Posted: 7/16/2010 10:47:59 PM EDT
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I'm not sure why, but I've seen more this year than in the last 10 years. I've now killed 6 Copperheads in my driveway, and all but 2 have come in pairs. Actually, 1 of those was killed by my American Water Spaniel tonight while I dispatched the other one. He's been bitten twice in the past, guess it really pissed him off because he is now conducting a jihad on any slithering rodent in his sight. He's either learned how not to be bitten, or he's developed an immunity because he is fearless now.
He killed a Cottonmouth earlier this week before I could get there and was happily carrying it around like a trophy. So, anyone else been surprised at the number of snakes they are seeing this year? |
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Quoted:
I'm not sure why, but I've seen more this year than in the last 10 years. I've now killed 6 Copperheads in my driveway, and all but 2 have come in pairs. Actually, 1 of those was killed by my American Water Spaniel tonight while I dispatched the other one. He's been bitten twice in the past, guess it really pissed him off because he is now conducting a jihad on any slithering rodent in his sight. He's either learned how not to be bitten, or he's developed an immunity because he is fearless now. He killed a Cottonmouth earlier this week before I could get there and was happily carrying it around like a trophy. So, anyone else been surprised at the number of snakes they are seeing this year? 6 copperheads!!!??? You poor, poor bastard you. If I had encountered 6 copperheads in my driveway, I'd consider moving. I have killd 3 black windows in my downstairs bathroom and one in the downstairs living room. That was last year... I put out Raid and Hot Shot foggers and a gallon of Home Defense. Seemed to do the trick. It's damp down there. 
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| April-May is mating season so you will usually spot more of them on the move during those months then a calming down before another active period in the fall. I'm a Herpetologist here in TX and I agree with you that this year has been an excellent year in terms of species diversity and numbers ID'd in the field. I have caught more rattlesnakes in my area than ever before, even finding them just laying around my house. I would guess that the combination of the weather conditions and an increase in prey over the last few years has been to their benefit. On a side note, I have seen a decline in the local lizard populations; many snakes native to my area are lizard eaters. |
Finding 3 black widows in the house....now THAT would freak me out
I imagine it has something to do with all the wet weather and the heat combined, so they are moving around much more. Having grown up with snakes they don't bother me much, but I do have a healthy respect for them. My mom told me one of her friends just got out of the hospital from a 4 day stay after a bad copperhead bite, but she stepped on it in the dark. We put out mothballs around the doorways and windows, so we don't usually have much problem with them being close to the house, but did kill a huge one on the deck last year a few feet from the front door at night. Mom was leaving and I just happened to see it before she stepped out. Haven't seen any rattlesnakes this year close to the house, but I saw a huge cottonmouth while brush hogging the meadow a few days ago. He freaked me out a little, he was holding his head up high enough to crawl on the tractor with me if he had wanted to and was moving very fast. He was a good 4 feet long, wouldn't have wanted him in my lap! |