# How to get rid of black snake



## Country Lady (Oct 2, 2003)

Our single daughter lives next door in a mobile home and has been seeing a black snake along her walk leading to her steps. Today she saw him (it) slither down into a hole. No need in reminding me it's not harmful. If we don't help her get rid of this snake, she's going to have a heart attack. How can she chase it away or coax it out so her Dad can shoot it? I suppose the snake hole can tunnel to underneath her skirted trailer and that's where he stays. It needs to take up another residence. Any suggestions?


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> coax it out so her Dad can shoot it?


You could try running a hose down into the hole and pouring in a few tablespoons of gasoline.

Odds are good if there are no mice around it won't stay long anyway


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## CarolT (Mar 12, 2009)

Call your local animal shelter and see if they know anyone who removes snakes. Snakes don't tunnel, it was going down the hole after whatever did make the tunnel. Keep the grass short, get rid of rodents, rats, mice, moles, voles, etc, chicken eggs, and frogs and the snakes will move to where the food is. Otherwise, she'll kill this one and another will follow the food trail right in... And it might be venomous


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## Sawmill Jim (Dec 5, 2008)

I don't care i use a 12 gauge


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## davel745 (Feb 2, 2009)

It is a local thing around here that black snakes not only kill mice but run off copper head snakes. I escort them a little ways away from the dog area. I try not to hurt them


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

Country Lady said:


> No need in reminding me it's not harmful. If we don't help her get rid of this snake, she's going to have a heart attack.


An unreasonable fear is no reason to kill a beneficial animal.


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## pheasantplucker (Feb 20, 2007)

I'm not trying to come off sounding like a 'macho man' but I had a black snake that was probably closing in on being a five footer crawling across my living room floor one morning when I got up. I simply picked it up and took him down the hill a ways and let him go. Black snakes are not aggressive...I have been bitten by other non venomous snakes, and to be honest, it's not much worse than getting stuck with thorns from roses or gouged by a hawthorn tree. Seriously, it's not a big deal. I've been more annoyed when the snakes I've handled have pooped on me. I'm serious...that's even worse! Please consider all options and make every effort to remove the snake unharmed before resorting to killing it. Black snakes as mentioned earlier benefit us. No...I'm not a PETA type...I love fishing and hunting, but I hate to see an animal destroyed who's only 'crime' is instilling irrational fear in someone else.


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## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

Sorry, I'd much rather have the black snake around than any copperheads or other toxic types that may move in once the black snake is gone.


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## sewsilly (May 16, 2004)

We simply relocate them... if she's seeing it daily, have someone who is not afraid, scoot the snake into a 5 gallon bucket, top with lid and take it for a drive.... As other's have said, when you're rid of this snake, who is there because there's food available, then you're likely to gain a poisonous snake to take it's place...

I work at a state park and we have a 'regular' black snake who likes to sit and sun himself on the porch of the visitor center... if visitor's take issue with this, I scoot him out on the grass.

Have you considered helping her get over her fear of the snake by simply observing him/her?

dawn


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## Country Lady (Oct 2, 2003)

CarolT said:


> Snakes don't tunnel, it was going down the hole after whatever did make the tunnel.


So, snakes don't tunnel? I'm just asking. I've always heard of snake holes. I'm no expert by any means. We're in the country where we see various snakes occasionally and have very high respect for them. She just don't want one living so close to her walkway.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

OMG If we were close, I'ld take it. We love black snakes. Saw one yesterday crawl into our woodshed from the garden as I was going after some boards to make our squirrel feeders. It was "over" 6 ft long with at least a 3" diameter. It could easily swallow one of our huge geese eggs. However, they are not aggressive, help keep the rodent population down and are territorial, meaning no copper heads around anymore. David usually picks them up, pets them awhile, then releases them back where he found it.

Sorry that snakes frightens your daughter. If she were my daughter I would sit with her a spell and talk with her about snakes, maybe even take her to a pet shop to look at some (even handle some).


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## nduetime (Dec 15, 2005)

motdaugrnds said:


> Sorry that snakes frightens your daughter. If she were my daughter I would sit with her a spell and talk with her about snakes, maybe even take her to a pet shop to look at some (even handle some).


