Friday, we had some work done on the front yard. It was an untamed jungle. Overgrown shrubs and ground cover – it was a real mess. A mecca for snakes. The three guys working on the yard were in a constant state of readiness as they waited for a snake to appear. It didn't take too long. A couple of hours after they began working, they unearthed what appeared to be a small snake. Upon closer inspection they determined it was a pygmy rattler. I was not at all thrilled at the idea of a rattlesnake in our yard. However, I don't like the idea of killing snakes either. However, he was poisonous, and so they killed him. And Burned him. In the street. Not quite sure why they felt the need to burn him – well actually they did say something about getting rid of the venom.
Snakes!
Later, I was carefully making my way back into the house hoping not to see a snake. I rounded the corner into the carport, and there was an almost 3 foot long snake slithering into the CARPORT. I started yelling "Snake in Carport" "There's a Snake in the Carport". David came out and one of the guys helping us and they killed him too because they determined he was a Timber Rattler. At this point, I was just about ready to put the For Sale sign up. But I grew up in the country with snakes. We had to keep our eye out for them. Mom always said "Don't step where you can't see" (like into a pile of leaves). So instead we went into Operation Get Rid of Snakes. We went to buy mothballs. Lots of mothballs (because we have heard it is a good snake repellent). David put them in the remaining shrubs and around the yard. I am afraid it may also be a people repellent as our yard stinks to high heaven.
*Knock on wood* but we have not seen anymore snakes yet. And after a careful study and research, David has come to the conclusion that the first small snake was a copperhead, and that the second was either a king snake or a racer of some type. Poor non-poisonous snake.
Cpeezers 