MY FIRST COPPERHEAD!!

[dogzrule5]

This morning - just a little while ago - I opened the barn door as usual to let the birds out and looked down at a mouse trap I set last night, which was again empty. As Hansel and Gretel, my geese, came through the door a copperhead snake lunged at them. It was laying curled on the opposite end of the bottom ledge of the door and was less than two feet long.

This is the first time I've ever seen a live copperhead snake and the adrenilin was rushing through me as I ran to the garage to get a shovel to kill it with. I was so grossed out but had to do it!

Does anybody think it's remotely possible that this is what has been tripping my mouse traps baited with peanut butter??? Four nights in a row and every trap tripped and bait eaten.

Geez - I'm still shaking!

 

[spook]

How about a rat trap!!!! We do not have those types of snakes, but geese generally keep Milkadders at bay around manure piles etc. I would assume that is why your trap has been set. May I suggest moth flakes, sprinkle them on at night under and around the areas that let the snake in. Then in the morning if it is still white on the ground, use a hose and wash it in. Perhaps it will change the habits of the snake- eeeeeeeyuck!

 

[dogzrule5]

I am setting traps for the tiny field mice that live in the barn. Many times, they are so small that they won't even trip the trap but these are being consistently tripped and bait eaten. I think if I set a rat trap, the mice won't get caught at all....but I might catch something else.

The snake really creeped me out though!!! I left it there and will have to deal with it when I get home - gross.

I will say though, that they really do have beautiful markings.

I might try the moth flakes and see what happens but need to be careful that the geese don't eat them; they are so curious about everything.

 

[Acre of Blessings]

Maybe the snake was standing by watching the mice eat the peanut butter and then when they were done, he ate them. Just a thought. I don't like snakes and we have already killed a copperhead also. He was trying to get in our coop.

 

[roosters97]

why,why,why! do you people kill snakes

 

[dogzrule5]

I've gotten 6 large black snakes out of my barn w/o killing them. A copperhead is dangerous to me, my granddchild and my animals.

I can't risk them for saving a copperhead - and it was definitely a copperhead!

 

[dogzrule5]

Quote:

hmmm - maybe you're right!

 

[nccountrygirl]

Phyllis you have got 1 more to go and you will have caught up with us. I hate snakes!

 

[dogzrule5]

Snakes definitely creep me out but I try to respect them for what they are.

Some people are terrified of spiders and squash all of them too, but not me (except for Black Widows, which I have lots of around).

After literally throwing the giant black snakes out of my barn last month I've overcome slightly my fear of them. But copperheads - no way - they're bad, bad, bad!!

 

[Sylvie]

Betcha the big black snakes had kept the copperhead out until you shooed them away.