Constant Visitor...

That's it! You're self promoting your own start-up "RentARatter" business. Tsk tsk. Get us the goods on the real action shot!

My garden attire is pretty close to what WUVIE said. Jeans and a long sleeved shirt instead of overalls (too hot for overalls), V marks on the tops of my feet from wearing flip flops instead of sunburn, and asparagus stuck in my teeth instead of spinache. Asparagus gets a little stringy when you eat it raw. I must admit I don't look nearly as scary all cleaned up.

Oh Kat...too funny!!!

I think if ya check out your original pic, you'll see why that racer returns, Honey.
He's in love with your garden hose!!! Hehehehe!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Very cute, love the photos!

I've seen more than my share of snakes here-some are in trees trying to get to bird's nests, some are in the garden hanging around the tomatoes & basils, some just slither around like little ninjas...I don't freak out near as much as I used to-one day one of my black lab/collie mix puppies cornered a copperhead by barking frantically and backing it up against the shed-I came out with my hoe, just in time to see it strike her in the snout-it was the last strike that snake ever made-my reaction would be considered "overkill" as I killed it in so may ways-I immediately called my vet_I was so frantic because the puppy was swellin up quickly-my vet, an old country Dr was just as calm as ever-he asked if she was breathing, which she was-he then asked if I had any DMSO, which I did-he very calmly told me to put some DMSO on her bite-put some ice on the bite and "have a drink-she'll be fine-just pitiful looking till tomorrow"....he was right, she was pitiful looking, she did swell up impressively, but survived just fine-that was 13 years ago....to this day she avoids snakes and garden hoses (I guess they look too much like snakes for her)..... and I remain on patrol w/ my hoe, just in case.......

If you're still bothered by this beauty you can send it to my house. :)

We had a rattle snake about 30 inches long in the hose caddie. I guess because it was young it made about 3 strikes and missed them all. Most snakes I leave be but this one was only 30 inches long. I have been told that a small 2 ft rattle snake will put you down faster than one 6 ft because the venom is a lot stronger in the smaller younger snakes. I killed this one because it was to close to my pets and its size was such that it could conceal and stike from under and plant almost. I did not like its attitude either there never was a desire to flee.

Yuck and yuck. I am so thankful to live in a poisonous snake free area of the country. I'll take the long winters any day to not have the problems of those snakes.

Just adding my 2 cents to this old post, because we've got some black snakes in the neighborhood. I've only seen one baby here, but my son & daughter-in-law have a 5 or 6 footer hanging around their place just up the street. She wants it DEAD, even though we keep telling her they keep the rodents away. I read somewhere that moth balls or crystals will keep the snakes away...anyone ever tried this? (I don't mind the little ones, but would probably freak if a saw the biggy at son's or here!)

But mainly I wanted to ask: WUVIE...what is that white one with the black markings?

Enjoyed all the back & forth regarding KatG's Black-Snake Brooming!!

We have snakes here up in the foothills where the oil wells are...I don't know what kind they are...probably Gopher snakes...as I've never heard anything about rattlers.

One day I was taking a short cut through that area...I was going up a steep hill and was almost to the top when I saw a huge snake stretched across the road...from one side to the other.

I didn't have the heart or nerve to run over the poor thing, so I stopped my truck...thinking it would slither away. It didn't. It just laid there basking in the sun. I know it was alive because it did move a few inches.

I had to back my truck down the hill in reverse to get to where I was going. I came back an hour later and it was still there...and this time it looked like it had eaten something really BIG !!!

Would you believe that the last time I seen my visitor snake was Mother's Day? I had my guy's 87 year old Mother here for dinner with her walker! I had this terrible vision of the snake wrapped around the metal! He was in the Lizard Lounge, but nobody was able to catch him and I haven't seen him since.

However, I was on the phone the other day and looked across the Family room. I'm like...what the hell is that on the carpet??? First thought was...those damnded Dogs...putting out some very skinny, long diahrea! (I know, that's gross!!!)

Nope! It was a snake...INSIDE!!!

Good God!

I would have died on the spot!
Good heaves we don’t have snake problems here. I´m almost freaking out by just reading this tread.
You are so brave !!! ;o)))))

KatG;
Has anyone suggested to try and pour lyme around your house foundation to keep the snakes from invading your sunroom, and the likes? I heard that lyme would deter them rascals. I'm more concerned about your adorable furbabies and your well being than having a few laughs. Although, I ROFL when I skimmed through your thread. Best of lucks.

What a great laugh reading this thread again!

Ummm, still waiting for my action shot!

I have to admit that I've been waiting for them too, Equilibrium. The whole snake thing is so ghastly to me that this thread has become somewhat of a train wreck in terms of my fascination with it.

