oyuki

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Major Freakout

Undocumented house guest.
I went to put a glass in the kitchen sink. I caught motion out of the corner of my left eye and I saw the above snake slithering along where counter-top met wall and moving towards the sink and me. Super panic attack. I hurriedly got away and put on sneakers, work gloves, and a long stick before I went to look again. Also grabbed a can of wasp spray, nerve agent is my WMD of choice in these situations. Sprayed the joker and it recoiled. Then it vanished behind the microwave. And I could not find it anywhere on the counter. Peered in drawers and shelves, nope. Can we say nervous? I was and I kept looking. Idea of trying to get some sleep with a snake in the house was so not happening. Eventually I heard thumping and looked under the microwave, there it was - twitching and trying to get out. When I levered the microwave up using the scabbard from a Mauser bayonet, it came out with mouth agape. Could not see fangs but I was not taking chances. It also started to act torpid and confused, I guess I did get it with the bug spray. I grabbed a mason jar and removed its top. Then I grabbed the snake just behind the head and put it in the jar tail first - remember I am wearing thick work gloves. Finally stuffed the head in jar and slapped the top back on. Then took the jar outside, unscrewed the lid, and turned the jar upside down to make the snake fall out. Then I took the above picture. The white pipe in the background is a pre-cut two foot section of PVC pipe, to give some scale.

Way too much fun for this late at night. Oi. Thud.

9 comments:

AndyJ said...

We have a bunch of snakes living in the crawl space under the house. The black racer variety, wife also has a few living in the hay barn. They don't come up into the house ( 4 dogs and 2 cats seem to keep them out of here). They do keep the mice and rat population down and really don't bother us at all. They do leave a smell in the house for about 2 weeks when they come in to hibernate and in the spring when they wake up, but we are used to that already.

Anna said...

Well I have no pets inside the house. Just a barn cat outside. So this was major freakage AndyJ. Just glad I was able to resolve it before I ran screaming out the house.

Eowyn said...

The boys want you to know that they're like, totally, jealous. They could have spent a good hour plus playing keepaway from Molly while killing the snake thing.

Apparently killing birds isn't nearly as exciting. Especially when the dead bird ends up trapped on the electric wire and they can't even eat it.

Ed Rasimus said...

Looks like a Texas rat snake. Non-poisonous and a sure guarantee that your house is mouse-free. They can get in quite easily if you leave a door ajar or have an unscreened window. You really shouldn't kill them as they are good vermin control, but when encountering snakes most of us tend to revert to more primitive states. Last guy who welcomed the snake got us all in a heap of trouble.

Six said...

Awwww. He's cute!!

Anna said...

Well Eowyn, somehow having bits&pieces of snake scttered through house does not sound appealing. LOL

Ed, well the snake slithered away outside the house. I don't object to useful snakes, I object when I find them in the house.

Six, cute now. Then not so much. :)

And to think one time in South America held in my hands the head of a 20ft anaconda. What was I thinking? Oh wait, I was on deployment so there was no thinking invovled. ;)

legious said...

Obummer made an unscheduled visit to your home?

That's MR. Legion to you-- said...

'Snakes- I hate Snakes' Raiders of the Lost Ark.

So say Happy B-day to me everyone!
4/19

54 shut the door

Anna said...

Nah, not obummer. Barry is akin to the anaconda, strangling this nation.

54, hit the floor?