Speaking as one who has an "unreasonable" fear of snakes ( but at least i do not run blindly screaming anymore) I would flip if someone tried to get me to hold one....no thanks! :umno::hand:

I despise serpents. Stepped into a large depression that had what felt like hundreds ( probably just a few) black racers, not venomous but still slithery. I cannot stand them ever since. It is the slither that gets me. I have finally progressed to not killing them or running away. I do tend to take a break for a bit if I run into one in the garden or coop. (like yesterday, just a little bitty baby but still...) :run:

Even at a pet shop my heart pounds and if someone touches me while looking i jump right out of my skin.:hand::hysterical:

Fear is fear, it is never unreasonable, it just is. Regardless of what they are in fear of, to that person it is a very valid fear. Stop rambling trish......:hammer:


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Country Lady, no snakes don't tunnel. What can they dig with? They do use tunnels made by other critters and will happily crawl through drains and tiles laid by man but they cannot possibly dig their own. Some snakes will bury themselves in sand or fallen leaves but they cannot dig actual tunnels in solid soil.


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## Country Lady (Oct 2, 2003)

I'm sure I instilled her fear of snakes. I have the same fear. My mother had the same fear. We live in an area of lots of venemous snakes. To me, a snake is a snake. This morning we went to Lowe's and bought some snake repellent. We came home and poured gasoline down in the hole then poured the repellent. Nothing moved or came out. There's no telling where that hole goes to.


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## nduetime (Dec 15, 2005)

I have heard that mothballs scattered in an area you do not want snakes works. Be careful of children and pets though.


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## NickieL (Jun 15, 2007)

nduetime said:


> I have heard that mothballs scattered in an area you do not want snakes works. Be careful of children and pets though.


moth balls have are very very toxic...I'd never have them near my home or garden. I don't like to poison my habitait. I'm jsut surprised people keep recomend them.


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## Lada (Jun 7, 2008)

I would also try to rehome it. But as others have said, you will get more. It wouldn't hang around if there weren't something there to eat. Maybe have her look over her property and figure out what it is that is keeping the snake there? 

I'd ten times rather deal with a big ole black snake than mice or rats....talk about making me shudder. Filthy rodents and their disease ridden feces make me shudder. Snakes? Not so much, as long as they're non-venomous.


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

fear is fear, period. reasonable, unreasonable, doesn't matter, telling someone their fear is unreasonable does no good.

Mothballs will usually get a snake moseying along. just make sure you get them moseying in the right direction.


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## RebelDigger (Aug 5, 2010)

CountryLady I am in North Mississippi as well and believe me, you don't want to move that snake. Up here in Tippah County the bad snakes are bad this year. Last week we killed a copperhead in our driveway. I don't particularly care for snakes but I would take your black snake in a heartbeat to drive off the copperheads, mocs and rattlesnakes, all of which I have already seen at least one of on this property or in close proximity to it this Spring alone. The only thing standing between your daughter and poison snakes around her home is most likely that black snake. Maybe if you explain it to her this way, she will feel better about it being there.


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## Gregg Alexander (Feb 18, 2007)

Bang!!! or get a hoe----chop!!!


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## PMcNemar (Jun 5, 2011)

I can understand your daughter's fear. I used to be completely hysterical whenever I saw a snake. I've learned a lot about them since those days, though, and while they still make me uneasy, I've come to accept snakes as beneficial creatures. That snake has as much right to live as any other living creature, so I'd really hope you would consider contacting animal control about finding someone to remove it, instead of just killing it.

Also, black snakes are great. Growing up my step-father would pick them up from out of the road so they wouldn't get run over and then release them on our property to help with rodent and venomous snake control. The location the snake has chosen to live isn't ideal for you as you see it, but it could be a true boon to you if you learn to live in harmony with it. It's harmless to you and your daughter anyway.


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## megafatcat (Jun 30, 2009)

Egg trap. Small wooden box with a 2 holes on one side about 4" apart, medium egg inside for bait. Snake goes in, eats egg then cannot make the curve to get out and is waiting for you.


