Welcome to my zone 9 garden. My roots are deeply planted in the sandy soil of sub-tropical central Florida, where the summers are long and hot, but the rest of the year is paradise!

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Uninvited Visitor

I caught a glimpse of you out the corner of my eye.

A feeling that was hauntingly familiar crept over me.

Oh no, not again!

You're welcome in the yard where your appetite for small delicacies is much appreciated.

But not in the house where you creep me out!

So, out you go. No personal offense intended.

Please don't drop in again next year.



Here he is trying to find his way back outside. Last year another rat snake (same size) was actually inside the house wrapped around a wall sconce. I still shudder at the thought.

14 comments:

Lona said...

Ewww, No matter how I try I just cannot get use to or like snakes.Got bite on the hand by a water snake when a small child and since then I just want to stomp them all.

Susan said...

OMG. How did you get rid of the snake in the house? We've had black snakes slither onto the lanai too and we either let them find their way out (while watching them, of course) or help them along with a broom. If one made it into the house I would be a tad frozen in fear as to how to get it out. My sister and I aren't exactly the Steve Irwin types. We both hate those big wolf spiders more though.

Susan said...

Hocking Hills Gardener...I would be even more freaked out if I had been bitten by a snake too. I can tolerate the black racers in the yard, but not inside the house or screen enclosure.

Susan...What else? I went and got my neighbor Michael who loves stuff like this. Last year I had to call a professional who came to get it out of the house. I, too, hate those wolf spiders. They are aggressive little buggers!

Susan said...

For future reference, Susan, what kind of professional gets snakes out of your house? In the meantime we will make friends with some neighbor guys who don't mind a rescue now and then. hahaha


We bought one of those electronic bug deterrents to battle those ghost ants. It was working just fine until I brought more in with those orchids. But we have noticed we haven't seen any wolf spiders wandering in the house since we plugged that thing in. I don't know if it is a coincidence but we are happy nonetheless.

Alan said...

Y'all should be happy that the rat snakes and wolf spiders find your homes hospitable. FREE pest control!

Send them to me. I'll take them! {laughing}

.....Alan.

Anonymous said...

Susan,
Lovely pictures on your post,
I am in the mountains of the Carolinas where we do have beautiful gardens...but today it is 22 degrees and so there is no "garden" here in Winter.

I sure miss my year round Florida garden!
When we were house hunting for the move here , a realtor took us to look at a house which had been on the market for some time. As we made our way to the Dining Room you can imagine our surprise when the chandelier started to move when we flipped the switch. You guessed it, some huge snake had entwined itself in the branches of the chandelier and the lights coming on apparently disturbed it plenty.

We did NOT purchase that house ,
in fact we didn't even buy in that town.

Instead we bought a nice little farm where the snakes stay in the barn rather than in the house!

Logic is apparently lost to us!

Susan said...

Susan...I got the name of the "professional" from our county animal control office.

Alan...I hear you laughing all the way down here. I wish I could mail him to ya!

Anonymous...The Carolina mountains are my favorite. If I could summer there I would be in heaven!

Can't say I blame you for skipping over that house with the snake entwined around the chandelier. I guess he found a cozy space where he was undisturbed for a while. Welcome, and drop by for another visit soon.

Debra Howard said...

I know how you feel. With my birds & chickens, I never know when I am going to find one. I almost kissed a rattlesnake once when I reached down to look at what I thought was a birds nest in a bush only to find him coiled up.
Debbie

My Mother's Garden said...

Scary! Snakes just give me the heebie-jeezies! They are beautiful in their own way, I just prefer them out of my sight. Hope it doesn't come back.

Susan said...

Hi TexasDaisy...Welcome! I think I would have had a heart attack if I came that close to a rattle snake. You were lucky!

My Mother's Garden...Snakes do serve a good purpose in the garden but I agree with you, I like them out of sight, too.

Unknown said...

We have the same situation occur periodically. It's always a bit of a scene, but always ends safely with snake scurrying back into the grass.

Rusty in Miami said...

I’m with you; I have two animal rules in my house, dog off the couch and snakes outside

Susan said...

Robert...Welcome! Glad to hear that I'm not the only one who has experienced this problem. By the way, I enjoy your watershed blog.

Rusty...Those are two excellent rules.

Faith said...

Whoa what abig snake what did the cats think of it . p.s.happy 20th anniversiry

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