Snakes are an essential part of a healthy, functioning ecosystem. They are good for the garden, eat rodents, and like to stay to themselves…for the most part.
Unless they decide to come inside, that is.
We’ve been adventuring with bull snakes for two days in a row now and it hasn’t been what I would call fun.
It all started on Thursday night when I went out to the screened in porch to feed the dogs and heard a god-awful hissing noise right behind the food container between the wire mesh that lines the inside of the porch and the screen that wraps around the outside.
Scared, unsure of what kind of snake it was and home alone with Sprout, I texted Kim and friends and took to social media to share in the experience and ask for advice. I’m obviously not alone in my hesitancy around snakes (read the reactions here, here, here, and here) but have to admit, I felt a bit like a scaredy-pants.
After figuring out we had a bull snake in our midst and not a Rattler, Kim re-homed him on the property when she got home and we went on with our night.
Then, on Friday morning, she found the same snake in the garage, so she re-homed him farther away.
A few hours later, while stepping outside to put some trash in the bin, a second snake voiced it’s disapproval quite loudly from the garage door closest to the front door. Grateful he wasn’t in my boots, I gave Sprout a snack to distract her and took the opportunity to shoot a few photos before it went on its merry way.
Now, bull snakes aren’t venomous, but their bite can hurt incredibly (so I’ve heard) and leave a nasty infection in its wake. So, while I’ll be happy for the rodent control, I don’t really want them to be so up close and personal with us. Ugh.
I guess, though, if we really want to do this whole homesteading thing, we’re really going to have to get used to local wildlife.
And learn how to identify them all quickly so as to avoid unnecessary stress and anxiety 🙂
Now please, do tell, what are your experiences with snakes? Are you terrified or intrigued by them?
xoxo,
M
P.S. Upon coming inside after taking a few quick snake photos, I found Sprout on the couch with her snack in her hair instead of in her belly. Nourishing yogurt hair conditioning treatment, anyone? At least I was able to laugh off the nerves created by the snake invasion. Geez…
My husband and I would love to move to a homestead eventually but the “snakes” is my biggest fear and hesitation. I remember being a kid growing up on farms in Australia and we had so many venomous snakes but I was never afraid then….I knew they were just part of the farm….since moving to the US and living in suburbia my fear has increased but I’m not sure why. Even in my little tiny garden I’ve had to deal with snakes, although they were just common black snakes and I’ve come to let them live instead of jumping for the shovel first thing. Hubby said to just keep a dog or two and a cat and that will keep them away but I’m not too sure….hope I get over my fear soon, I’d love to homestead. Seeing you handle the situation gives me hope.
Thank you so much, Samantha! I trust you *will homestead and you’ll handle even the snakes with grace and ease!
My neighbor called me last week in a panic about two snakes in her hen house. I’m her go to gal, the were two perfectly lovely gopher snakes which I promptly re-homed to my gopher infested garden. To give them some encouragedment I put them down some fresh gopher holes! One did get into my brooder and squeezed a puller to death. Almost caught in the act, moved that one to the garden as well. Snakes really are our friends!
Katie, I hope to grow to be as comfortable with the as you are!!! I *know they’re our friends and yet they still freak me out!