I am not superstitious and I do not observe taboos, so I shall tell the story as it is.
You know how it is that this year is the Year of the Snake and people send wishes saying “May the Year of the Water Snake bring you….(all the blessings for a good year)”?
Well, late last night, as I was closing the patio door, I saw Rosie, Daffodil, Timmy and Ginger surrounding a dead snake near the patio.
Again?
Yes, again.
And this one was big. Not huge, just bigger than the last one.
As I have a phobia of snakes, dead, alive or cartoon drawings, luckily both my children were around to take care of things. I knew it was dead as it wasn’t moving at all and all four cats were surrounding it and poking at it.
So my children went out and managed to put the carcass into a plastic bag.
By then, my husband was back, so the three of them went across the road to bury the carcass.
As they were burying the carcass, Timmy was found tossing another small snake into the air.
Yes, another one. Also dead and with a triangle head.
I suspect there is a nest nearby or a neighbour might have killed the snakes, tossed them across the road and the cats found them?
Just then, I remembered that kampung folks never bury snake carcasses. They usually either burn them or put the carcass on the highway. The belief is that the entire family will come looking for the dead one if there is a scent. This may be a myth (I’m told it is, but I’d rather be safe than sorry).
So to be safe, I told my husband to dig up the two carcasses and throw them far away, away from any inhabited area.
That was done last night and this morning, we poured chlorox over the burial plot of the first snake (two weeks ago). That’s what an elderly headmaster taught me last time. He said to use chlorox – they are afraid of the strong scent.
I have alerted the whole neighbourhood about this incident and one of the neighbours said he might get Bomba to help locate the nest.
The following might help too:
Getting rid of:
Low-growing hiding spots near your house (shrubs, plants, etc.)
Thickly-planted gardens
Mulch (especially straw mulch) in the gardens
Tall grass
Bird feeders (which attract mice & insects, which attract snakes)
Ground-level water sources (birdbaths, ponds, puddles, etc.)
Compost piles
Wood and brush piles (any wood on the ground where they can hide)
And may this New Year keep everyone safe and healthy.
Gong Xi Fa Cai!! Wow! A real year of the snake for you, lol. Sorry, didnt mean to laugh.
Hmm…. sounds like a nest of snakes somewhere nearby. Any abandoned bushy spots in the neighbourhood? If the small snakes are coming out, there might be a daddy and mummy snake nearby. They might not be happy to have the kitties tossing their dead babies around. Keep safe.
I couldn’t help but laugh at the part where you said “Timmy was found tossing another small snake into the air”. It sounded really funny. (But i know it is not)
Got this from a website ( http://allstateanimalcontrol.com/animals/snakes/index.php ) – it contain pictures of snake ya, so I will cut and paste the words here too.
How can I get rid of snakes?
Like all animals, snakes go where they can find what the things they need: food, water, and shelter. Take these away, and you take away their reason to stay.
Snakes bring fear and trepidation to many people mainly because they do not know how to tell the difference between a poisonous snake and a non-poisonous snake. The fact that one bite from the wrong snake could potentially kill you makes people very uncomfortable with handling a snake problem. The truth is, the vast majority of snakes in the United States are not poisonous, but there are other health risks from having them around. Risks include a plethora of parasites and the salmonella bacteria which are found in snake feces, or snake droppings.
Here are descriptions of the four venomous snake species native to the United States. If you don’t trust your snake identification skills, call a professional before approaching any snake.
■Rattlesnakes. These have unique rattles, which produce a sound similar to air escaping from a tire. There are approximately 30 species of rattlers to be found around the world, including the timber or canebrake rattlesnake, dusky pygmy rattlesnake, diamondback, and sidewinder. Rattlers have triangular heads.
■Cottonmouths. These sometimes aggressive snakes are dark gray or olive green, have triangular heads, and live near water. Water moccasin is a common name for cottonmouth.
■Copperheads. These have triangular, copper-colored heads and hourglass markings across the body.
■Coral snakes. These have red, yellow and black stripes. The milk snake, which is harmless, also has red, yellow and black stripes. If the red stripes are next to yellow, it’s a coral snake and it is poisonous.
Most of the time, snakebite occurs because the animal was stepped on or provoked. In any case, a person or pet could be bitten and care should be exercised to make sure all people and pets are safe.
■Trim shrubs and bushes. They love shrubbery because it conceals them and they can easily look for food while remaining unseen. It helps to keep shrubs and bushes away from the house.
■Mow the grass. They like tall grass because of the concealment it offers. They need to hide from their natural predators such as owls and hawks. Also, tall grass is home to animals that snakes eat: crickets, grasshoppers, and mice to name a few.
■Eliminate hiding places. Move wood piles, compost heaps, clutter, plywood boards, or anything else they could use for shelter away from the house or remove them from your property entirely. Fill any gaps beneath concrete slabs. Snakes look for such places to hide in and for cooling off on hot days.
■Get rid of rodents. They eat mice and rats. They are not attracted to garbage, but they are attracted to compost heaps, garages, and garbage cans because mice and rats like garbage. Take care of any rodent problems and you will have taken a big step toward getting rid of snakes.
■Get rid of insects. They dine on crickets, grasshoppers, and small bugs. I don’t know how you would ever remove all the insects from your property, but if you could that would drastically reduce the food supply for snakes.
■Maintain your property. They can enter your building through a hole the size of a dime. Keep tight door seals and window seals, and repair all cracks in siding or retaining walls. Check underneath the porch and seal all gaps.
■Install a snake fence. To keep them out of an outdoor area, snake fencing can be installed around the perimeter. This product extends below the ground and above the ground, and has a slick surface that they cannot climb. Our technicians can assist you with the installation of this product.
■Hire a professional. An experienced wildlife control operator can perform snake removal and give you more prevention information particular to your property.
Thanks for all the information, Joy! Sure appreciate it lots and thanks for letting me know that link has pictures too (yikes!). Friends have been helping with identification (from the description) and it led to the possibility of it being a King Cobra (oh my goodness!) because the two small ones were black and the bigger one was brown, but another friend found out that King Cobra hatchlings are 14 inches long and must have the hood, so it cannot be (phew!!). We figured maybe the nest is in the nearby monsoon drain.
Be careful ya! Especially for your brave patio furmily
That’s the thing. I don’t know how to make it safer for them. Any ideas? My garden has been cleared of possible hiding places.
I was googling up for you… there were several interesting suggestions like :
- throw mothball around your yard
- get a mongoose for a pet
- spray a solution of garlic paste and water
But most interesting of the lot was plant a NEEM tree! I think that is the safest to try. Perhaps get a couple of NEEM (curry leaf) plants and plant at your yard… perhaps the smell of curry will deter the snakes?
Thanks, Joy, but neem is not curry leaf, is it?
Neem is curry leaf
It’s the indian name for it
I see…thanks. There is also a large tree called the Neem. That’s a different species altogether. I have curry leaf.
My mom has a curry leaf plant (Neem) that grew into a tree