Constant Visitor...

When my little 4lb yorkie is barking frantically out in the screened-in pool area, I know there's something up! Sure enough she had a black snake cornered...for the about the 5th time in the past couple of months. I ushered him outside the cage again...but he keeps coming back and I have no idea how he's getting in (I heard they can flatten themselves out though).

It doesn't freak me out and I know that they're good for eating rodents (which I do hate), but I don't want him slithering around my feet. This one is actually quite aggressive and at one point seemed to be rushing towards me! Any ideas on how to keep him out? Somebody told me that they hate thick rope laid at doorways, etc.???

Ah ha ha, a 4lb yorkie cornered a snake. What a riot. My dogs that have heads larger than your Yorkie would have run and hid behind a couch and poked their heads out to see when the coast was clear.

I don't know about rope but I am convinced I successfully encouraged a very large water snake to move on to greener pastures by setting up a large Horned Owl decoy in the area he was frequenting that happened to be by one of my herp ponds. I wasn't afraid of the snake but I stepped on him once and that startled me and I lost my balance and went in the drink up to my knees and that water was cold. You'd think he would have left after having been stepped on but nooooooooo, he was in the same area the next day... and the next... and the next. A few days of moving Mr. Horned Owl around and Mr. Snake was gone.

Be careful .. black snakes have a bad attitude and will chase you! It's usually a bluff but they will bite and the bite hurts because they chew on you. Black snake also like to eat anoles so if you have a lot of lizards in your yard that's another reason he's there .. you really can't do anything to keep him away until his food source runs out. The other alternative is to relocate him. See if you have a local reptile club or store and give them a call about relocating him.

X

Equilibrium: It is a total riot! This is my little female who's the hunter, and my bigger male just hangs back and lets her do the work! I'm just afraid she's going to find the wrong type of snake, so when I hear that "frantic bark", I get her out of there! How high did you place this decoy? This sounds like a good idea.

Snakes are not the brightest creatures are they? hehe

After a grueling day on Snake Patrol!

Xeram: You're absolutely right! I swear that one was starting to chase me yesterday! I just thought he was a little confused. Fortunately, but unfortunately in this case I have a lot of lizards around - especially in the one area I usually find him where there's a lot of high ground cover and plants. Don't ever think his food source will ever be exhaused.

A friend told me to throw him in the canal and let the tide relocate him. Maybe a net or something, as I'm not picking him up!

Thanks

Grueling day on snake patrol! Ha ha ha ha ha! My dogs are big wimps. One of them would have probably let go of his pee if he saw that snake. Those small dogs have no idea exactly how small they are do they? On the other hand, mine have no idea how large they are and that one chomp would be the end of a snake like that. Great Danes and Mastiffs aren't exactly the brightest dogs out there.

I rammed a 6' post in the ground and slipped the hollow great horned owl over the top of it. I bought the decoy at a place like Home Depot or similar. It didn't do much to deter squirrels and such but I think it worked on the snake.

You do realize that X probably hit it on the head and you may have to relocate your little black darling? Water snakes aren't aggressive so I had more room to play with the situation without the risk of getting bit. I do not like getting bit by snakes.

Another alternative .. which requires a bit of nerve is to get a broom and go chase after it and start beating the crap out of it. This one might get the message if you beat on him enough and vacate the premise when he see's you coming .. especially with broom in hand.

X

Oh oh oh

I think I'd try the broom treatment first. Will you please have your husband photo document the process for all of us so that we can learn.

All joking aside, that sounds like the best idea so far.
No cost purchasing a decoy.
No cost purchasing a trap.
Everyone owns a broom.
I say go for it!

Lol ..actually I was serious .. called a friend of mine who is a snake enthusiast .. he said it probably would work. Snakes aren't stupid and that fact he hasn't turned on your puppy dog means he's not as grumpy as he could be.

X

OMG! hahahahaha!

Thanks X & Equilibrium...

Lately, I've been using a long cardboard tube to get him out. How hard do I have to beat him?????? I really don't want to hurt him....BUT maybe give him a few blows with the broom, and get him out the door! I can probably do that! Hate Hurting any creature, but I'm getting tired of him constantly showing up! Do you think they're that smart to remember?

