# Racer



## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Came home today to a 2' black southern racer sunning near my front door. He saw me an I swear disappeared into the ground. There one minute an gone the next. He's been hanging around there since last year. 

I don't mind that he's probably eaten all the moles in my yard but I want him gone. I'd whack him but he sees me first and you can't believe how fast they are.

He's not exactly a welcoming sight for visitors. I know other people have the snake problems so I'll read other threads.


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

Let the poor thing alone, it's not hurting anybody.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Are they poisonous?

If not ,it's a benefit to have a predator around to remove the mice, rats, moles, and such.

It won't work in a residential neighborhood, but a 410 would help you out greatly.


ED


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

No, they're not poisonious. 
I think thats his permanent residence. If they're born there they hang around. He's ok now but I can't have a big snake at my front door. No proof but I suspect hes guilty of eating the baby mockingbirds last year that hatched in nearby shrub. 

Theres black landscaping cloth where he is. he must dive under it. Thats the only way he could disappear so fast. Ill try laying some mothballs around but not sure they'll make him pack up an leave.


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

I've mentioned this on another thread but I've seen snakes that have crawled into deep holes that could not get out. A tall plastic garbage can buried flush to the ground with a couple of small boards across the top to keep people from stepping into it will let him enter but the smooth sides will not allow him to get out. Some holes at the bottom will drain any water. After you catch him, getting a hold of him fro transport will be up to you.

Note, a mouse in that bucket might work as bait.

Bud


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

To catch a snake for transport, you get a long stick, a 1" dowel about 6' long should suffice.

You put a screw eye in one end, then a couple more screw eyes along the shaft spaced out every 18" or so.

Then you thread a sash cord through the upper eyes, and a loop at the end tied to the bottom eye.

Then you gently lasso the critter, and pull the cord near your hand, and you have captured the snake, keeping it at a distance, you put it in a box and close the box, a small plastic toolbox works great.

Then in the car it goes for a looooong drive, and released elsewhere.

ED


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## stick\shift (Mar 23, 2015)

I would leave the snake alone as well but, if you must do something with him, please note no one who replied advised killing him, only to move him somewhere else; he's a beneficial animal even if you don't want him around.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Both interesting methods. Plenty of deserted rural areas to release him if I caught him.

Wonder if a paint bucket woukd be deep enough trap him? They can stand up at least a foot tall. I'll call a pet store an see if they sell mice. 

Poor mice.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Ha. Did a searched here for 'snake' an got a bunch of plumbing posts.

Saw this in my yard today, eating long black strips of something. Went out after he left an no trace of anything. (Coopers Hawk)


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

Startingover said:


> Ha. Did a searched here for 'snake' an got a bunch of plumbing posts.
> 
> Saw this in my yard today, eating long black strips of something. Went out after he left an no trace of anything. (Coopers Hawk)
> 
> View attachment 475817


They will certainly eat snakes, maybe your "problem" got solved:vs_laugh:


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Startingover said:


> Ha. Did a searched here for 'snake' an got a bunch of plumbing posts.
> 
> Saw this in my yard today, eating long black strips of something. Went out after he left an no trace of anything. (Coopers Hawk)
> 
> View attachment 475817


Aww, poor guy only had a short life to live . . .

Maybe it goes without saying, but the more snakes you see, the less they will bother you.


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## Gregsoldtruck79 (Dec 21, 2017)

I just told my wife if she *ever sees the day* that I allow so many snakes to live around our home, that they no longer bother me.... she is to immediately call for help. 

And to be sure the help are the ones that wears white coats and that puts their clients in those really tight fitting jackets ....that fasten in the back only. :biggrin2:


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Gregsoldtruck79 said:


> I just told my wife if she *ever sees the day* that I allow so many snakes to live around our home, that they no longer bother me.... she is to immediately call for help.
> 
> And to be sure the help are the ones that wears white coats and that puts their clients in those really tight fitting jackets ....that fasten in the back only. :biggrin2:


But, why, if some aren't venomous and you can recognize them? They do eat rats & mice. I think Chandler said he has a big one in his shop.

I've actually never seen a wild rattlesnake even though I backpacked, camped and hiked a lot, here.

I did see a lot of snakes in the African bush. The people would kill them & throw them in the middle of the dusty road. 80% of land snakes were venomous and 100% of water snakes. It was a matter of life & death. A Peace Corps-like teacher tried to teach the students about ecology & saving snakes. It didn't go over too well. . .:biggrin2:

My closest encounter in Africa besides having a water snake swim right past me in the river was accidentally shutting a gate on a small green one & realizing that, as it whipped back and forth since it's head was caught in the gate, I thought. 

It whipped back & forth by my head, that is. It was only when I freed it that I realized it was the tail that was caught in the gate. Only recently did I learn that the babies have more potent venom :surprise:

I really don't know *why* they don't scare me much...:wink2:I'll let you know when I see a rattlesnake that I'm too close to.


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## Gregsoldtruck79 (Dec 21, 2017)

I cannot explain why I have snakaphobia (sp ?) . ..but I do. See my way earlier post where I mentioned that I grew up with too many snakes, living way too close to me. 

Just like my wife has a dreaded fear of spiders...arachnophobia. So we worked a deal when we married 26 years ago. She kills all the snakes around our home and I get to kill the spiders. A win win for both of us. Her 3 cats take care of all the rodents. So I have no need for snakes about the house.

I just have this .250 acre home lot to live on. The snakes have a 1000's of acres of farmland close by to live on with ponds and lakes and woods. They need to figure out where it is safer to live.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Gregsoldtruck79 said:


> I cannot explain why I have snakaphobia (sp ?) . ..but I do. See my way earlier post where I mentioned that I grew up with too many snakes, living way too close to me.
> 
> Just like my wife has a dreaded fear of spiders...arachnophobia. So we worked a deal when we married 26 years ago. She kills all the snakes around our home and I get to kill the spiders. A win win for both of us. Her 3 cats take care of all the rodents. So I have no need for snakes about the house.
> 
> I just have this .250 acre home lot to live on. The snakes have a 1000's of acres of farmland close by to live on with ponds and lakes and woods. They need to figure out where it is safer to live.


That's really interesting - that she is not afraid of snakes but is of spiders. I guess it's conditioning when young. Oh well. I should be more afraid of somethings.:wink2:


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## SWPC (Mar 3, 2018)

The black racer can be nippy if you pick him up but he is harmless. 
He wants no part of you. 
I just wanted to say relocation is not all its cracked up to be. Just because you relocate an animal does not mean it will have a happy ending. 
When we move something, we take away everything it knew, Food,shelter and water. 
Now, it has to find all three of those to survive in a area it's never been. It is also, like in the case of a raccoon, more likely to become a pest to someone else as it trys to survive. 
Add in suitable habitat, other animals of the same species being territorial, time of year, etc and there are a lot of variables. 

As said, the best thing is just leave it alone. People kill things out of fear but there is no reason to worry about it. 
We have a lot more to fear from mice in the house than a racer snake.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

This was ironic. 

I'd mentioned to neighbors my episode with the racer.

Yesterday the neighbor man called ME to help him cause a black snake was on his front step and he was afraid to go outside. 

I felt so special. :vs_laugh:


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Rae: You are special.

Shhh, don't tell anybody that I said that, I got an image to keep up.

:devil3::devil3::wink2:



ED


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