My best mouse trap

[Smokepole]

This is the fourth spring while uncovering a wood pile to move to my shed, I exposed a nice size black snake. He was on top of the
wood pile right under the tarp and tin top cover. I laid my kindling axe next to him to show his size.( no harm came to this mouser
while being photographed) It was about 65 degrees. He was very docile, I moved wood until I got within a foot of him. I then poked him
lightly with a stick until he moved out of the way. I like to see these non poisonous snakes around my wood piles.

 

[blades]

Going to be open season on wild cats around me.

 

[BIGChrisNH]

I wish we had more non-venomous snakes around our property. The chipmunks and mice are out of control.

 

[Osage]

This is the fourth spring while uncovering a wood pile to move to my shed, I exposed a nice size black snake. He was on top of the
wood pile right under the tarp and tin top cover. I laid my kindling axe next to him to show his size.( no harm came to this mouser
while being photographed) It was about 65 degrees. He was very docile, I moved wood until I got within a foot of him. I then poked him
lightly with a stick until he moved out of the way. I like to see these non poisonous snakes around my wood piles.
View attachment 259667

We also have Black Rat Snakes in our yard and while they do help keep the rodent population down they also will thin your song bird numbers.
We feed birds , so I have decided to relocate the snakes if you know what I mean.

 

[Sodbuster]

Going to be open season on wild cats around me.

Just had to clear the barn of raccoons. We have 2 barn cats that keep the place rodent free. When a raccoon or another feral cats invades and goes after our cats, they go bye bye.

 

[Sawset]

Son is in SC. Snakes are common enough he even has a snake picker upper thing hanging in the hen house. Oh, another 6footer. Around here poisonous snakes are rare, but not so there. Found it odd how he checks where he walks, sometimes to the point of what for me seems excessive.
Always had mice around before the cat came on board. She has a lot of fun with them now, until they don't seem to want to play anymore. She attracts other cats though. We call them stinker cats, because they are all males, and if they scent the place more than once, it's box trap time and haul them off the the pound. The neighbors are all aware. If they cared, they would neuter them and keep them safe, maybe feed them once in a while.

 

[PaulOinMA]

Harmless little garter snake scared the bejesus out of me when I was mowing the lawn 15 years ago. It was sunning in a cedar in the front yard. I rode right by it on the tractor. You do not expect to go nose-to-nose with a snake right by your face when mowing.

 

[Sawset]

Harmless little garter snake scared the bejesus out of me when I was mowing the lawn 15 years ago. It was sunning in a cedar in the front yard. I rode right by it on the tractor. You do not expect to go nose-to-nose with a snake right by your face when mowing.

I bet it would be surprising how many bird nests get emptied of eggs by bush climbing snakes.

 

[Prof]

I agree smokepole, I am happy to see snakes. I had a black snake like that hanging out at my place during construction. It would hang out on the cement porch and soak up the sun in the morning. I had a mouse die in the duct system in my car a couple years ago--much prefer the snakes!

 

[mtcox1791]

Glad to see your keeping it around. Otherwise, it could be a nice new home for a poisonous snake.

 

[Jags]

I hate snakes!

 

[Seasoned Oak]

This is the fourth spring while uncovering a wood pile to move to my shed,

He looks well fed. I hear they will eat copper heads and rattle snakes as well.

 

[GadDummit]

My boy just caught a juvenile black snake out at our lake place and made it a pet. Thing is so curious and outgoing. They look like little rattlers when they're small, even shake their tail some and hiss.

 

[PaulOinMA]

Mowed today. Only the second mowing this year, and it's the end of May. April was colder than average. Think it ended up 3 1/2 degrees F below normal. Little garter snake was slithering in the grass ahead of me.