Here's a pic I took today...Yeah, I suppose I've got a lot of snake food around!

He may be coming in to enjoy the warmth of your patio stones. Perhaps placing a similar stone outside of your screened porch would give him an alternative place to hang out.

Actually, I was serious too, "that sounds like the best idea so far". The old stimulus and response deal. I think with enough broom whacks, he'd probably find a more peaceful place to hang out on his own.

What I was joking about was her husband capturing the "Kodak" moment. The mere thought of that appearing here in this thread reduced me to fits of giggles.

And yes, the little sweetie pies do look as if they'd hardly make a sizeable lump in the middle of a snake.

Absolutely don't hurt him .. just scare the beejeebers out of him .. that's why I suggested a broom .. whack him easy on his head and harder on his rear. Make visiting your garden a very unpleasant experience when people are out there. Since they don't hear, but feel vibration, stomp your feet when you are going after him too .. so everytime you come out into your garden .. stomp your feet to announce yourself to him.

X

I've changed my mind. I want to see KatG stomping out into her garden to whack Blackie with her vicious attack dogs by her side. I'm in the mood for a really good "how to" demo on encouraging a snake to move on.

Lol

Oh no!

I just bought a nice tripod for my new self-timer camera! You guy's are bad! hahahaha. Stay tuned!

Yopu can always call your local extension offic e and they will coem get him for ya and relocate him to another place.

definately don't hurt him, we need all the beneficials we can get. Soetime s they have a migrating pattern. Maybe he is just stopping for a bit for grab some lunch and checkotu the senery and when he gets tired he will move on.

We have a section here aroudn us that is a migratign path for rattlers. Wanna trade. LOL

Have we any "Kodak" moments to share yet?

Yeah .. I want to see the stompin broom thing

Whooee! I don't think anyone from Extension will come out and get it. I volunteer there and we would give you some direction as to who you could call, but you know, is there such a thing as a snake wrangler? Where's my Rolodex?!

Someone - I think someone on DG - said to put down a PVC pipe with one end closed that the snake can crawl into, but not turn around in. After it hides in there, just pick it up and close the other end (just in case you should tip it the wrong way) and relocate it far away.

ceejay - you're right! They would probably laugh at me if I called Extension to come out and get 1 snake! For the 1, there's probably 50 slithering around that we don't see! I live in the Sub-tropics...it's all part of the terrain! I don't mind the fact that they kill rodents! I hate those suckers!

Talking about rodents! I nearly had heart failure today. Was intently bent over looking for sprouts from the million bulbs I've planted over the past few weeks...just happened to reach down and pick up the leaves of a plumbago plant and something big and furry jumped out! I'm like "Holy ___!!!!" Turned out to be a cute little rabbit...but gave me a start! hehehe!

Xeram & Equil - Blackie hasn't returned this week...maybe I scared him because I had curlers in my hair and no make-up (hehe) - Will probably post some "practice photo's" though! LOL!

PS: PVC Pipe? Should I post little directional signs like "Enter here" hahahaha. Just kidding!

LOl... That cute.. Enter and exit here. What ever you do don't get down on your knees to look into the tube to se e which end is hiding in which end. I can just imagine your eyeballs comign face to face with the snakes. LOL

I dunno... I don't think curlers would do it but given what I look like without make-up maybe it was the no make-up that did it ;)

How funny to find this thread. This afternoon my Yorkie found
one, too. She had that strange bark. so I went to see what was
the matter with hubby in tow, but that one got away. It was big
and black.

Then just a few minutes ago, this one was in the yard, thoroughly
aggravating both of our dogs, especially after it lunged at
Doobie.

OMG! Aren't you lucky Wuvie! haha (and I'm being totally sarcastic here!)

I'm not a big admirer of snakes...but you had 2???? Since I posted on this thread, I had another one back, but it wasn't the same one as he was smaller. What is up with the "Yorkies"? Mine are like the total snake-alert guards! It's good, but I don't want them to tangle with the wrong snake!

Here's my chief snake guard - she's about 4.5 lbs and when it comes to snakes and frogs, has the heart and desire of a pitt-bull!

