# Snakes in the woodpile



## KB007 (Aug 11, 2010)

As I was stacking today I came across a couple of little 3 ft gartner snakes, one in the pile I was moving it from, and the other right by the stacks I was moving it to under my deck.  Big mistake - I mentioned this to my wife and now she's totally freaked out of going anywhere near either.

Any nice eco-friendly ways to keep the snakes away?  I figure they are prolly helpful, kepping the mice and bugs down, but unless I do something my wife won't be going out to bring in any wood this winter...


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## ANeat (Aug 11, 2010)

I think come winter they wont be a problem.  Till then I would just leave em alone and let them do their thing


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## sapratt (Aug 11, 2010)

Whats a  sanke?    I'd rather have snakes under my woodpile then chipmunks.  The snakes won't go from the woodpile to the garden and have a party.


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## golfandwoodnut (Aug 12, 2010)

Golfandwoodnut gets the shanks once in awhile, it isn't pretty.  We had a 5 ft black  snake come to the house a couple of weeks ago. I let it go and now my wife is freaked out.  If it were a copper head I would have done something.  I know they are around, although I have never seen one(thank God).


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## Beetle-Kill (Aug 12, 2010)

I'd love to have more sankes around here. Way too many icem and ipchunks. :cheese:


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## wendell (Aug 12, 2010)

I was going to post this right after the OP put this up but I refrained but now that the rest of you are piling on, I guess I'll join in.

I understand. Sankes scare the heck out of me, too!!  :wow:


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## bogydave (Aug 12, 2010)

No snakes in Alaska 
I vacation in Hawaii, no snakes there either.
Probably one of the reasons I left PA. snakes everywhere :bug:


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## Cluttermagnet (Aug 12, 2010)

bogydave said:
			
		

> No snakes in Alaska
> I vacation in Hawaii, no snakes there either.
> Probably one of the reasons I left PA. snakes everywhere :bug:


It's no good. They're even on commercial airliners. I've seen the footage. ;-P


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## Bobbin (Aug 12, 2010)

A surprise encounter with a snake is always good for an adrenalin rush.  And I can shriek and do the stupid dance with the best of 'em.  Lol.

We follow a live and let live policy here; assure your wife that once the weather cools down the snake presence will, too.  They're solar powered and need warmth so they'll be long gone by frost.  Snakes are deaf and very senstive to vibration, so if you stamp your feet or knock some pieces of wood on the pile they'll automatically seek cover away from the source of the vibration.  Bottom line, they don't want an encounter with her anymore than she does with them.


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## mikeyny (Aug 12, 2010)

my woodpile is like a welfare hotel.   I have all kind of sleazy critters living it it. We have snakes, bees ,spiders a birds nest, chipmunks, mice and now that "dreaded groundhog  now moved in" since I smoked them all out of the ground.


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## Uper (Aug 12, 2010)

A good cat can work wonders!


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## muncybob (Aug 12, 2010)

Uper said:
			
		

> A good cat can work wonders!



yep, my old buddy Tom the cat used to have a blast wid dem thar sankes. He would grab one that was making it's way to our basement and drag it back out into the yard and then just sit there and watch the snake go toward the house again.....then he would "attack" it again and drag it back into the yard batting it all the while. This would go on for quite awhile...I swear I could hear ole Tom laughing! I miss that cat!


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## gpcollen1 (Aug 12, 2010)

Do not give in to her irrational fears.  Those snakes are harmless.  In the winter, you won't see one.  not even in the woodpile.


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## oldspark (Aug 12, 2010)

[quote author="Bobbin" date="1281622603"]A surprise encounter with a snake is always good for an adrenalin rush.  And I can shriek and do the stupid dance with the best of 'em.  Lol.

We follow a live and let live policy here;
Screw that!


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## woodsmaster (Aug 12, 2010)

I always find mice in my wood pile. I think I'd rather have snakes.


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## loon (Aug 12, 2010)

had this guy come out from around the wood pile last week  %-P 

dont think he was in it? but dont know?
















