Do you kill snakes you find in your yard?

[mainbutter]

i think it's funny how many people are mentioning 'relocating' snakes...

you can't relocate snakes - you're better off killing them. that said, i would never kill a snake, venomous or not.

Sure you can. The degree to which you "relocate" a snake doesn't need to even be big, but the further away you move a snake, the less likely you are to encounter that specific snake anytime soon.

I often relocate snakes off a path I'm walking on, if I can't get around the snake. Usually a quick prod with a stick does the trick. I would relocate snakes that got in my pool, especially if I was about to take a swim.

I also relocate(read: rescue) turtles all the time, dumb things just walk right into the middle of the road. When I lived in Louisiana, I had the experience saving a hatchling alligator snapper from an almost certainly squishy death.

I understand that you probably meant that relocating snakes doesn't do too much in the long run for reducing the likelihood of venomous snakes winding up in your yard, but if I saw that I had a big copperhead in my back yard, I wouldn't be out mowing until I moved it somewhere that kept both myself and the snake relatively safe.

[anatess]

Ok, i not knowing the answer to this is killing me! Do you pee on it?

You are correct, Mike. No, you don't pee on the sea urchin, you pee on your foot that got stung by the sea urchin. But, usually, when Filipinos go to the beach, they bring barbecue to be dipped in vinegar, so chances are there's vinegar around - so it is more practical to soak it with vinegar after you pull out any spikes that are sticking out. But, I have to tell ya, it hurts like you won't believe!

[Typical_08]

Ya know. I didn't notice any real pain from the vinegar. Heated up the vinegar compress, and the heat killed the pain, while the vinegar broke down what little spines did not come out.

[littleindiangirl]

I didn't get that feeling reading these posts... unless I'm mistaken, I think everbody here agrees that nothing DESERVE to be killed. Not even a mosquito. But, like one of them said, sometimes it comes down to a choice... when a mosquito bites, you make the choice to swat him not because he deserved it but because it's either that or get bit over and over again.

And venomous snakes is nothing like dihydrogen monoxide (H2O - yeah, funny). Venomous snakes are a REAL threat. We have wild turkeys running around the neighborhood as well and nobody has ever gotten bit by them.

Deer, squirrels and turkeys crossing the road is a REAL threat too. So are any wild animals. So is being hammered in the head by icicles. (You a water enthusiast or something? )

Mosquitos are real threat, they spread malaria. Birds spread around the asian flu. Cows make us mad!

Sure sounds like everyone here believes that if the animal can kill you, it should be killed.

Is that why all the big warm blooded carnivores are either gone, or in severe decline?



I'm not a peta advocate in disguise, but I still don't see a reason to kill any animal because you came across it and it might hurt you or your wee little kittens.

I will say that over and over, no matter how often you bring up the "kids are in danger and always come first" bull hooky. I will remain stubborn on that fact, because someone has to.

[Colin Vestrand]

Sure you can. The degree to which you "relocate" a snake doesn't need to even be big, but the further away you move a snake, the less likely you are to encounter that specific snake anytime soon.

I often relocate snakes off a path I'm walking on, if I can't get around the snake. Usually a quick prod with a stick does the trick. I would relocate snakes that got in my pool, especially if I was about to take a swim.

I also relocate(read: rescue) turtles all the time, dumb things just walk right into the middle of the road. When I lived in Louisiana, I had the experience saving a hatchling alligator snapper from an almost certainly squishy death.

I understand that you probably meant that relocating snakes doesn't do too much in the long run for reducing the likelihood of venomous snakes winding up in your yard, but if I saw that I had a big copperhead in my back yard, I wouldn't be out mowing until I moved it somewhere that kept both myself and the snake relatively safe.

what i meant was that you can't relocate a snake and expect it to live, or the other populations to not be adversely affected. genetic diversity, locations of hibernacula, number of prey, overlapping ranges, etc etc are all potential killers to entire populations of snakes. transporting a snake from one geographic area to another is NOT a good idea.... you might disagree, but i challenge you to find a wildlife biologist to back you up.
moving them off a trail or out of yard is obviously fine... not what i was referring to at all.