What a cutie!

Our Yorkie is a big girl, we call her a Porkshire Terrier.
LOL. And indeed you are right, they are tough little
critters when it comes to snakes and things.

Has she ever seen a mouse or a rat? Doobie is the
best critter gitter around. She is the one we call when
there is a mouse in the house, and she takes care of
them 'lickity split'.

:-)

Gimme your dogs ladies! My one dog has brought baby bunnies and frogs in the house in his mouth... unscathed I might add. My cats that are more than twice the size of your yorkies won't even be bothered catching mice. We've had mice in the house before and the worst thing that happened is my cats sat around and cornered them and stared in unison. Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic.

Oh, Eq, years ago we had a sister to the Yorkie we now have, and
she was a hunter deluxe. We did not have a fenced in yard at the time
(we live in the country) and she would drag baby turkeys through the
dog door!

Rabbits, mice, rats, turkeys, frogs, cicadas, you name it. Ever heard
one of those cicada things going 'neer neer neer neer' full blast
in the middle of the night?

Yorkies, best hunters around. LOL

Yup, I know the Cicada din very well. You need to send me your dogs so that they can teach mine how to act like dogs!

From everything I read...Yorkies were bred for getting rid of rodents in the mines and villages of England. I believe it and really think the instinct goes on. You're right though Wuvie...they'll go after anything!

Well, my visitor is back again! Had him here yesterday when I had my guys 87 year old mother with her walker! Was hoping he didn't come out and scare the living bejeezus out of her! Tried to catch him, but couldn't find him. Just seen him slithering by the Lanai door and unfortunately I was on the phone so couldn't do anything about it! I'm sure hoping he didn't go to the other set of doors that was open and is inside! I'm hoping my snake-Yorkies would know...but then again???

I'm ready for the little bugger though!!! hehehe

How neat to see a photo of you! Nice to 'meet' you!

:-) It is so much more fun seeing you, it's like you're
really here, LOL.

Thanks for sharing!

Hey! Wait a minute here!

We want an action shot NOT a glamour shot! You look like some model they hired for a commercial to market a snake whacking broom to keep them at bay. This simply is not sitting well with me. I want to see you going after that snake in all your glory!

You mean with messy hair, no makeup, overalls, no bra,
a sunburn and spinach between her teeth?

:-)

Not exactly. More of an actual spur of the moment action shot with her literally whacking the broom at the snake's hind end to create an inhospitable environment. Something with her sort of going after the snake with her broom. I love those blurred hi-speed shots where it's hard to tell what's going on... but we'd all know what she was doing. tee he!

LOL...Eq, wanted to let you know I was thinking about
you the other day while I put in a wine bottle border. I'll
bet Mrs. Kravitz would love that one!

Hahahahahahahaha!

Is this scarier???? LOL!

I'm really MAD!!!!!

Better yet...Maybe I'll bring the team!


(Don't mind me, I'm just in a nutty mood tonight!)

That's not scary! That's staged gosh darnitall! I want a real honest to goodness action shot! Tell your husband to get us one. You still look like a commercial for something. What that something is would be beyond me right about now but maybe your very own startip rental company? Two leetle rental doggies to go after ickies in the garden for hire by the hour or something?

And WUVIE! HER! I can't stand Gladys Kravitz! I still run and hide when I see her and my husband still gets stuck talking to her a few times a year in the driveway while she gets rubber neck trying to figure out where I disappeared to. If you lived by her she'd probably stick a pink sticky on your front door for all your neighbors to see for that wine bottle border creation of yours. Gotta photo of your artistry? I have a concrete frog that I'd like to put out front somewhere but I'm afraid she'd march over here with her pink stickums if I put it where I want which is by the base of the mailbox. I may just put it out there to torment her. I so love the way her lips purse up when she gets all worried about uniformity. She must lose sleep over what I will do next over here. Horrors! She'll probably be in to her shrink discussing nightmares of concrete frogs out destroying property values!

Oh...okay Equil. You're going to make me go for the real thing arent ya? And Wuvie has it right about the garden attire!

Ummmmmm...how about "Rent a Rat(ter)" haha