Lost snake and no signs after 5 days

[jplehmann]

Last Thursday, was careless and left tub open a crack to my 800g 0.1 Spider. Didn't discover it for 24 hours. That night we searched the house for a couple hours with no luck. Half our house is hard floors (and some parts of the rest), so I put cornmeal lines between the doors that night. No sign next day. Out of down for 3 nights, and came back and still no sign on the 5th day.

To me this is good sign that she is not in the house, and either got out the door during that first day, or perhaps down into our crawl-space beneath the house. Likely she's left the house at this point.

I read stories of people finding their snake after a few months and that gives me hope, but given that she doesn't seem to be in the house I'm not feeling very optimistic. What do you guys think? Any encouragements or ideas?

[DVirginiana]

They usually don't go horribly far from where they escape. Unless the tub was very near the door I doubt she left. Have you checked places that tend to stay a bit warmer, like going through closets where there's not a lot of air circulation or under refrigerators? You could try setting out 'bait' by setting up a heatlamp, a prey item, and a hide in the floor or something. That might lure her out.

[M.P.C]

A heat source over a hide with some food and soiled bedding for added smell

[eddietorres1978]

I've lost snakes in my house when I was younger. I've found snakes in my mother's closet I've found some other in my couches.

[jplehmann]

FOUND HER! That was it, she was behind the refrigerator which was very nearby. I got my flashlight and took another look under -- and saw nothing. But this time I thought I'd pull it out and see if there was another crack or hole she could have gone through back there. And she was hiding right smack behind it.

I was tripped up on two ill-conceived ideas:
1. I thought I was seeing all the way under the fridge from the front but I wasn't.
2. I couldn't imagine how in 5 days she wouldn't have explored further and tripped one of my cornmeal traps. DVirginiana as right and she'd hardly gone anywhere.

Hopefully this will help someone else one day.

[DVirginiana]

Glad to hear that! Whenever a snake or lizard would get into my grandparents' house when I was a kid they always called me in to catch them and get them out. 90% of the time they went straight under the refrigerator and stayed put lol.