copperhead snakes

[thedude]

okay, so here is the deal. i couple weeks ago, i went to get some food for my dogs (which are outside) from the garage. upon removing the lid from the pale (which wasnt fastened completely) i found a very small mouse, dead. he was maybe 3" long - a tiny little guy. so i threw out the food, along with the dead mouse, and purchased more. while at the store i figured i would buy some mouse traps. i bought 2 kinds, the traditional spring clamp death trap, and the sticky glue "mat" like traps. so i tossed out a couple of the traps in my garage.

well, last night i looked at one of the sticky traps behind the clothes dryer and i was shocked to find a baby copperhead snake stuck! he was still moving a bit. i took it out and killed the shit out of him. my concern is that my garage is "unfinished" and i assume there are holes somewhere behind the dryer with said mouse and snake both came from. i have a 4 month old and now a paranoid fiance. my question is, what should i do to prevent anymore of the devil spawns from getting in my house? this weekend i am going to pull out the dryer/washer to fill any holes i may find and check the crawl space. i just do not want one wandering into my kitchen under the door from the garage. ANY help would be greatly appreciated.

oh i also forgot to say that i fucking hate snakes. :ack:

 

[D Chapman]

Get rid of the mice and the snakes will leave.

 

[thedude]

that is the first time i have ever seen a mouse at my house. never even a sign of one. it is perplexing.

 

[garrett]

Copperheads are very low on the scale of venomous snakes. Far less than rattlesnakes. They may appear to be aggressive if cornered, but even if bitten they do very little damage to their victim.
If given the choice 90% of all snakes will take the path of least resistance and go on their way.
If the snakes leave the mice will stay. Maybe get a cat. Ugh. Hard to have it both ways unless you want to be at this a while.
Remember most bites occur when you try and catch them. Best to just leave them alone.

 

[antichrist]

Get a mongoose?
You're on the right track, all you can really do is try to plug holes.
Also clearing away from near the house anything they might like to hide behind/under.

FWIW, in one of the SAR courses I took a few years back the instructor said here in GA if copperheads glowed in the dark, no one would ever leave their house. I took that to mean there are a lot of them out there.

The more snakes you have, the fewer mice you have.
Be glad you found a mouse, it means you don't have rats.

 

[Ol'Drippy]

Bayou Bob told me Rattlesnakes were good for ya

http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN2635178620080327

 

[FIVESPDDISCO]

Get a mongoose?.

You beat me to it! :applause:

 

[group captain mandrake]

I understand some folks like to party with copperheads.

We got the Copperhead stoned. He was all fucked up.

I HATE snakes! In my line of work, I come across them from time to time, & I still run away & scream like a little girl when I see one.

 

[thedude]

well i do have some old wood that has been sitting about 25ft from the crawl space of my house. i am certain that is where it came from. i will be plugging holes and taking all that shit out this weekend.

also, i have 4 neighborhood cats that seem to congregate at my place. so hopefully i can get rid of the snakes and mice. but again, this is the first i have ever seen both around my place.

garrett, my brief research today resulted in th following:

• copperheads will bite before retreating
• least toxic venom
• make up 70% of all poisonous snake bites

either way, i hate the fuckers and dont want them in or near my kid. i am on a mission. perhaps a losing battle i know.

:banghead:

 

[msggunny]

Ok, my 2 cents worth.

Snakes are good.

Period.

The fact that you have "snakes" tells me that you live in a semi rural to rural area. Areas like that are indicative to "wildlife" and snakes are part of that.

So, your concern is that copperheads are dangerous, and since you had one that there is a possibility that something "bad" might happen to you or one of your loved ones or pets.

First you have to realise that if something bad is going to happen, it will. It doesnt matter what you do, it will happen.

Secondly, you have to understand that we co-exist with lots of dangerous creatures. Black Widows, Brown Recluse, etc.

Thirdly, and i know this from experience, dangerous animals are only dangerous when you put yourself in the situation for them to be dangerous. If you go poking in a brush pile there is a chance that something will bite you.

Now, what about children. You have a right to protect your kids from harm.

How are you going to protect them, be by their side 24/7?

What about your pets?

I say all this because i was in your position.

