And, not more than 20 min before ..... I was unattaching the clematis from the japanese maple right next to it... eeech..
This fella slithered out from that green gutter right next to the trellis.
I bet he came to eat that frog that was singing to us in a earlier post! Guess it was a Swan Song!
Here is a photo of the maple the clematis was getting into. The snake was up in the gutter.... I wonder what is up in all the other gutters...
And another of his glorious length.. I think at least 5 feet.
Edited to say --- this is just the part you can see...there was lots more.
This message was edited Apr 17, 2011 8:19 PM
Missingrosie ~ I'm in Hillsborough, too.....I haven't seen any snakes yet, but will definitely be watching for them while I'm out planting and cleaning up. UGH!!! They give me the creepy shivers......
oh my I would have run shrieking...I don't do well with spiders or snakes...what's that song from the 70's? lol
me too. I've only seen this one and other the back yard as it pulled its back end through some leaves I had piled up. I have a tree where a few live up in the trunk.... I give them lots of room .....gives me the creeps too. It really bothers me that I had my hand in that clematis less than a 1/2 hour before. I think this guy after the frogs.... we have a zillion already and a zillion and a half tadpoles.
But, hey! You stayed around long enough to get some great pictures of him or her;) We had one big 'un like that here for a few summers. I never minded since I imagined that it kept the voles at bay. I just didn't want the neighbors to find it.
And thanks, Deanna. That song's gonna be in my head all night!
It looks like snake season is in full swing! Last week we were leaving to go somewhere - walked out through the garage and got in the car. George closed the garage door with the remote, and there was a black coil stuck in one of the upper pleats of the garage door. We both stared at it trying to figure it out and it started moving - a snake was stuck by his head in one of the cracks! I ran for the camera, but by the time I got back, George had cut off it's head so it was not photogenic. It was a black snake, which is good at eating rodents and he wouldn't have killed it except it was a goner and wasn't going to live. Apparently it was laying on top of the garage door and we shuddered to think what would have happened if it had fallen off while we were walking underneath! Ikkkk!
Entlie
Oh man.........just the thought....dead of a heart attack under a snake
The only snakes I see are garter snakes. Haven't seen a black snake like this in years. I'm hoping it's just because there aren't any rodents around.
Barb
Glad I could help Bev...lol r u on spring break from school right now?
The 2-year old Sombreuil with buds and a rodent burrow hole nearby. Missingrosie: can you put your snake in a box and send him my way? I want him to do a number on the critters who insist on burrowing in my front beds :)
I have a few regulars, a green garter snake about 3 feet long - just saw him for the first time this year a few days ago and a really nasty, mean always got out of the wrong side of the bed black snake. That critter used to chase me back into the house if he was feeling particularly grumpy - he's about 5 feet long. Now when I see him around I start carrying a broom with me when I go out into the yard and if he comes within broom distance I chase him and beat the living daylights out of him with the broom. I don't really want to hurt him because they do a great job keeping rodent populations down. It took a few weeks of intensive beatings for him to start avoiding me .. I haven't seen him this year .. hopefully he has a long memory. The thing is, if they manage to grab hold of you they don't just bite .. they chew.
Ohhhhhhh Noooooooooo
I try my best to understand that these things are good...they are good...its their world....they help the environment..they keep down the mice.... they are natural...they are good...they are not poisonous...they are good...good...goooooood... but CHASING ME???? No.... I swear I would have a heart attack - no kidding.
Once, at the first house we bought, I was weeding and I reached down into the corner formed by the chimney and the foundation wall...I was picking up some leaves and debris that had blown into the corner.......and I picked up a clump of snakes.... all wriggling... whoooo weeeeee. I am not ashamed to say that my neighbors saw some real wiggling that day right across the front yard, over the lawn, up the stairs and into the house. I just told them it was the sicilian in me trying to get out.
Oh my rosie. Even thought the thought of a black snake helping out with my rodent issues sounds appealing, if I grabbed a handful of baby snakes... well, the whole neighborhood would have heard my "manly roar" (which is often not very manly) and seen me doing some wiggling of my own too. Your story managed to crack me up and give me the shivers all at the same time.
Lol .. reminds me of the time when I lived out in the boondocks of virgina my country cat came bounding up and dropped a huge, half dead rat on my feet .. he was so proud of himself! Anyway I was screaming so loud that all the neighbors came running out their houses and one brought a shotgun .. twas embarrassing as all get out. I had a mean, nasty blacksnake there too that lived in a crumbled chimney. He was the first blacksnake I had ever run into .. that's when I discovered their nasty dispositions and that they chew on you instead of a quick bite.
ohgoodlordi'mgladiboughta Worx.
(but I wouldn't want to suck one up, so I will be thoroughly blowing all leaves FIRST...)
EEEK!
Yeah, Deanna. Spring Break took it's sweet time getting here this year but I'm enjoying the heck out of it!
