[buggyone]

"Lots of black racers, king snakes, ribbon snakes, garter snakes, etc which are all GOOD to have around if you do not want the dreaded mice or palm rats in your attic or garage."

"I saw one at my house I would call a corn snake. Very nice colors on it."

Yes, that is one of the "etc" non-venomous snakes. They are very pretty. I would always have one of them in the snake demonstration shows. I never got bit by a corn snake. The king snake and black racers were the biters for me.

[DougB]

Might find a lot more than snakes in your garage. My neighbor and I just caught an alligator in my other neighbors garage today. Debated on making a purse for my wife, but we caught it and relocated it to the preserve down the street.

[mtdjed]

Had a resident snake at our Lanai entrance with a home up under the siding. Would see him/her often as it was next to my grill. Tried several things to discourage it from sharing our residence including mothballs ,snake repellent etc. and he still resided at our home not paying any rent. Saw him once near the front of our home and I raced him back thinking I could block up his entrance. He got there first. Did not want to kill him but just evict him. Finally disappeared and I closed up his home. This lasted 6 months.

[fl boomer]

I have lived in FL for over 15 years now in several different locations, and trust me, there can be snakes almost anywhere. I currently live north of 466 and it is very common to have Black racers in your yard, under the pad of your A/C, etc. These are the so called "good snakes" in FL. You could also have pygmy rattlesnakes, water moccasins, & even coral snakes. Do not work in your flower or landscape beds without proper footwear on, because they can be hiding in your beds. I recently went out to fertilize my rose bushes, and under one of them was a baby snake (over 1 foot long), & we killed it because it was "splotchy" on it's back & was DEFINITELY not a black racer.
ALWAYS watch where you're walking because if there aren't snakes, those nasty fire ants could be in the area.

[elbear]

yes, snakes are in florida. When I lived closer to water there were quite a few. In fact, in the two years i was there, I saw more snakes than in my entire lifetime but most were rat snakes, harmless but can grow quite large...think 6-7'. Snakes don't like you as much as you don't like them. i saw a hawk and not a big one pick one up by the head and fly off with it...now that is not something you see every day! I used to be deadly afraid of them but after seeing so many, I'm cured. Screen your garage, front entrance and lanai. You may never see one but you will feel better.

Originally Posted by OldDave

I was just reading the thread about screens for your garage and someone said, "snakes in your garage are just a fact of life." It got me to wondering.

Just how common is it to get snakes into your garage, or anywhere else you might be around the house? Does it happen more near water or wildlife areas? Are there areas to live to avoid them?

I believe Florida is the only state in the nation with all four posionous types of snakes. So for those of you who have reptilian visitors, how often are they posionous and do you know any who has been injured or their pets injured.

Thanks. (If you cannot tell, I hate snakes.) And I will personally bite the first person who tells me they are more afraid of me than I am of them.

[Alaskarose]

Snakes slither here and there looking for food. I have had 3 in my garage over the yrs. They are all eager to leave so I just stay calm and wait a bit. I see snakes often. I live on a very big wetland (swamp in the old days).