2 years ago i came home to see a small (about 1 foot or so) copperhead in my yard. I threw a boot at it and mortally wounded it and then finished it off. I did so because i knew that if it was in my back yard one of my little dogs would have tried to attack it and would have been bitten by it.

I also knew that these snakes are responsible for controlling the rodent population and realised that killing it may have adverse effects on the rodent population in my area.

My family was more important than the snake.

When my Marines and i go out on maneuvers i tell them that what ever they kill they must eat (humans excluded of course).

This prevents them from needlessly killing. From snakes to deer.

What i am trying to get at is that we need to remember that we are stewards of this ecosystem and that although sometimes we need to kill to preserve, sometimes we need to remember that we need to preserve too.

So the moral of my story is this.

Don't be a scaredy cat because it doesnt have any legs, or has more than 4 legs.

Fo shizzle,

 

[Roach]

Copperheads are non-aggressive unless cornered. The mice they are seeking are coming for the dog food, ( a favorite of mice and rats) and, if you are sure you found a juvenile mouse, I hate to tell you, but you probably have more than you think. Consider moving dog food indoors, and keep a tight-fitting / snap lid on it. Mice do not need a very large entry at all; and any foodstuffs, grain, etc. will attract them. Use a coarse grade of steel wool for those hard to seal areas. They do also need water, so check around the washer for leaks and drips. You can also use products like snake-away and liquid fence, but some of those products contain napthlene, which is a nasty chemical, and is a known carcinogen. Some natural products contain mixtures of sulfer, cedar, camphor, etc. and are safer to use. 15 years in the Ozarks in N Ar will learn ya alot 'bout snakes and such!

 

[DiscoJen]

I also take the position of leaving nature alone unless I am directly threatened and I need to kill it to protect myself. The more un-urban our population becomes, the more their wilderness and habitat is invaded. Co-exist and be prepared for that rare instance that you and nature collide. Know what to do in the event that a snake bite happens and have medical supplies that are appropriate and seek medical attention. When your kid is old enough then it's a good teaching opportunity.

Same thing when I'm out hiking. I'm cautious but prepared. And when I see a snake on the trail I'm amazed that I'm surrounded by such beauty in nature...then I get the hell out of it's way and continue on. Unless it's a spider, then I scream like a bitch and stomp that fucker to death! Spiders ain't nature...they are the work of the devil I tell ya!!!

 

[manny]

We have had problems with Rattle snakes here in the past, it wasnt uncommon at one time to open our front door and see one in our door step. My wife, and daughter were playing in the backyard about five years ago, when all of a sudden all hell broke loose. Both of them came running to me and said that they almost stepped on a Rattler. Well my shovel quickly took care of the immediate threat, but I knew I was going to have to do something. So, we purchased some chickens, barn cats, and a Jack Russell terrier. So far all has been well, I've yet to see a Rattler in our immediate area.


Manny
2000 DII

 

[thedude]

yeah, my point is i dont want the fuckers in my house. my dog food is indoors.

listen, i know all the.....whatever, about being around and apart of the world and the creatures in it. i just dont want them in my house - period. (mice, rats, but escpecially snakes)

good point about finding a juvenile mouse and how it could be a larger problem. based on the advice, i think clearing out the old wood pile, closing up the crawl space tight, and plugging ANY gap or hole puts me on the right path to keeping entry into the home to a minimum.

discojen, i feel about snakes the way you do about spiders. i mean, i aint a bitch, but damn..........i just hate'em!

 

[garrett]

well i do have some old wood that has been sitting about 25ft from the crawl space of my house. i am certain that is where it came from. i will be plugging holes and taking all that shit out this weekend.

also, i have 4 neighborhood cats that seem to congregate at my place. so hopefully i can get rid of the snakes and mice. but again, this is the first i have ever seen both around my place.

garrett, my brief research today resulted in th following:

• copperheads will bite before retreating
• least toxic venom
• make up 70% of all poisonous snake bites

either way, i hate the fuckers and dont want them in or near my kid. i am on a mission. perhaps a losing battle i know.

:banghead:

Sure they MAY bite before retreating, but they are bites that have VERY little venom. They are not acts of aggression, but similar to a rattlesnake shaking to warn of a possible strike.
I am not fond of snakes either, but you're more likely to get bitten if you're on a mission to be rid of them.