Hey watersedge, I just noticed you are from Maine. I need your help with something. We're planning on flying out to your neck of the woods. We want to hit the coastal area. Do a little lobstering, some scenic byways, covered bridges/lighthouses, and drive down into Massachusetts to the historical area. Kids are fascinated with the area north of Boston as well as anything to do with the Salem witch trial areas and I'd like to hit a botanical garden somewhere along the way. I ordered some tourist type literature but that's not as good as getting it from a local. We'll have ten days.

I like snakes. I just don't like getting bit by them.

I just talked to someone from DG on the phone and I understand there is a thread out there where there was a big long six footer curled up for a siesta in somebody's oven. I would have had the whole oven disconnected from the gas lines and hauled outside on a dolly until the snoozing snake left of its own accord. A six footer in an oven??? I wish I could find that thread.

We have used glue strips and then disposed of them in the firepit at the cabin if you know what I mean. When we first got the cabin it was infested with blacksnakes. They used to winter over in the pump room inside and we have had huge ones. We were diligent with the glue paper the really strong snake kind, we have gotten huge 6+snakes stuck to it.
You home is way too lovely for a shotgun, but that is our 2nd. best rid and for the past few years now we have purchased the snake away, actually is no more than mothballs and we spread it around the perimeter of the cabin. Not sure this does a thing, but once we got rid of them initially the first year they have stayed out of the house and we do have their favorites on occasion, mice instead of your tempting lizards.

I found the thread with the snake in the oven but now I forgot where it was. Rats, it was pretty funny. The snake was saved and moved outside!

Okay...here's the new dillemna I have. Arrrrrrrrgggggghhhhhhh.

I haven't seen any snakes since the one I found in my house a couple weeks ago (mistaken for bionic dog diarhea!!) Wednesday, I'm out in the Caged area of my pool and looked outside and here's this creepy RAT running towards my new arbor! Eeeechhhhhhhh! It made me weak in the knees! Now where on earth is my snake when I need him!

Yesterday, the dogs are outside, doing that crazy wierd bark that I know they've come across something that's not normal. Well, I go outside and they're scratching on the pool screen and are looking intently at something outside, that I don't see! I bring them inside and hope they forget. Let them out a little while later and sure enough they're back to the same spot and now have scratched a hole in the screen and my little one has her head through it! ??????? Nice!

I have no idea what they were after but I know there was something out there.

What's the lesser of two evils? Rats or Snakes???? Personally I think I'll take the snake, although I do take your advice Lily as there's also bad ones that could hurt the little furbabies.

What's a good way to get rid of rats??? I hate them!

Er uh... get a bigger snake. Inside joke I guess considering that's what I told the gal to do when she saw a rat at her place and then she ended up with a big rat snake in her oven that was over 6' long.

I would call an exterminator because it's upsetting you. I certainly don't mind snakes but rats are a different story. If you want to go it on your own without calling an exterminator right away, we have had good luck with battery operated ratzappers around here but please know that there are other DG members who I have recommended this product to who said it didn't work for them while other DG members raved about it working for them as it has for me. Seems to be a 50/50 split on working. The bonus to the ratzapper is that if it works for you (it works around the horse barns quite well for us), the rats are literally electrically zapped to death. It's quick and the rat doesn't suffer. No poison in the rat's system so they can't crawl off to die and end up killing a hawk or a neighbor's dog that decides to dine on it.

They've come down in price-
http://ratmousezapper.com/

Safe to use around your home with all the kids and critters you have.

You can bait it with left over food scraps such as chicken or tunafish or what ever. Don't use peanut butter or you may end up zapping desirable critters. Just check the trap regularly. All you have to do when you catch one of those nice big fat Norway rats is dump it in the garbage can by tipping it or... call a raptor rehabber. See if anyone out there can use zapped rat for any eagles or hawks they have in their care. Around here, the rehabbers will take as many as you set aside for them.

Now that I've answered your question to the best of my ability will you give us an action shot of some sort? Maybe you doing a rat snake dance where you hoot and howl hopping around on alternating legs in a circle with feathers in your hair begging for the return of the snakes?

Equil...You just have to stop encouraging me as you know I'm crazy enough to give you that photo! Hahahaha. I have to go to bed and I'll be dreaming about this all night.. My mind never quits!!!! STOP IT!!!

Okay...I guess I just have to get over it! I mean...this is nature and there are probably hundreds of Rats I don't see! The snake is probably sitting in my container garden when I'm watering at night, just loving the shower! Did I tell you I was out weeding one day and put my hand under a Plumbago and a rabbit jumped out? Didn't mind the rabbit, but it could give you a cardiac arrest!