[anatess]

Deer, squirrels and turkeys crossing the road is a REAL threat too. So are any wild animals.

Agreed. With a deer - it's a bad situation for both deer and passengers especially in icy roads, you do the best you can. Squirrels and turkeys crossing an icy road will be run over. Because, the first thing that will go through my head in that split second before impact is not, "Oh no! The squirrel is gonna get hurt!" but rather, "Oh no! My kids are gonna get hurt!".

Mosquitos are real threat, they spread malaria.

You wear mosquito repellant. And even then, if a mosquito lands on you, you might shoo it away, but if it lands on me or my kids, he gets swatted.

Birds spread around the asian flu. Cows make us mad!

If left up to you, you might relocate a mad cow or a flu bird. But if it was left up to me, mad cows and flu birds get killed.

Sure sounds like everyone here believes that if the animal can kill you, it should be killed. Is that why all the big warm blooded carnivores are either gone, or in severe decline?

I think you misunderstood this one. Nobody believes that. Otherwise, you'll see people raiding the forests or everywhere looking for "animals that can kill you" and shooting them all down.

I'm not a peta advocate in disguise, but I still don't see a reason to kill any animal because you came across it and it might hurt you or your wee little kittens.

I will say that over and over, no matter how often you bring up the "kids are in danger and always come first" bull hooky. I will remain stubborn on that fact, because someone has to.

We will have to agree to disagree. Okay, let's put this another way. Some strange aggressive guy comes into my house and puts my kids in danger. Maybe if he goes inside your house you will try to "relocate" him. Sorry, but if he comes into my house, he is going to get shot. I guess that's where we differ.

[littleindiangirl]

We will have to agree to disagree. Okay, let's put this another way. Some strange aggressive guy comes into my house and puts my kids in danger. Maybe if he goes inside your house you will try to "relocate" him. Sorry, but if he comes into my house, he is going to get shot. I guess that's where we differ.

Oh we can agree to disagree.... wait, you have ONE more analogy, to see if I "get" it right?
*reading*

Okay, lovely. Do snakes chase after you, or do they feel the vibrations of someone coming along their way and try to move away or sit and hide? When they get in your house, are they out to hurt you or steal from you, or just going bout's their business because that's their nature?

And we do tend to relocate intruders don't we? We put them in jail and prison away from our tender wee ones. Apparently you believe we should get a shovel towards their neck as well?

You see, frankly, you can continue to post whatever you like, quote my posts and what not, and every time I will come back and say that I really don't give a flip for your reasons, because to me they are not good enough.

You see why trying to "explain" why I'm wrong will never work?

Where's Aaron's little image, "someone is wrong on the internet."

Oh my....

[anatess]

Oh we can agree to disagree.... wait, you have ONE more analogy, to see if I "get" it right?
*reading*

You see why trying to "explain" why I'm wrong will never work?

Where's Aaron's little image, "someone is wrong on the internet."

Oh my....

I apologize profusely. I did not realize I was coming off like I was wagging my finger. Completely not my intent nor is it what I was trying to say. I do not think you are wrong. I was just trying to explain why I would do it if I am put into that situation. That's why I put analogy after analogy - to explain how some people might handle it differently, but that I would handle it the way I know is best for me and mine and I'm not singling out venomous snakes - it applies universally. We may disagree but it doesn't mean you're wrong or I'm wrong - it just means we're different.

I don't argue wrong or right on anonymous forums. For me to say somebody is wrong, I have to know the other person, otherwise, I don't have enough information to know where the other guy is coming from and what makes him think that way or what experiences he has to back up his side. You can say, "The sky is green" on a forum like this one and all I can say is, "well, in my town, it is blue". I can't tell you you are wrong because who knows, in your neck of the woods, some condition might really exist that turned the sky green!

So, again, I apologize for coming off as preachy.

[WizzySRT10]

I really can't answer yes or no. Yes to poisonous no to non and that also depends on which place you talking about in GA I know we have more poisonous snakes at my houses then here where I live.

[Colin Vestrand]

the good thing about poisonous animals is that you basically have to lick them to get sick.