Friday, June 1, 2007

Go Away!

An unwelcome visitor

The other day I went outside to test the pool water and I saw this guy in my yard. Even though I was on the inside of a screened in area he still startled me, to say the least, and he was slithering all over the pugs’ favorite spot to sit when the grass is still wet with dew.

Snake

He kept bumping into the screen and I couldn’t figure out what he was doing. Finally, he found his way inside the drainage strip of my pool deck. The pool area is screened in and surrounded by cool deck. About 3 feet away from the house, a drainage strip that is about a half inch wide runs along the length of the deck. The strip is made of a heavy rubber and has little slots in it that allows the water to pass through when it is not full of pug hair. The water then exits from either side of the deck.

Snake Crossing

It is hard to see it in this picture, but right underneath the gutter there is small break in the concrete of the deck. This allows the excess water to flow out. We have another hole just like this on the other side of the deck. Well, the snake is using this little tunnel to get from one side of the yard to the other side of my house! Not cool! I’m going to have to make that a toll road. Because if he wants to get to the other side of the yard he is just going to have to slither around the long way!

So needless to say, I am now paranoid every time the pugs are in the yard. I’m all for nature and wildlife, but nature can happen outside of my fence. The only critters I want inside my fence are pugs!

Comment Page 1 of 1 pages

Ann Colby

06/01/2007

Hey…long black fellows like this should be welcomed in your yard! He is an Eastern Indigo snake, not at all dangerous or aggressive (except to varmints like rats and poisonous reptiles)and very helpful in keeping your house and gardens free of critters that could really do some harm to you and the pugs. They are usually quite shy, and will run at the sight of you (or a curious pug!). This fellow probably just got lost, or was trying to find a cool place to escape the sun. Just give him a little space and he will be on his way…just hope he stays in the vicinity and keeps patrolling your property, and you can be sure that neither you nor the pugs will be in danger of acquiring any of those nasty rodent-born diseases or encountering a pit viper!

Corrine - OBP

06/01/2007

OK, Ann. I completely trust you so if you say he should be a welcome friend then I guess I will try to be happy he is around. And don’t worry he still is around! Yesterday, I spotted him on my doorstep (I guess he was seeking some shade). If it wasn’t him, it was someone that looked just like him

These guys were around last year and I got a couple of shots of one snake eating another snake - http://www.flickr.com/photos/74188849@N00/sets/72157594177464725/

For a city girl this is just all new to me! As long as they won’t harm the pugs then I feel much better!

Thanks, Ann!

Gob

06/01/2007

Yep, harmless snakes are fine although I can’t really see the picture so well (work computers…). If the snake stays around that’s probably because you’ve got some tasty food worth eating like rodents and other gross things. But if you really want them to leave—even though it’s very common in FL to have snakes in your yard—get the Orkin man out probably quarterly to get rid of the snake food, make sure you don’t have stuff lying around in the yard that they can use as cover, make sure the garbage cans are sealed well. If you had a really bad problem there are more intense things to do. Sulfur or moth balls are used, but they’re probably not good for your dogs. And you could think about lining that area closest to the screen with mulch intead of grass. My parents did that and we never had problems with snakes in the back of the house near the screen. Cats supposedly love to eat snakes, so that’s another option!! But if they’re harmless, there’s nothing to worry about. Unless they get inside of course….

Ann Colby

06/01/2007

I would leave the Indigo…who won’t harm you, the pugs or Cupid (even in the most dire of circumstances, an Indigo rarely bites…and the bite is neither damaging nor poisonous). When a pest control company comes in to dispatch the snake food, they leave out baits which are attractive but deadly to pugs and cats as well. The pugs are much more in danger of sampling poison bait or coming into contact with other toxic substances left by pest control companies than they ever would be endangered by encountering an Indigo in the yard. BTW, also on the Indigo’s menu are toads…the toxic kind that pugs always seem to love playing with and which can send them to the vet, vomiting and with horribly swollen faces. An Indigo moved into my front garden about five years ago, and since then I have never worried about my pugs (I’m up to five at the moment!) or other rescue dogs roaming or playing on my property, which is heavily wooded and on a lake. Before he moved in, I found Julia (my Head Pug)cornering a small water moccasin one day…he was coiled up and ready to strike, and small as he was, one bite would have killed her. I was able to pull her away in time and dispatch the moccasin. Now that the Indigo is here, hopefully to stay, I can breathe easy…no rats, no mice, no other disease-carrying rodents, no toxic toads and NO POISONOUS SNAKES! If seeing the Indigo makes you uneasy, just politely ask him to move along and he will, at lightning speed (they aren’t called “Black Racers” for nothing!) But let him stay…he will repay you ten-fold in protection for you, the pugs and Cupid.

Priscilla

06/01/2007

I am not a huge fan of snakes but they don’t scare me. I agree. If you can leave them alone without having a panic attack then that is the best. I would rather have an icky snake then disease carrying rodents. Rats are distructive to your pool equipment and other things.

Judi

07/18/2007

We also have a “black racer” or “Eraser”, as my son calls it! We have found him on the patio, in the shrubs and the lawn… however, he’s quickly on his way when he spots us or the pugs (3).

Thank you for confirming that “when you have a black racer, you will not have any poisonous snakes”...I had heard that previously and was hoping that it was true!

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