Another Copperhead photo near the house

meanwhile · #1 07/15/12, 10:33 PM

Meanwhile, Back in Saluda | Facebook

Link above to another photo of the Copperhead my son killed today. This one was also right next to the house and trying to get on the back porch. It jumped and arched like I have never seen a copperhead do before. This makes #3 killed near the house. We have never had copperheads this close to the house.

So? Wonder why now?

I hate copperheads.

happydog · #2 07/15/12, 10:36 PM

Thank you for posting the pic. I know we have them around here but didn't know what they look like. Now I do. Thanks!

am1too · #3 07/15/12, 10:47 PM

I would check on the rodents. They are attracted by food. Maybe it could be the AC in 100 plus degree weather. ehehehehe They love heat.

CarolT · #4 07/16/12, 12:49 AM

It says headed to the outside shower. If it's dry there, that's a lot of your problem, snakes love damp places. I would so get a huge kingsnake asap.

meanwhile · #5 07/16/12, 06:01 AM

happydog: There is another photo of a copperhead on my sons's Facebook page. They killed one on our front porch too. We have never had copperheads near the house. Now, we have killed three in just the past six weeks. They are large ones too so that means babies will be nearby and a nest. We are not sure why the copperheads are near the house this year. We have been here eleven years and we have killed them in our lower garden before, but this is first time near the house.

Look up more photos online and learn about the different snakes. We never kill a "good snake". Good snakes are.....Good!

happydog: I noticed you live near me. We also have Timber Rattlers or some people just call 'em Rattlesnakes. They are not as numerous but are around too. We have never seen one near our house or barn but neighbors have killed huge Rattlers near their house this year.

CarolT: Yes, the Outside Shower is wet or damp. We use it every day so, of course, it is cooler and damp back there. The Outside Shower is behind a small out building and in the shade. We cleaned out the leaves from under the outbuilding (near the shower) and raked up leaves beside the house too.

Might need to set out some DCon in the basement and see if we have mice again.

I hate copperheads. I am half blind and the copperheads blend in with the color of the leaves and wood chips in the yard. I walked right over this one and did not see him. My younger son saw it after I walked by. Shudder........

Big Dave · #6 07/16/12, 07:07 AM

Have you thought of guenia's? We had coppehead's and plenty of them. It took several trys to have the flock we have now but in the last year since they have been here I have not seen a snake. We also have outside cats that hunt. I do not know how to hunt for copperheads but if like rattlers you may flush out the den in winter and erradicate them.

65284 · #7 07/16/12, 07:19 AM

Do be careful, no doubt Copperheads are bad actors. A man in southern Missouri died last week from a Copperhead bite.

gwithrow · #8 07/16/12, 07:36 AM

we don't live far from your area, and we have also seen them this year...and aggressive ones as well...despite keeping the grass short and limiting the weedy areas...and we have had plenty of rain...not excessive but certainly enough...however we will ramp up the mouse and rat poison boxes...and get that weed whacker going..why would guineas be better than free range hens?

goatlady · #9 07/16/12, 07:44 AM

Just killed one inside the garden fence last night. It had gotten tangled in some bird netting on the ground and was pretty well stuck. I had just mowed the back yard yesterday so that may have moved it into the higher grass around the raised beds. Got to mow that garden area today! I got bitten several years ago on the ankle by a mature copperhead. Hospital said the bites are only fatal to humans IF there was already an underlying critical health condition present, not fatal just very uncomfortable, if a healthy human gets bitten. Very uncomfortable is a gross understatement - took me 3 weeks to be able to put my foot on the ground and walk without crutches! The swelling was really gross and combined with the normal blood pressure was extreme pain.

meanwhile · #10 07/16/12, 07:48 AM

We cannot have guineas nor chickens since we have lots of coyote and besides that, I am too old and just cannot handle another thing to take care of.

Two of the copperheads we killed were also aggressive. Usually copperheads will run and hide but both of these did the Arch and rear up heads act. The copperhead from yesterday actually jumped at my son. It is odd since copperheads are not known to be that aggressive.

Maybe it is the recent extreme heat? Or the dry spell ....but we surely are out of the dry spell now. We had lots of nice rain last week.

We are going to take rakes and shovels and search around the whole house later today. Then, set out DCon just in case we have extra mice around.

Weed whacking will take place too. We have been careful about the weeds but last week's rain has inspired grass and weeds to grow faster.

Yuck. I like the black snakes and we also have Milk Snakes here but the copperheads......I do not like.

Cliff · #11 07/16/12, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meanwhile

We cannot have guineas nor chickens since we have lots of coyote and besides that, I am too old and just cannot handle another thing to take care of.

Two of the copperheads we killed were also aggressive. Usually copperheads will run and hide but both of these did the Arch and rear up heads act. The copperhead from yesterday actually jumped at my son. It is odd since copperheads are not known to be that aggressive.