 

[Bannon88]

I'm pretty sure no one is America has died from a Copperhead bite.

Clean up your house and the mice will leave, or continue to live the way you do and let the snakes do their job.

 

[antichrist]

Unless it's a spider, then I scream like a bitch and stomp that fucker to death! Spiders ain't nature...they are the work of the devil I tell ya!!!

That is so not part of the homosexual lifestyle... girlfriend. Snap!

 

[michaels]

Unless it's a spider, then I scream like a bitch and stomp that fucker to death! Spiders ain't nature...they are the work of the devil I tell ya!!!

i dance around like a mad man and make weird noises if i think there's a spider on me. could'nt've said it better myself!

 

[kennith]

I've relocated more snakes than I can count. I've done it since I was in my single digits.

Copperheads aren't that dangerous, really. You wouldn't want your kids to be bitten by one, but the venom isn't all that bad. Even reasonably sized dog will tough it out without too much trouble.

As for temperment, a copperhead is a fairly docile animal. I generally sit beside them for a few minutes, and after a while they don't mind me picking them up and moving them. I've been bit a few times, but they were all my fault for rushing. They aren't stupid, either. They learn fairly quickly for a snake. You don't want him to learn that the garage is a safe place to hide if you don't want him in there. Also, baby snakes are much more prone to get into strange situations, as mother nature hasn't got hold of the weak and stupid ones yet, and they haven't learned what they don't like yet. Baby snakes also tend to be slightly more agressive and unpredictable, just like baby humans.

Remember, a poisenous snake knows he is. He thinks you know he is. He is pretty sure you will leave him alone long enough for him to get away based on that assumption. Do this.

Do NOT attempt to handle them. Call someone who isn't afraid of them if you want one relocated. Fear will cause you to be bitten. It won't kill you, but you won't like it one bit.

I'd also like you to consider the beauty of a copperhead before you go on. They are very pretty animals, and highly intelligent considering the size of their brains.

If you want to get rid of snakes, you will have to do a few things. First, get rid of the food, the mice. To get rid of mice, get rid of the things they eat, trap the ones that are still in there, and move along to the rest of this list.

Second, reasonably seal the place. Make it difficult for things to get in there.

Third, clear the area adjacent to your house for a good ways, as an animal hiding in tall grass next to your house will flee into your house through any available hole when startled. Gravel around the perimeter is a good way to keep the food chain from leading to snakes. I'm not going to explain that any further, you will have to use the grey matter.

Fourth, leave the lights in the garage on for a couple of weeks to discourage anything from hiding in there, and train them that it isn't a good place for cover.

Fifth, keep every bug you can out of the place, as bugs lead to food chains.

Sixth, use your garage regularly.

Seventh, do not have junk in your garage, and do not have cluttery places to hide in your garage. This means do not place a shelving unit against an unfinished wall, thereby producing a nice tall cavity for spiders to start a food chain. Get some sheetrock or something and finish the damn walls.

Eighth, if you must have food sources in the garage, seal them up in ziplock bags, wrap the bags in foil, place the foil in a gladware container, and place that container in an opaque rubbermaid container, and place it all in an elevated area. This includes birdseed, or anything else that even remotely looks like food, including ant poison. Mice will get at anything that looks granular.

Ninth, when you finish the damn walls, insulate the cavities with something synthetic and nasty. Mice will eat many types of insulation, you want the stuff they won't touch.

Tenth, make sure you sealed the crawlspace. No, really. Make sure.

Eleventh, get a garage door threshold. It's a cheap hard rubber strip that seals the garage door much better. It is glued to the floor.

Twelveth, Twelvth, tw... 12th. dogonit. You know those areas on either side of the garage door at the bottom? Seal those too.

Thirteenth, don't kill the snakes, call a neighbor that isn't afraid of them to relocate them to a forest.

Cheers,

Kennith

 

[kennith]

i dance around like a mad man and make weird noises if i think there's a spider on me. could'nt've said it better myself!

I am scared to death of spiders, and always have been. I try my best not to kill them, but sometimes I can't help it. I've been out in the hospital by a recluse in the past, and that didn't help my fear of them. That spider almost killed me, no snake has ever done that.

Cheers,

Kennith