People who grew up in or live in Southern states

[Mermaid02]

I am living in Virginia now but come from Maine. My question is this- HOW do you deal with the abundance of snakes? We have them in Maine for sure, but not like down here. I love living here and I love our home (which is in the woods btw) but I am SO scared of them. Had one poking it's head out of our soffit this spring, had one on the deck a few weeks after, had one in the flower bed after that and today had a big fat brown one right outside my window. Trying to tell myself we live in THEIR neighborhood and that's the way it is but I am so scared. Irrational? Totally. Can't seem to get past it. I tell myself lots of people live down here, some of them must be scared too. UGH I'm ready to sell the house and move back to the tundra.

 

[SC Minnie]

I've lived in the south my whole life. I hate snakes. I try not to think about them but at the same time keep my eyes open for them.

A couple of weeks ago there was a long snake across our driveway as I was pulling in after work. I sat there and waited for him to get past enough for me to pull into the garage. I hit the button to put the door down while I was still in the car then ran in the house. I didn't step outside (besides the garage) for 2 days.

 

[L&Lfan]

I was born and lived in South Carolina for the first 22 years of my life and I only recall seeing one snake outside of the zoo in all that time.... and that was out in the lawn. I wish I could be of more help...

 

[amberpi]

I've lived in TN and ATL for the vast majority of my life. Like the PP, I've only seen a couple of snakes and that was in places you'd expect to see them - while hiking/biking trails. I've literally never seen one in or around homes. Do you live in the country? Sorry for that though!

 

[hereyago]

VA. resident here: Some snakes (even though they weird me out) are great rodent killers.

Snakes that have wide heads bad.

I am glad you like living here!

 

[Mermaid02]

VA. resident here: Some snakes (even though they weird me out) are great rodent killers.

Snakes that have wide heads bad.

I am glad you like living here!

I know they have their place in the food chain- but they are so scary to me. I doubt I leave the house for a week.

 

[BrianL]

First of all, snakes are everywhere! If you are near grass, there are snakes. If you are near the woods, there are snakes. Lakes and rivers, desert, mountains, they all have snakes. If you don't want to be near snakes, you might consider moving to Ireland or some of the other island countries that don't have them (I think Hawaii is safe).

There probably weren't any fewer in Maine, but you may not have lived as close to them or they are not active for as long throughout the year. Most snakes are completely harmless too. I recommend just letting them be as long as they don't get in the house or anything.

 

[Mermaid02]

I've lived in TN and ATL for the vast majority of my life. Like the PP, I've only seen a couple of snakes and that was in places you'd expect to see them - while hiking/biking trails. I've literally never seen one in or around homes. Do you live in the country? Sorry for that though!

Yes- we live in the woods. Totally invaded their neighborhood. I really need to try to overcome this.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Found our cats playing with a snake in the house one time. And they never went outside. We lived in Eastern Montana. Husband took care of that one. But there must have been more in the house somewhere that we didn't know about.

Now we live in SW Florida and last winter (our one night of winter for three months), there was a snake lying on our stone steps at the back of the step tread trying to get warm. I almost stepped on it taking the dogs out.

 

[Mermaid02]

Found our cats playing with a snake in the house one time. And they never went outside. We lived in Eastern Montana. Husband took care of that one. But there must have been more in the house somewhere that we didn't know about.

I have 3 cats so if one gets in the house I'm sure they will find it.

 

[Eeyore daily]

I've grew up in Arkansas and now live in FL, I can't recall actually seeing a snake. Now other scary insects I've noticed are in abundance since moving here but no snakes.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I have 3 cats so if one gets in the house I'm sure they will find it.

Yep, cats are good snake finders and "playerwithers".

 

[Kennywood]

 

[dish rag]

You don’t do anything extra special.

 

[kdonnel]

Grew up and live in Georgia. I have seen three snakes in 47 years.

 

[The Foolish Mortal]

Skip to the three minute mark for the best way to deal with snakes:

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Yes- we live in the woods. Totally invaded their neighborhood. I really need to try to overcome this.

I'm in the Midwest but I did want to say this probably has a bigger impact even for other people who live in your region.

My neighborhood is full of copperhead snakes...which are not the ones you'd like to have around you. But we are a mostly woodsy neighborhood. Clearing of the trees was done for streets and a few other things but they left plenty of 'treed' lots. It's their natural habitat. We are also on a hill so the rocky ledges behind our house is also where snakes will go for their dens. I'm not too keen on the snakes so I think if I saw them coming out of the soffit would give me the icky feeling. I won't show a picture but I walked past a coiled up copperhead snake a few times and didn't even realize it. It was right next to my concrete patio. I'm now much more aware of my surroundings after that!

This is my backyard:


Now we have the more harmless to humans but good for the nature type snakes like garter snakes and whatnot so mostly people just kill the copperheads when they are right by their homes because otherwise it's a "leave the snakes alone" kind of mentality. My neighbor (and many others) have found them in the mulch flower/plant beds that are just about everyone's front door so that is a something we now look out for.

I don't know if I've heard of a copperhead making it into the house but I will say a tiny black garter snake did make it through a crack in the seaming around my egress window in my basement. Right after that we put more sealant down and it hasn't happened since.

My mom, who lives 20-25mins from me in the same area, doesn't live near woods and we only saw small garter snakes growing up. So different environments even in the same region/area.

 

[Deb & Bill]

In south Florida, we are having a problem with pythons from the Everglades. They have been spotted as far north as Kissimmee. There are guys that are paid to catch them and kill them. They have pretty much eaten all the small mammals that used to live in the Everglades. They have no native predators.

 

[cinnaminny]

I don't live in the south but I live near a lot of harmless snakes. I stopped, while walking my dog, for a few minutes to talk to someone who was across the street. I looked down and my goofy dog was standing right over one of them and she didn't even notice. lol

 

[dish rag]

In south Florida, we are having a problem with pythons from the Everglades. They have been spotted as far north as Kissimmee. There are guys that are paid to catch them and kill them. They have pretty much eaten all the small mammals that used to live in the Everglades. They have no native predators.

I caught a python just north of Orlando. It was laying on the middle of the road, put it in a canvas bag we had in the trunk of the car.