Snakes in the woodpile

[KB007]

As I was stacking today I came across a couple of little 3 ft gartner snakes, one in the pile I was moving it from, and the other right by the stacks I was moving it to under my deck. Big mistake - I mentioned this to my wife and now she's totally freaked out of going anywhere near either.

Any nice eco-friendly ways to keep the snakes away? I figure they are prolly helpful, kepping the mice and bugs down, but unless I do something my wife won't be going out to bring in any wood this winter...

 

[ANeat]

I think come winter they wont be a problem. Till then I would just leave em alone and let them do their thing

 

[sapratt]

Whats a sanke? I'd rather have snakes under my woodpile then chipmunks. The snakes won't go from the woodpile to the garden and have a party.

 

[golfandwoodnut]

Golfandwoodnut gets the shanks once in awhile, it isn't pretty. We had a 5 ft black snake come to the house a couple of weeks ago. I let it go and now my wife is freaked out. If it were a copper head I would have done something. I know they are around, although I have never seen one(thank God).

 

[Beetle-Kill]

I'd love to have more sankes around here. Way too many icem and ipchunks. :cheese:

 

[wendell]

I was going to post this right after the OP put this up but I refrained but now that the rest of you are piling on, I guess I'll join in.

I understand. Sankes scare the heck out of me, too!! :wow:

 

[bogydave]

No snakes in Alaska
I vacation in Hawaii, no snakes there either.
Probably one of the reasons I left PA. snakes everywhere :bug:

 

[Cluttermagnet]

No snakes in Alaska
I vacation in Hawaii, no snakes there either.
Probably one of the reasons I left PA. snakes everywhere :bug:

It's no good. They're even on commercial airliners. I've seen the footage. ;-P

 

[Bobbin]

A surprise encounter with a snake is always good for an adrenalin rush. And I can shriek and do the stupid dance with the best of 'em. Lol.

We follow a live and let live policy here; assure your wife that once the weather cools down the snake presence will, too. They're solar powered and need warmth so they'll be long gone by frost. Snakes are deaf and very senstive to vibration, so if you stamp your feet or knock some pieces of wood on the pile they'll automatically seek cover away from the source of the vibration. Bottom line, they don't want an encounter with her anymore than she does with them.

 

[mikeyny]

my woodpile is like a welfare hotel. I have all kind of sleazy critters living it it. We have snakes, bees ,spiders a birds nest, chipmunks, mice and now that "dreaded groundhog now moved in" since I smoked them all out of the ground.

 

[Uper]

A good cat can work wonders!

 

[muncybob]

A good cat can work wonders!

yep, my old buddy Tom the cat used to have a blast wid dem thar sankes. He would grab one that was making it's way to our basement and drag it back out into the yard and then just sit there and watch the snake go toward the house again.....then he would "attack" it again and drag it back into the yard batting it all the while. This would go on for quite awhile...I swear I could hear ole Tom laughing! I miss that cat!

 

[gpcollen1]

Do not give in to her irrational fears. Those snakes are harmless. In the winter, you won't see one. not even in the woodpile.

 

[oldspark]

[quote author="Bobbin" date="1281622603"]A surprise encounter with a snake is always good for an adrenalin rush. And I can shriek and do the stupid dance with the best of 'em. Lol.

We follow a live and let live policy here;
Screw that!

 

[woodsmaster]

I always find mice in my wood pile. I think I'd rather have snakes.

 

[loon]

had this guy come out from around the wood pile last week %-P

dont think he was in it? but dont know?

Terry

 

[oldspark]

I shot a snake
In the head
I shot a snake
Now its dead
I shot a snake
Oh what fun
I shot a snake
My work is done

 

[iceman]

had this guy come out from around the wood pile last week %-P

dont think he was in it? but dont know?

Terry

What kinda snake is that?

 

[billb3]

your wife won't touch your wood because of the skanks you're keeping in the pile ?

a little penicillin and you''ll all be fine


tell her not to worry - the skanks hibernate in the cellar during the Winter.
You don't have a workshop in the basement, I hope.

 

[firefighterjake]

had this guy come out from around the wood pile last week %-P

dont think he was in it? but dont know?

Terry

Looks like he was just a bit thirsty . . . you've got to watch those sankes . . . they sneak in and drink everyone's beer since everyone knows a fine beer or two goes down well with a few mice for dinner.

 

[loon]

What kinda snake is that?

http://www.uga.edu/srelherp/snakes/elaobs.htm

we have them around the house quite often, and can they ever stretch out on the grass in the sun :ahhh:

just read this and didnt know they did it?? can be seen in the pics...

(When frightened they often assume a “kinked” posture and remain motionless)

Terry

 

[Flatbedford]

This little guy, or gal was sunning itself on my '11/'12 Oak on a cool morning last month.

 

[heus]

Last summer we found a nest of small snakes not more than 8-10 inches long. My kids and I looked them up on the internet and were called red-bellied snakes. Had a milk snake in one pile this summer.

 

[astrodon]

Believe it or not, this is a sanke...

Some kind of Japanese fish. Here is some more info

http://www.mpks.org/articles/BobBrudd/sanke.html


If I had one of those in my woodpile, I would be quite upset too!

 

[Jags]

This is the only kind of sanke that I will deal with: