix a problem. He opened one of the pink irrigation boxes to check a valve. There was a snake in the box. It turned out to be a Water Moccasion about 18-24 inches long. It literally jumped out of the box and prepared to strike. Working as a team with garden tools from my garage we killed it and he was nice enough to take it away in his pickup. The bottom line is I would like you to send an email to our Pennecamp group and include a reference in the newsltter to remind people that we live in an area with poisionous snakes and you should keep your eyes open when moving around your yard."

[SALYBOW]

:22yikes:


"This morning I had a guy from our irrigation company over to fix a problem. He opened one of the pink irrigation boxes to check a valve. There was a snake in the box. It turned out to be a Water Moccasion about 18-24 inches long. It literally jumped out of the box and prepared to strike. Working as a team with garden tools from my garage we killed it and he was nice enough to take it away in his pickup. The bottom line is I would like you to send an email to our Pennecamp group and include a reference in the newsltter to remind people that we live in an area with poisionous snakes and you should keep your eyes open when moving around your yard."

Way too close for me!!!!

[Coconuts]

For two years I've been telling my neighbors that pink thing is where the snakes live and they've been rolling their eyes at me (the neighbors, not the snakes) ......so, THERE!