# Snake under vinyl siding



## cincinnati guy

Ok so I been keeping an eye on a 3-4 foot snake today and then noticed it was going up behind the corner trim piece of siding on the side of our attached garage! It went up before we could get it and yank it out!

Whats the changes of it getting into our living space? What course of action should we take to get rid of it? I know its harmless but I dont do snakes!!!


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## de-nagorg

There is a Zipper tool made for unlatching vinyl siding from it's lower neighbor.

I would get a tool to unzip the panel, and let the critter drop free, then STOMP THE HELL out of it.


ED


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## cincinnati guy

It's under the end trim piece, any chance it could go further? I seen it peek it's head out but it went back up before I could do anything.


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## Bud9051

S/he could be near the house to feed on insects attracted by outside lights.

Are you sure it isn't poisonous? 

If there is a way into your home from that corner, then the mice would have been using it as a highway. Any mice problems? If there was any access it would likely be into the garage as the end of the house is usually covered completely with sheathing, usually.

Bud


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## de-nagorg

Those corner pieces, both inside and outside are hollow all the way to the top.

They used to make plugs just for capping them, so vermin could not get into them.

Didn't the installer use these?

ED


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## cincinnati guy

This is the snake. No we have not had any mouse problems. They did just till up and plant the field behind our house yesterday. This is the first time I've seen a snake in 2 years that we have owned this house!

Yes there is opening from garage attic to the rest of the house. I'm just hoping the snake stays in the trim piece and goes no further!


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## Daniel Holzman

There are only four types of venomous snakes in the United States, including rattlers, moccasins, copperheads, and the coral snake. That one does not look like any of those, so most unlikely it is poisonous. I had a family of garter snakes living inside my siding, exactly same situation as you had, when I put the deck on I removed siding to attach the ledger, and half a dozen snakes came out of the lower trim piece, just like you describe. Difference is I don't mind snakes, so I let them all out to find another home, then closed up the opening when I finished the deck. They have not been back to the best of my knowledge.


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## cincinnati guy

Apparently it can get into the attic! It went from the garage to above the living room! I'm guessing it went along the Eve's! I'm over here flipping out! Im terrified of snakes!


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## cincinnati guy

Ordeal is over! Wife saved the day for me! Yea yea I know I'm a big wuss! She found it laying in our window wells. Snake was relocated and minimal damage to the house! Lol

Now where can I find those caps for the end trim pieces?


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## Bud9051

LOL, you'll never live that one down. Tell her we all said, "good job".

BTW, you are probably correct with the field next door being plowed and perhaps chasing that snake over to your yard. But, set some mouse traps because it might have displaced a ton of mice as well.

Bud


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## de-nagorg

So your wife earns the HERO OF THE DAY AWARD. 

I bet you are the guy that chops up his garden hose with a hoe by mistaking it for a snake in the tall grass. :devil3::wink2:.

Just kidding , I too have had a short startle by Bull Snakes crawling through my yard. 


ED


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## r0ckstarr

cincinnati guy said:


> Ordeal is over! Wife saved the day for me! Yea yea I know I'm a big wuss! She found it laying in our window wells. Snake was relocated and minimal damage to the house! Lol
> 
> Now where can I find those caps for the end trim pieces?


What kind of snake was it?


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## cincinnati guy

My wife said it was a rat snake.


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## de-nagorg

You asked about finding the caps for the corner posts.

First you need to know what manufacturer made the siding, Then contact the local distributor.
Better yet , do you know who installed this siding? They will have access. 

ED


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## cincinnati guy

de-nagorg said:


> You asked about finding the caps for the corner posts.
> 
> First you need to know what manufacturer made the siding, Then contact the local distributor.
> Better yet , do you know who installed this siding? They will have access.
> 
> ED


I'm sure I have that information somewhere! The person we bought the house from kept everything, we even have the design/blue prints from when it was built in 1981.


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## de-nagorg

cincinnati guy said:


> I'm sure I have that information somewhere! The person we bought the house from kept everything, we even have the design/blue prints from when it was built in 1981.


And if that fails, just make yourself some out of wood.

Measure the dimensions inside the cavity, then trim out on a scroll saw, or band saw, or similar, then glue in with a bit of construction adhesive.



ED


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## cincinnati guy

Well we had another one this morning! No wasn't the same one this one had a little bit of yellow in it and was pissed! Had to kill it, tried to bite us. 

I know our yard has been a little tall due to lot of rain. We also have a few holes in our hard that could be hiding spots for them. 

Is there any true method to make sure we do not have them back in our yard? 

I'm deathly afraid of them. I made my wife go check our yard for anymore!


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## cincinnati guy

Make that 3, went to mow the yard and there was one under our mower that had been sitting out for about an hour!

All 3 snakes have been found in one centralized location. Not sure what is bringing them there. We did get the yard mowed short. Its got me really paranoid!!!!


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## de-nagorg

Find some plastic yard OWLS , place them in a few places around the yard.

Snakes feel the same way about owls as you do for snakes.

You can place the owls on sticks (perch) and move them occasionally to keep the snakes guessing if the owl is real or not.


ED


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## Bud9051

I'd like to say you are done, but you said "They did just till up and plant the field behind our house yesterday." and I think that displaced a lot of snakes or eliminated their normal hunting grounds so they are changing territories.

A friend bought a house on the coast of Maine that they discovered was infested by snakes, many hundred. It took awhile to get it under control, but his solution was to lay large pieces of plywood all over the lawn. Each morning he would flip the plywood and collect and relocate dozens of snakes. Eventually the number dwindled to just a few and then almost zero.

Over the years I have encountered many snakes and one place they have trouble escaping from is a deep hole with smooth sides. Last year I removed 3 from a friends window well. If you extend those two thoughts and bury a 3' length of 16" diameter plastic culvert vertically in the ground and cover it with a piece of plywood leaving enough of a gap for them to wander into the culvert you would have a collection point. Make it deeper if you expect longer snakes and be sure the inside is smooth.

Bud


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## r0ckstarr

Bud9051 said:


> lay large pieces of plywood all over the lawn. Each morning he would flip the plywood and collect and relocate dozens of snakes.


Me and a couple friends used to do that when we were kids. We would go out into the woods with various boards and lay them down. We would come back a couple days later and look at the snakes that were under the boards.


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