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## VA Susan (Mar 2, 2010)

We live in the country so we see quite a few black snakes. My husband catches them and I hold the pillow case open as he drops it down, then ties it up. We drive them down the road about 4 or 5 miles and let them go. Make sure the pillow case has good seams and is tied tightly! I had the job of releasing a black snake this past week. As I was driving, I kept eying the pillow case nervously. It was thrashing around wildly on the floor on the passenger side. Thank goodness my husband had tied a good knot! I may have jumped out of the car if it had gotten out.


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## Country Lady (Oct 2, 2003)

There's no way I would have rode in the same car with a snake, even if it was in a tied pillow case. Nope, it ain't gonna happen to this lady.


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## RebelDigger (Aug 5, 2010)

I used to be a "the only good snake is a dead snake" kind of person. This series of photos is what changed my outlook. SNAKE PIC WARNING 

http://firemanjax.com/blacksnake/index.html

I still prefer not to have to see or come into contact with snakes but, I have let all non poisonous, esp. black snakes, have a pass from my hoe since seeing these.


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## NickieL (Jun 15, 2007)

box it up and mail it to me!!!  I love snakes!!!!! Even the poison ones!


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## Country Lady (Oct 2, 2003)

NickieL said:


> box it up and mail it to me!!!  I love snakes!!!!! Even the poison ones!


If you moved down South, I'll just bet you'd change your mind.


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## NickieL (Jun 15, 2007)

I've lived in rattler country, I used to pick them up.  I lvoe em. The neatest one I ever picked up was wehn I was hiking the Florida trail, first time I'd ever seen a coral snake. It was beautiful. Had to catch it and show DH!


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## CarolT (Mar 12, 2009)

They don't scare away the venomous snakes, they eat them! We breed snakes and had a king snake that liked nothing better than to get any slugs (bad eggs) another snake laid. We never bred her because the females are as likely to eat their mate as breed! LOL

Also, the snake repellant only works on pit vipers. The chemicals burn the pits and drives them off. I won't do anything for the black snake. Read the small print, it should tell you that. I don't know anything except making sure there's no food source for making a black snake move on and then it may not move far.

Fear is fear. I used to be terrified of snakes. I remember once having my rat on my shoulder hiding in my hair. A man kept nudging his wife closer and closer to me. He thought I had a snake on me. Mite turned around and the guy squealed like a girl and took off. He was terrified of rats LOL His wife had noticed Mite and was surprised he was getting that close because _she_ recognized what I had <EG> Overcoming fear is an adventure everyone must decide if and when to take on. You can't overcome their fear by forcing them to confront it, it usually just makes it worse.


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## galfriend (Nov 19, 2004)

```
I used to be a "the only good snake is a dead snake" kind of person. This series of photos is what changed my outlook. SNAKE PIC WARNING

http://firemanjax.com/blacksnake/index.html
```
Thanks RebelDigger for posting that! Very interesting!


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## NostalgicGranny (Aug 22, 2007)

Don't use mothballs they aren't legal to use outdoors anyhow. Try sulfur around the area you want to discourage them from.


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

NostalgicGranny said:


> Don't use mothballs they aren't legal to use outdoors anyhow. Try sulfur around the area you want to discourage them from.


Quinlan, Tx!?!...I used to live there many years ago....my mom and one brother still do...Hmm...it is a small world.


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## NostalgicGranny (Aug 22, 2007)

Fowler - The inlaws live here. We don't actually live in town.


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## Mr.Hogwallop (Oct 2, 2009)

Ask her what she wants less, the mice she's obviously got or the snake who is eating those mice.

Come on people. It's a beneficial animal. Shame on all of you who want to kill it.

May mother nature infest your cabinets with mice and send the snakes a memo to avoid your home.

lol


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## VA Susan (Mar 2, 2010)

RebelDigger said:


> I used to be a "the only good snake is a dead snake" kind of person. This series of photos is what changed my outlook. SNAKE PIC WARNING
> 
> http://firemanjax.com/blacksnake/index.html
> 
> I still prefer not to have to see or come into contact with snakes but, I have let all non poisonous, esp. black snakes, have a pass from my hoe since seeing these.


Great pictures! Maybe that's why we've only seen one rattler in our area in the 33 yrs we've lived here.


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