Snakes, OMG! Screening going up asap!

snake deterrent
 

OMG!!!! Must have been really scary!!! We've lived in TV's for about 5 years and during that time, and we've seen snakes around the house during summer months. We don't live close to a pond which might explain why we've not seen many more, but we do have a very busy neighbor who spends at least 7-8 hours a day gardening. He replaces mulch and moves plants around seemingly every couple of weeks. We believe this might be part of what stirs the snakes up and cause them to move on until things are settled again.

Having said that, I have found that spreading moth balls around the perimeter of the house and landscaping area has produced great results. I can report that I haven't seen a snake in the yard over the past few years, but have seen them next door. It seems that the smell of moth balls is a real deterrent. Anyway, it works for me - cuz - I hate em!!!!

I might also suggest that you keep your garage door either closed or fitted with a screen if you keep it open to allow a nice tropical breeze to flow through the house. I can't believe how many homes I see with the garage and kitchen doors open most of the day. Don't forget where you are - the TROPICS. This is fertile grounds for critters of all sort.

Go by some moth balls and give them a try!!!!!

Maybe the snakes are chasing the frogs :a20:

Roof snakes, eh? Now if you could only find a roof mongoose, you'd be all set.

I'm a native Floridian and grew up with all sorts of reptiles. Had snakes as pets as a youngster (my wife is not a fan so those days are over!) and see them in my yard here in TV regularly. If you see a snake in your home and you need someone to remove it, PM me and I will remove it and relocate it free of charge. I would much rather remove it and take it to an area outside of TV than have someone kill it.

When we lived in San Antonio, I walked into our front room and there was a snake on the floor (he wasn't real big)....didn't know what to do and didn't want him to get away so I ran and grabbed my Dyson vacuum, pulled out the hose and sucked him right into the canister. Removed the canister and sat it on the porch, luckily for me the exterminator came that day and removed him from the canister. This was also my answer when I spied a couple of scorpions walking across the floor.

Do they return? Oh no :rant-rave:

Do wild snakes have territories that if taken out of would return? - Yahoo! Answers

Mothballs!
 

Always enjoys reading threads from city folks. I killed a 3" copperhead in Santiago about 15 months ago. If you don't want or can't shoot the things, get an small ax, and chop them up. Mothballs will keep them away; however, must replace the mothballs often. In addition, mothballs, if eaten, will kill your dog or cat.

Trying to sell my country home in Virginia so I won't say much except....
https://www.google.com/search?q=snak...w=1366&bih=667

Posh = Pistols Or Shotguns Handy

I don't like snakes at all. Neighbors in our old neighborhood in Hadley have seen snakes. They say it was because a couple of neighbors had bird feeders that attracted small rodents and they are snake food. I also remember that someone found a snake in their pool.

Those snakes seen were outside. No snakes in new village, yet. The disturbance of all of the natural habitat takes a while for even geckos and birds to return.

The only time I personlly have heard from anyone about snakes inside the house was the post made by the OP of this thread which was started in May of last year.

Has anyone else had this problem? Did putting screens on the vents stop your snake sitings, Ron???

I don't like snakes at all. NOPE. I hate 'em.

Samual L. Jackson did a nice job of eliminating a lot of reptiles on "Snakes on A Plane". Maybe he could use a little wearm weather right now.....

I use moth balls and snakes away from home depot or lowes. Granules are spread aroung the house and I have not seen any snakes since.

Snakes!
 

I was talking with a woman here in Woodstock last weekend who worked for a plumber. Somehow the topic of snakes in the commode came up :eek::eek:
in the conversation. One customer had a problem with this and the snakes were getting in through a sewer clean-out pipe in the yard which was missing it's cap. I don't know if you have these in TV but I would think so. It's probably a good idea to locate these and know where they are and one could check the security of the cap at the same time.

While snakes in the house are never acceptable, keep in mind that nonvenemous snakes in the yard are your friend. They control populations of other critters that you really don't want around either. (Think roof rats in palm trees.) Learn to recognize the difference between good and bad and you'll be more comfortable. Just my $.02 for the day.

Lowes, Home depot, Ace hardware all have a product called "Snake Away". It is a granulated product that smells very much like moth balls but does have other ingredients.

Very easy to use just sprinkle where you do not want snakes to cross. We had a lake home in the woods...lottsa snakes at different times of the year. I created a complete circle around the house....no snakes.

The stuff does work. Petting balled up steel wool in openings helps keep them (and other critters) out as well.

btk

We have a two foot long black snake that hangs around our planted areas - we leave him alone and he provides free pest control services.


.

The comment about the steel wool brought back a memory. Years ago, my dad came home from work to find my step mom under the kitchen sink, carefully stuffing steel wool around the pipes. Apparently, she had seen a mouse and was imitating what she had seen her father do when mice came in from the crawl space. After watching her for a while, my dad then asked "Now how are you going to keep them from coming up the basement steps?"

I have heard all my life that cottonseed meal will keep snakes away but have no experience with it. Also it's good fertilizer.

I will keep you in mind. Thats if my mother doesnt get to one first. I still remember her taking out a rattle snake in texas with a hoe of all things!! You guys have just given me the willies...thanks.....outside snakes fine....inside snakes...will be moving on!! Bad enough we used to have little scorpions in our house in texas that matched the carpet...you only knew they were there when the rug moved...LOL.

Snakes
 

Makes my outside Gophers seem trivial Gracie!