Terry


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## oldspark (Aug 12, 2010)

I shot a snake
In the head
I shot a snake
Now its dead
I shot a snake
Oh what fun
I shot a snake 
My work is done


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## iceman (Aug 12, 2010)

loon said:
			
		

> had this guy come out from around the wood pile last week  %-P
> 
> dont think he was in it? but dont know?
> 
> ...






What kinda snake is that?


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## billb3 (Aug 12, 2010)

your wife won't touch your wood because of the skanks you're keeping in the pile ?

a little penicillin and you''ll  all be fine


tell her not to worry -  the skanks hibernate in the cellar during the Winter.
You don't have a workshop in the basement, I hope.


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## firefighterjake (Aug 12, 2010)

loon said:
			
		

> had this guy come out from around the wood pile last week  %-P
> 
> dont think he was in it? but dont know?
> 
> ...



Looks like he was just a bit thirsty . . . you've got to watch those sankes . . . they sneak in and drink everyone's beer since everyone knows a fine beer or two goes down well with a few mice for dinner.


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## loon (Aug 12, 2010)

iceman said:
			
		

> What kinda snake is that?




http://www.uga.edu/srelherp/snakes/elaobs.htm

we have them around the house quite often, and can they ever stretch out on the grass in the sun  :ahhh:  

just read this and didnt know they did it?? can be seen in the pics...

(When frightened they often assume a “kinked” posture and remain motionless)

Terry


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## Flatbedford (Aug 12, 2010)

This little guy, or gal was sunning itself on my '11/'12 Oak on a cool morning last month.


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## heus (Aug 12, 2010)

Last summer we found a nest of small snakes not more than 8-10 inches long. My kids and I looked them up on the internet and were called red-bellied snakes. Had a milk snake in one pile this summer.


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## astrodon (Aug 12, 2010)

Believe it or not, this is a sanke...







Some kind of Japanese fish.  Here is some more info

http://www.mpks.org/articles/BobBrudd/sanke.html


If I had one of those in my woodpile, I would be quite upset too!


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## Jags (Aug 12, 2010)

This is the only kind of sanke that I will deal with:


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## fossil (Aug 12, 2010)

Have yet to see a sanke in Oregon, although my wife claims to have seen one while walking this morning.  I have, however, so far this spring/summer, killed 6 Bushy Tailed Wood Rats (common name Pack Rat) using the good ole tried n true Victor rat traps inside my wood shed with peanut butter for bait.  Last year they really had a ball making nests in there among the stacks, and those nests are _nasty_.  We didn't even know how nasty until we were well into the stacks late in the season, as the rats stayed close to the shed walls.  We're just now beginning to fill the shed with seasoned wood for next burning season, and I don't want the same thing happening again.  I'm pretty pleased so far with the effectiveness of the traps.  Rick

ETA:  Not my pic, I found it on some exterminator's site...but it's _exactly_ what I've done six times so far this year.  One of them was caught but not dead, and tried to get away from me when I approached.  I set my splitting round on top of him and the trap he was in and waited a while.  Lights out for another pack rat.   :coolsmirk:


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## Flatbedford (Aug 12, 2010)

I deal with this kind of snake at wok from time to time. We only run away because they tend to be heavy.
http://www.activemusician.com/images/store/small/LP_SM2404FBQ-100.gif


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## Flatbedford (Aug 12, 2010)

The good, old fashioned Victor traps are pretty effective. Peanut butter or bacon. Just make sure the traps are tied down in case you catch a big one.


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## KB007 (Aug 12, 2010)

Thanks for the comments about my typing (fixed it now :~)

Guess I'll just have to tell her I saw it running away down the gulley


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## Flatbedford (Aug 12, 2010)

I didn't even notice the spelling. I am good at numbers, but not letters.


