**Warning** Graphic rat snake and rat pic

[D'Angelo N Va.]

OMG, honestly speaking I would have my home fumigated and go on vacation for about 2 weeks if I found either in my house...a Rat or a snake....eeks.....a mouse, I can set a trap and not freak out...a Rat or a snake...hmmmmm..how good is the housing market these days. i might have to sell it.

 

[fancbrd4me02]

Quote:
I think it is great that you posted this so people can see with their own eyes what a snake can do for the house and farm. Here we never kill snakes, we get excited to see one, and Iv'e sent more than a few into the barn for rat patrol. I'm sure that you just wanted to spare the neighbors with poor health the trauma of the snake. Next time just sneak it out when they are not looking.

lol (Personally I think a rat that size in my house would give ME a heart attack!)

 

[noodleroo]

Thanks for your support-I really did consider letting her go. But I was determined to not let either one get back in the attic! It was the longest rat snake I've ever seen; and that huge rat...ewww!

 

[FarmerRob]

My grandfather used to keep a couple of King Snakes in his hay barn to keep the rat/mouse population in check. I remember many times when we would be loading hay to take to the cows in winter pasture and we would run across one of them. He would just gently pick the snake up and set it out of the way so it would not get hurt and would be able to keep doing its job. King Snakes have the added advantage of being immune to the venom of poison snakes and they will eat the bad snakes as well.

 

[mdbokc]

Speaking of snakes, my electric fence has not worked for a couple of days and I figured it was shorting from long grasses. So I trimmed the obvious places today. Still not working. So I checked in the underbrush where I have to crawl to check a couple of places. About jumped out of my skin as I saw a big rat snake had been electrocuted on the lower wire (2-3 inches AGL). Sorry to see him go but the first snake I have seen killed by the electric fence although others have commented on low electric fence wire as snake deterrent.

 

[Penturner]

I can absolutely guarantee their are more rats. as a general rule you can bet their are a dozen for every one you see. and even this one you did not see until the snake showed it to you. You may regret killing that snake a lot more than you do now. I am not surprised that a rat could get up there but a snake? not likely to find another that does it any time soon.

 

[Redcatcher]

What the heck kind of a rat is that? I have never seen one like that before. Its eyes and ears are HUGE. All the wild rats that I have ever seen have little ears and eyes.

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

Glad you posted, those are great pics!!!

Everyone will have opinions and hopefully they will all be posted in a respectful way so everyone is encouraged to share their thoughts and stories without worrying about the replies.

I agree, while it would be nice to not have either in the house, I sure would like to have snakes like that around here. We don't have a ton of rat problems, but when we do, they are a pain to get rid of.

BTW, rats around here look just like that one.

 

[Cetawin]

eeeewwww yuck. I would have gotten the rat from the snake and shoved the snake back up there....I am sure that guy has relatives in the attic.

Thanks for posting the pictures...it does help folks to understand how good some snakes are to have around.

 

[mylittlechickpea]

Maybe it was a pet rat that got loose? Either way, yuck.

Sorry it ended up at your place..