Snake reactions from your family and friends

[Dianne]

That's odd. My husband and I get calls to remove snakes from people's garages/basements/etc. (local AC and LE refer them to us, we do it free) and there are several local farmers who have said that they would appreciate every eastern black rat snake we release by their grain silos to help keep the rodents in check.

Some of that might be dependent on location of the farmer. Most of the farmers or homesteaders I know around here (central VA) like black snakes and rat snakes for the rodent control. My buddy in NC is in an area with a lot of water moccasins and the occasional rattler or copperhead. He leases his land for farming and everyone is tolerant of black snakes and chicken snakes (haven’t a clue what those are), but if it looks too much like one of the 3 venemous snakes they eliminate it first and identify second. In all fairness, I can’t blame them but so much when they have pets, children, and field hands in and around the fields. Ideally everyone could coexist, but the water moccasins in particular haven’t gotten that memo...they have come after retreating people, even when they are on equipment.