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## iceman (Aug 13, 2010)

fossil said:
			
		

> Have yet to see a sanke in Oregon, although my wife claims to have seen one while walking this morning.  I have, however, so far this spring/summer, killed 6 Bushy Tailed Wood Rats (common name Pack Rat) using the good ole tried n true Victor rat traps inside my wood shed with peanut butter for bait.  Last year they really had a ball making nests in there among the stacks, and those nests are _nasty_.  We didn't even know how nasty until we were well into the stacks late in the season, as the rats stayed close to the shed walls.  We're just now beginning to fill the shed with seasoned wood for next burning season, and I don't want the same thing happening again.  I'm pretty pleased so far with the effectiveness of the traps.  Rick
> 
> ETA:  Not my pic, I found it on some exterminator's site...but it's _exactly_ what I've done six times so far this year.  One of them was caught but not dead, and tried to get away from me when I approached.  I set my splitting round on top of him and the trap he was in and waited a while.  Lights out for another pack rat.   :coolsmirk:





Omg that thing is the size of a squirrel!


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## fossil (Aug 13, 2010)

iceman said:
			
		

> ...Omg that thing is the size of a squirrel!



Well, yeah, they're rats.  Actually, for rats, they're not too bad looking.  The bushy tail makes all the difference.   %-P   Rick


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## iceman (Aug 13, 2010)

fossil said:
			
		

> iceman said:
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Around here no bushy tails ....lol they resemble more of a possum..lol but the river rats ... those are as big as cats!
Those rats just run around in the woods out there? Wow be careful out there!


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## fossil (Aug 13, 2010)

iceman said:
			
		

> ...Those rats just run around in the woods out there? Wow be careful out there!



We don't have woods here.  We live in high desert country.  Juniper trees, sagebrush, basalt (lava rock).  Woodrats are pretty much solitary, exclusively nocturnal, and extremely shy.  The only ones I ever see are dead in my traps.  Rick


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## Flatbedford (Aug 13, 2010)

Yup, no bushy tails and much bigger around here too. Especially in NYC. The bushy tails make them almost cute. Almost.


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## loon (Aug 13, 2010)

Jags said:
			
		

> This is the only kind of sanke that I will deal with:



all over that last weekend with our golf tourny....

young lads were a little ticked as it came out big foam??  %-P 






shoulda put the keg in a cooler day before


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## wendell (Aug 13, 2010)

KB007 said:
			
		

> Thanks for the comments about my typing (fixed it now :~)



No fair changing the title. Somewhere down the road somebody will be reading this thread and wondering why all these idiots are talking about sankes.  :lol:


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## fossil (Aug 13, 2010)

wendell said:
			
		

> KB007 said:
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Just gimme the word, I'll make it right.   :coolsmile:


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## wendell (Aug 13, 2010)

Just a reminder to never get on the wrong side of the omnipotent and omnipresent moderator.  ;-)


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## fossil (Aug 13, 2010)

wendell said:
			
		

> Just a reminder to never get on the wrong side of the omnipotent and omnipresent moderator.  ;-)



You left out "beneficent".  I _hate_ that.   :coolsmirk:


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## wendell (Aug 13, 2010)

I hope that doesn't put me on the wrong side of you!   :bug:


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## fossil (Aug 13, 2010)

wendell said:
			
		

> I hope that doesn't put me on the wrong side of you!   :bug:



Since I am beneficent, there is no wrong side of me.


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## gpcollen1 (Aug 13, 2010)

loon said:
			
		

> Jags said:
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As beer is my #1 hobby, those Jockey boxes are great but...

Depending on if there is a cold plate or coil in there, that keg needs to be chilled a bit or foam will be an issue.  They are only effective at lowering the beer temp by 30-40 degrees depending.  So if you cannot get the beer below say 38 degrees by the time it comes out, foam may be an issue.  In addition, a cold plate set up will need your PSI to be in the low 20s and if a coil setup, the PSI may need to be as high as 34 or so.  In short, foam is a factor of beer temp and length of lines...for next time.

G


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## loon (Aug 13, 2010)

25 guys/gals were a little miffed about it   

the keg was a donation and we were gonna put it in a garbage can with ice but was told we didnt need to CTwoodburner
guess i shoulda asked the board last friday  ;-P 

was still a good time   

Terry


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