Maybe it is the recent extreme heat? Or the dry spell ....but we surely are out of the dry spell now. We had lots of nice rain last week.

We are going to take rakes and shovels and search around the whole house later today. Then, set out DCon just in case we have extra mice around.

Weed whacking will take place too. We have been careful about the weeds but last week's rain has inspired grass and weeds to grow faster.

ETA - they don't need any kind of "house" either... brood them and let them go. Most times they'll go wild and roost in the trees even if you do try to give them a house, there's really no need.

Yuck. I like the black snakes and we also have Milk Snakes here but the copperheads......I do not like.

Coyotes won't cause many guinea losses, they fly. Over time you will lose some to owls and such but you just get more at that point. You don't have to take care of guineas past the brooding and release stage apart from maybe throwing them a fistfull of corn in the winter. And making sure they can get water somewhere. They range and take care of themselves. They really do eat snakes, especially the young ones. Lol I've heard a ruckus outside more than once and gone out to find the guineas in a circle around a snake taking turns picking it apart. They really don't like them. They're heck on ticks too.

ETA - guineas really don't need a "house" as such either... you can brood them and let them go. Most times if you do try and give them a house they end up going wild and roosting in the trees anyway, they prefer that.

CarolT · #12 07/16/12, 10:38 AM

Put mothballs around the outside shower. Doesn't affect "good" snakes, but burns the pits on the pit vipers.

My mother was bitten by a copperhead a couple of years ago. Her porchlight burned out and it was dark when she got home from church. 5 steps to the front door, she got 2 before she got hit. Her grass was mowed very low at the time. We figure it was just passing through and did the lay still and hide thing

For a little old lady in her 70s that can't weigh 100 soaking wet, it was a miserable time.

happydog · #13 07/16/12, 02:03 PM

Wow, this thread is scaring me. We had ticks real bad here until we got a dozen guineas. Then no ticks at all until we cooped up the guineas to sow pasture seed. Now we're getting ticks on the kids, dog, cows...

I sure hope we're not in for a resurgance of snakes too. We lost half our guineas this year when I clipped their wings so they couldn't fly into the garden. They couldn't roost high enough I guess. I won't do that again. I think I need some more guineas.

Honestly, they don't require any care. They fend for themselves if you just leave them alone. And unlike chickens, they don't need to be fed if they're free roaming. I can't stand their constant screeching but I believe I'd take that over copperheads. Yeesh.

I have little kids.

TnAndy · #14 07/16/12, 02:10 PM

Where is it ?

Another Copperhead photo near the house - Homesteading Questions

Look below:

Another Copperhead photo near the house - Homesteading Questions

meanwhile · #15 07/16/12, 02:19 PM

TnAndy! Oh bad - very bad. Did you kill it? Some people do not kill the copperheads but I don't like 'em. That is a big one too! Fat. Looks like he just ate a mouse or a small cat! YUCK.

Silvercreek Farmer · #16 07/16/12, 03:33 PM

Haven't found one here (yet) but most of the neighbors are pretty agressive in their snake killing efforts (sadly black snakes as well). I was moving some old pallets yesterday and though for sure I might find one, but got bit by something else instead, not sure what it was but it left a 3 inch welt on my leg. When I worked in Old Fort, NC, we came across several copperheads. I had a pick-a-roon that I used to move any logs/firewood that kept my hands out of harms way. Wish I still had that pick, but it belonged to my employer...

RebelDigger · #17 07/16/12, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silvercreek Farmer

Haven't found one here (yet) but most of the neighbors are pretty agressive in their snake killing efforts (sadly black snakes as well). I was moving some old pallets yesterday and though for sure I might find one, but got bit by something else instead, not sure what it was but it left a 3 inch welt on my leg. When I worked in Old Fort, NC, we came across several copperheads. I had a pick-a-roon that I used to move any logs/firewood that kept my hands out of harms way. Wish I still had that pick, but it belonged to my employer...

All ya need is a good hoe. I carry my hoe everywhere with me in the summer for the same reason my grandma did, I never pick up anything off the ground unless I first flip it with the hoe to make sure there are no snakes under it.

julieq · #18 07/16/12, 06:00 PM

Since we've run across two baby rattlers this year already, one in the front lawn and one in the garden, we've taken to carrying hoes too!

salmonslayer · #19 07/16/12, 06:56 PM

They are actually protected here in Missouri but I dont know too many people that dont do what they have to do on their own place. I got nailed by one when I was stationed in NC and was out in the field when one just nicked my calf. The doc said one fang hit the top of my combat boot and I only got a small dose from one fang but man it was not pleasant. It took about a month and a half to heal and I still have a scar.

The doc said their first strike is their warning and they give a lesser dose the first time but I dont know if thats true.

So far we have only found them up by our big pond and I think (and hope) its the barn cats and farm dogs that keep them out of the barnyard.

TnAndy · #20 07/16/12, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meanwhile

TnAndy! Oh bad - very bad. Did you kill it?

Oh yeah........