For the first time since I've lived here, I had a squirrel on my Pool Cage yesterday. I had one at my last house that came every day at the same time and sat in the very same spot (East corner) and just sat there and teased the dogs! People who came over to my house used to ask me why I would go to so much trouble to put a fake squirrel on the cage as it would sit there for hours not moving. I'm like...it's not fake and would usually get the hose out to prove it. Yesterday when I got the hose out...this thing thought it died and went to heaven and actually rolled over to get it's underside wet as it was so hot!! Forget that...I'm not here to be giving Squirrels showers! hehe

I'm living amongst nature I suppose but there are times I just don't expect to see certain things. The other day I looked out my kitchen window to the front of my property and seen the most majestic Bobcat walking across the lawn. I've lived here since 79 and have seen a few around, but this one was huge.

I'm hoping he likes Rats!!!

Your snake, your rabbit, your squirrel, and your bobcat are part of nature here in the US. The rat is not. It's an import model compliments of the early colonists. The Norway rat is what is called an invasive species and it sort of wreaks havoc with the environment. There are public health issues with them too. I'd make the rat go bye bye to rat heaven if it was trying to share my back yard with my kids and my dogs. The rat is not a part of nature here! Make it go bye bye if you can little Missie!

Alrightie now my little Ms Wildwoman KatG, put your money where your mouth is and let's see a good old fashioned rat snake dance!

I detest glue traps--they are cruel, as the animal dies a slow death of starvation. More humane to use a "snap" trap. At least it's quick.

I'm going to second what KyWoods said. I really have a problem with glue traps and poisons. The rat is only trying to eek out an existence. It's not the rat's fault it so successful at doing so. Snap traps are considerably more humane. The snap traps are generally very fast but there are times that they only get a portion of the animal and when that happens, they can be the equivalent of the jaw traps where animals chew off extremeties to free themselves. Ratzappers are the most humane. The ratzappers are instantaneous no matter what part of the animal they get.

If you get them on the strip you don't have to let them suffer, they can be removed with crisco oil in a location further from your living room.

OMG! I am just sick about these rodents! When I told you all that I had seen a rat the other day...it was outside the poolcage. Well, things have really progressed, as I seen 3 INSIDE the cage today! I'm actually FREAKED-OUT! I just hate them and don't even want to go out there. I actually don't think these are Rats, but they're huge field mice! (Big one and babies!!!!) Yikes!

Of course, my little Yorkies are the barometer for what's hanging-out in the yard. When I let them out this morning, they were just nuts. Couldn't get them back in and the little buggers (mice) were just scrambling. I'm standing on the edge of the hot-tub watching these things run all over the place! Arrrrrrgggghhhhhh. I have one weedy area in the corner of my cage and this seems to be the place they're hanging out!

I am actually very wierd when it comes to these kind of things. I'm in the house screaming for the dogs to come in, with the door open about 2 inches (I would die if something ran inside!). They're just ignoring me and I thought...to Heck with you...shut the door and locked it! hahahaha. Yeah, like locking it is going to keep everything out. After I finally got them in, after tempting them with Car rides, treats, etc., they just keep scratching at the door to get back out there. (Yorkies were apparently bred to be Ratters and they used to put them down the mines in England - they definitely haven't lost their instinct!). I just don't want them to get hurt or bitten.

Next thing I do is walk into my home office and sit down at my computer...I still had my robe on and felt something going down my back! Talk about getting the adrenalin flowing! Now this would have been a precious Kodac-moment, as I went nuts! Turned out to be a heavy beaded hairclip that fell out of my hair!

I DID NOT HAVE A GOOD MORNING!

I called my office and told them what was going on. When I got in there, they had this remote control rat poised and ready to go! (It's been in my office for years and really not realistic looking with flashing red eyes!) Nice people that work for me eh? hahaha. Luckily there were customers at my front desk when I walked in and they couldn't pull it off! I seen it sitting on the floor and just said...don't even go there!

I took your advice Equil and bought one of those battery operated Rat-zappers. The only problem I have is the dogs and I'm just not going to let them out there. This is crazy, as for all the years I've lived here I've never seen this before. My guy is going to work on this one tomorrow as I think he's sick of spending time with a Crazy-woman. A couple of years ago, he really didn't know what a problem I had when it comes to rodents, and bought me a couple of Herend mice. I love Herend, but when I opened these, I nearly dropped them. He had to send them back to Neiman Marcus! That's how repulsive rats and mice are to me. It's sick! Yesterday, I thought I had it all under control when I seen 1 little one...today is a different story when I seen 3!

Sorry Haighr...There is no way I could even stand looking at them on the strip, never mind taking CRISCO and peeling their little legs off and relocating them!!!!

Thank you all for your suggestions...something has to work here! I know I complained about my big black snake, but I would really welcome him back today.

PS: I know this sounds really crazy...but I've actually thought about getting a pair of Hip-waders to go out and water everything...I just don't want anything running over my feet or up my leg!

You poor thing. I feel for you.