Snakes in the home eeeehhhgads!

Time to have a pet mongoose?

Snakes
 

Keep your doors closed, including garage
I have lived here in the Villages for sixteen years and have never seen a snake in my house

I want to buy in your village. Would you share that?

Snake in the Lanai
 

Oh No...long black snake in my lanai today! Hubby tried to direct it out the door but it slithered quickly up the vinyl siding. Now we have to keep the patio door into the house closed until we can corner the critter and remove him peacefully (or lethally if required). Kinda creeps me out but I believe he's probably harmless even though I think he's kind of gross! We've been here 2 years and this is the first snake I've seen and hopefully he'll be the last to want to reside on our patio. For those inquiring minds, we do not live by a pond but we are a within walking distance from a preserve area.

It's mating season. They get to slipping around more in the Spring.

OMG...Now I've got to look into the toilet before I sit??? If I feel something on my butt, it'll probably be mental right? Oh geeeeeeez...I wish I hadn't read this.

Trutech
 

TruTech came out and got rid of my gopher problems.

When I asked him about snakes he said has company also help get rid of critters you don't want to be living with.

I left his business card back in TV at our home.

352-692-5559

They are not inexpensive but neither is a heart attack.

I volunteered earlier in this thread. I'll be happy to remove any snake from someone's home--no charge. Just PM me. Gophers are another story...call the experts!

I put those sticker boards down in garage, to catch critters (like snakes) and it works pretty good. I have caught two snakes that way (one big). Plenty of spiders too. They are immobilized, as they get stuck all over. I also use the moth balls around house, especially in the bushes. They usually last a couple of weeks. Don't need many, just a few in each bush etc, and close to garage. The suggestion about not having any growth close to house is very important. Close meaning a few feet away, so they can't jump or stretch. I also have seen the small snakes run up inside the siding!! (Goes to show you they can climb) This time of year, they look for birds eggs in trees. To me a snake is a snake, regardless if it's poisonous or not!! Oh yes, theres also "Snake Away" a powder or granuals. Happy Snake hunting!!!!:coolsmiley::ho::clap2:

:eek: I am with you as I too don't like snakes. They have to be getting in from somewhere. I would check your house good to see if you can find how they are getting in. At least they are not poisonous.

Just a personal note here that comes from being a volunteer at a nature center:
There is not such a thing as a poisonous snake. A poison has to be ingested by eating it to be harmful. Some snakes (rattlesnakes, etc) are venomous. A venom is injected (such as by fangs).

Snakes do a lot more good than harm. The glue boards are a cruel thing. While you do not want geckoes or snakes in your garage, do not use glue boards - sprinkle moth flakes around the edges of the garage or the Snake Away granules.

I have found that the most frequent entry by snakes into the home is through an open garage door or a lanai or cage door that has inadequate seal along the bottom. Once inside the snake wants to get out as badly as you want it to leave if there is nothing for it to feed on.

Please don't kill them. Take up offers in this thread to remove them. They do more good than we imagine for insect and pest control. This is Florida and the sankes were here long before the Villages.

Thanks for the good post, Hancle. I really hate to see people try to kill every snake they see.

My volunteer job at the nature center had me holding them and giving demonstrations to schoolkids on reptiles. Only accident I had with the snakes was one time I was not paying close attention (talking when I should have been looking) when I was feeding a dead (but warm) mouse to a king snake. The king snake (about 5 feet long but harmless) swallowed the mouse and before I realized it, the snake had half my thumb in it's mouth and was swallowing as fast as possible. Now, a snake's teeth curve backwards so prey (and thumbs) cannot pull free. I had to have help actually opening the snake's mouth so I could get my thumb out without tearing it open or hurting the snake. The kids thought it was all part of the demonstration!

I use moth balls around the house as a first line of defense.Keep bushes away from the home and keep trimmed.Use sticky sticks in the garage,caught a few that way.They are usually dead if left on for a few days. I checked daily.Believe.only good snake is a dead snake.Sorry thats how we feel.

Are they harmful if ingested by dogs?

Yes dangerous to dogs!
 

We had our oriental rugs cleaned and stored. In Feb we transported them down. We then opened them up as they were wrapped in plastic and moth flaked..

OMG we darn near fumigated the neighbors.

I don't think we will have any snakes or vistirs for awhile. That smell keeps everything away.:oops::oops:

SSSSS-Snakes/Stucco or Siding
 

I am terrified of most bugs but there is no word to describe how I feel about snakes. I can hardly type the word without getting the chills.

I have for so long assumed I'd be buying a patio villa when I retire, but now that I'm reading about "them" crawling into the vinyl siding, would buying a courtyard villa with stucco insure that I'd never see a snake in or on my house.

I know I'd always keep all doors closed and be careful coming in and out, not just to avoid "them", but anything not welcome. Should I rethink my decision?

If the possibility of a snake would cause you so much panic, yes, re-think your decision and think of a climate where you will not have snakes as a possibility - like Alaska.

That was helpful

Don't re-think your decision, just take the same precautions you would take anywhere else. I see from your post you are from the northeast. The snakes are no worse here than they are in many areas in the northeast (we have a summer place in rural NY and I've seen more snakes there than I have here in TV). Don't leave your garage or other doors open, check your screens and you have nothing to worry about.

Yikes - Grizzlies
 

Buggyone,
Did I neglect to mention that I don't care for grizzlies either. Thanks for that warm and fuzzy welcoming feel.