Several years ago, as I sat on the couch in the living room I happened to look into the laundry room. I saw a shadow slide on the floor between the dryer and the washer. With a sense of dread I went into the laundry room and looked behind the appliances. Sure enough, a three-or-four-foot snake looked up and hissed at me. Remembering that snakes don’t like light and they don’t like noise, I turned on the light and banged on the dryer. The snake quickly found a hole and disappeared. I called my cousin, and he and his friend came out, went outside and killed a snake in the weeds. When my nerves calmed down, I plugged the hole the snake had disappeared into.
Because we live near the woods and there are lots of rocks around, snakes are always a possibility. Keeping in mind the following ideas helps me feel a bit more prepared, especially in the summer.
- Snakes don’t like light. Put on all the lights you can. Make the area as bright as you can.
- They don’t like noise. Stomp your feet, put on a radio and turn it way up–whatever you can do to make noise, do so.
- Snakes do not like the feel of kitty litter, so spread that around, if it’s an unoccupied area.
- Fill any size hole. A snake can go in even small holes.
- Get any clutter cleaned up. Snakes do not like open areas. They want places they can hide in.
- Practice rodent control.
- Keep grass and weeds cut short.
- Wear long boots and blue jeans when outside. Tuck blue jeans inside the boots.
- Carry a shovel.
Some people may object to the idea of carrying a shovel to kill a snake, because snakes have their place in the environment. They do kill mice and rats. For me, I just feel better knowing I have a weapon to use if one is too close for comfort.
©P. Booher
Country Ripples 
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