Well thanks Equil...but it will be okay! Sorry if it all sounded like Drama-Queen material! haha.

They'll be gone! I'll direct from inside the house! hahahaha

I'll crack the door open about 2" and scream rat-zapper placement directions! Hahahahaha!

Egads, the bait for a zapper is different for rats than mice. Mice wouldn't be interested in tuna or left over chicken and a capful of milk. Totally missed that. Take your best guess at which one is trying to call your place home. If that zapper is inside your enclosed patio and little risk to critters such as squirrels or chipmunks, you can just try good old peanut butter as that is appealing to both. Peanut butter is one bait I never use because I have many squirrels and chipmunks around and I don't want them zapped. Don't expect the trap to work right away. Most critters shy away from anything new in their environment for a while until they become desensitized to it. Place the zapper in the vicinity of where you have seen them. You might want to stick a shallow bowl of water out if you have rats. Rats like fresh water.

I've got some left over, to-die-for stuffed clams I made tonight! Do you think they would go for it? hahaha. Just kidding. I'll try peanut butter as there are no other animal's that can get into the screened cage (well at least not today!). As far as fresh water goes, they've got about 10,000 gallons in the pool. Maybe that's why they're hanging around as things have been so hot.

Seriously Equil...I'm making light out of the situation, but I really truly appreciate your advice.

Thank-you friend

Kat

I still feel bad for you. Rats certainly make nice pets but I definitely wouldn't like feral rats running around my property. I can guarantee I wouldn't be taking it as well as you are.

Thanks again. I really don't want to sound like a nut-case, but it definitely is a phobia. Give me bugs, snakes (to a point), reptiles, birds, etc. and I can cope. I think back and I'm probably getting a pay-back right now. I have a wonderful woman who has worked for me in my Canadian office for nearly 21 years. I know she hate's spiders, and I found one and put it in an envelope with her name on it and set it on her keyboard one day????? Isn't that terrible? This is a long time ago and I was also young and immature at the time...But, it sure came back to me today and I just might send her an Email saying I'm sorry...she will probably think I've lost my mind, but will laugh her butt off over my latest problem! As you probably know...Paybacks are Hell!

This week, I've been creating ad's to promote local rentals. The title of the ad is "Expecting Houseguests and you don't have enough space?". I've been kidding around with my staff and exchanging the word Houseguests for Housepests!!! It actually is kind of funny!

Trust me...I'll get rid of these pests!!!

Spider in an envelope for somebody who has a phobia??? Bad bad bad girl! Long before I picked up a little understanding of phobias, I might have done the same thing.

Silly question but... are one's housguests still houseguests if they get put up in somebody else's house?

I know...The spider thing was really bad! But this Pest Karma thing has a way of coming back around and kicking you in the hahahaha

Interesting question Equil...hmmmmmm. That one is kind of tough. I suppose they become Ex-expected houseguests or erradicated houseguests! That one was a tough one to come up with. Originally my title's were "Are Out-of-town visitor's turning your home into a hotel? or "Like fish...do houseguest start to smell after 3 days? It was just a little harsh for the local media! LOL

My dear Man set the zapper this morning...watered all my plants and cut back a few crazy vines in the mouse corner. I told him he could have anything for that! hehe. Checked the trap tonight and there wasn't anything in there except ants. Hopefully tomorrow! My dogs are going nuts as they haven't been out back all day and keep scratching at the door to get out. I've been taking them out front and they're looking at me like...what is this all about? Tomorrow is going to be a different day as I refuse to be confined to the house...I so missed my garden today. Baby steps!

Tee he, I've liked all my houseguests. It's fun having company. I want them here with me so that they've got access to all the comforts of home. I don't think I've had anyone ever overstay though.

I did have an aunt hint at wanting to stay with me for the whole summer to help watch the kids though. Eeeeeeek, it's an aunt! I love her and all but that would be a bit much and I probably would have wanted to choke her after week two.

The rats were coming in your yard when you let the dogs out so go ahead and let your dogs out. The zapper should work once they aren't afraid of it any more. Make sure you've got fresh bait though.

Yeah BUT...what if the Dogs stick their nose in the Zapper???

And yes...I like my Houseguests too. I have room though, but I know that there are people down here that feel like they should install a turnstile at the front door. Sometimes, when you move to Florida...Every Tom, Dick and Harry (and their wives) feel a need to visit! hahahaha.

I'm hoping I attract people who are having weddings, family reunions, or just plain bad relatives! LOL

Eesh, we're a Great Dane and Mastiff family here... I keep forgetting Yorkies aren't much bigger than a sewer rat. You're 100% right, let them out front.

Why worry about little black snakes. It's what they keep away that makes them so marvelous.

My aluminum bird is trying to eat this one.

And he is trying to eat the bird.

(P.S. It wound up a draw!)

: )