I guess our resident black snake was calm by comparison. It always took a slow slither the in the other direction whenever we were around. Last time we encountered it, it was in the carport and took a leisurely climb into the fig tree when we came out. Funny thing is by that time it was near the 5 ft range. The main part of the snake was certainly in the tree. The last foot or so was still in the carport. In my mind it was sort of like a toddler hiding his eyes and thinking that you can't see him;)
You're lucky .. I don't think I've ever run into a docile black snake.
This guy let me photograph him and even turned to give me what I assumed was his 'best side.' I personally think his best side would be the veryyyyyyyy tip of his tail.
Tgg ..your story reminded me of something ---- you are right about just hiding his eyes and feeling 'hidden' When our toddler granddaughter does number 2 in her diaper.....she goes behind the sofa and covers her eyes.
It is the climbing that gets me.... I have to and always do check the ground around me..the bushes, underneath stuff..... but now... having to check laterally and UP too... I just think it may be too much. I can't NOT go in the garden.... but....those snakes..... I'd rather meet a charging rhino.
Is there a difference in a black snake and a black racer? I always thought the racers were the mean ones...
I don't know the difference - I would like to find out if anybody has some hints about what to look for (that doesn't involve getting too close or touching)
Lol! We had a 'hider', too rosie.
I suppose that if you're really worried about the snake you could look into finding one of those folks that relocates wildlife like that. I seem to remember seeing ads from some guys around here that did that. Dunno the particulars though.
Rosie, there is an on-line snake id site - I liked it better before they changed it, but you can put in color, what time of day it was out, characteristics such as climbing, etc. Here's the link:
http://www.herpsofnc.org/herps_of_nc/snakes/SnakeID/All.asp
Entlie
Thanks to all of you -- i really appreciate all the help, links, suggestions.
I got it in my head last night that maybe there is an opening from under the screened porch --where the snake goes after he/she (another question!!) leaves the trellis-- into the porch...that porch opens into the kitchen...and my husband never closes that door tightly and it blows open!
The snake info sheet says snakes do not chase people.
Lol .. well the snake info sheet never met a grumpy blacksnake. I've had 2 encounters in Virgina and South Carolina with grumpy black snakes coming after me and actually got bit in Virginia.
X - face it...you are a creature magnet...Hummingbirds trying to dip into your ear ...chased by snakes...come on...I know you have more in store... :)
Don't turn your back on any squirrels!
yeah .. it seems critters either love me or hate me .. one day when I'm feeling whimsical I'll tell you the about the deer in Denali that tried to eat my stash.
My sis anne could stand next to any cage in Bronx zoo and cause the animals to get in an uproar. It was her claim to fame in our crazy family.
stash of??? LOL
Xeramtheum: I know your pain, as does my Mom. We are both critter magnets. I am engaged in an ongoing war with the rodents burrowing in my front beds. I was cleaning out my gutters yesterday and found a mourning dove nesting on a chick. She was none too happy about the cleaning process and the proximity of humans. She was cawing and puffing out like she was 8 feet tall. Of course, I left the nest in place. I was also pleased to find that I have a small colony of digger bees that has established itself in my side yard. They're native to the US (I had to look them up) and are good pollinators. They seem to be completely docile too.
This looks like the digger bees I have. They make tiny little mounds with a central hole. Apparently, the female mines out the spot to raise her young. They are about the size of european honeybees but are solitary, not hive dwellers.
These are examples the mounds in my side yard. The area is a shaded, natural spot with loose soil. They've returned three springs in a row now.
Hope these things stay in your yard. They are eating our house!!!
DH shoots them out of the air with his BB gun. He swats them with a fly swatter. When they go into holes they have made in the siding, he sprays bug spray in the holes. We are in an ongoing battle to keep them from destroying the house. They are worse than termites. Leave piles of sawdust everywhere. Our house is a "cabin" with wood siding. Yes, they pollinate, and No they don't sting people, but they are a menace.
I have carpenter bees in my potting bench. This thing used to be a workbench in another home so the original wood was not treated. We replaced that wood a year or so ago with brand new treated wood and they are now tunnelling into that. Thankfully they have avoided the cedar siding on the house - so far. Carpenter bees are supposed to be among the best of pollinators but I am ready to let them pollinate at someone else's place.
Ooh Linny, I'm sorry to hear it! I haven't noticed any sawdust or damage from this pack. I have has issues with standard carpenter bees in the past, chewing holes in porch posts. These seem only to be interested in nectar and pollen so far. My biggest pest issue right now is those marmorated Asian stink buds. I find at least one in my kitchen every day. I'm considering bug-bombing my attic. I haven't noticed any plant damage but if I do- it'll be war here too!
Carpenter bees don't like paint. If you paint the potting bench or whatever they are getting into - it may help. (Got this info from the pest guy who told us to put Sevin dust inside the hole and seal--worked real good.) Just had damage under the eaves where some wood (unpainted) is...rest of house is Hardiplank and the little devils can't drill through that.
Don't think I believe your bug guy. My son had them drilling holes all over his home in Virginia and it was well painted as were the old boards on this potting bench.
I wish my house was hardiplank but that stuff was not being used when this house was built.
