Recommendations for a local snake assassin

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johnnyblaze36
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10:01a, 4/18/25
AG
This is not a drill nor dear diary:

Does anybody know a local company or even just a fearless guy or gal that can help me wipe out an entire snake population posthaste?

Just two weeks ago, I heard my dog barking for awhile at something on the wooden deck where I live but didn't think much of it until I went outside and saw him staring at a cottonmouth a foot and a half from him. Mortified, and without a shovel or a backhoe, I happened to have a single 2X4 and I proceeded to annhilate this serpent into pieces.

I figured it was a horrific one off until last night around 8 pm as I was sitting on the couch and looked to my right and noticed what seemed to be a larger than life extra toy about ten feet away from me with the sliding doors open as usual and my dog once again sensing a disturbance in the force.

But this time, I encountered what many are asking "Is that an anaconda?" after I sent them the video of this thing. I grabbed the 2X4 again wondering how this beast has gotten up through the water/ground and slithered its way up through a slat with a one inch gap.

But as I approached it treading lightly, it started to slither back down as I went for the headshot and I missed and watched it fall down through the slats. I have been seeing these jerks float in the water recently in front of me while none of the neighbors I have talked to are experiencing any issues.

There is vegetation to the right and left of me that needs to be cleared (which will disrupt the bass environment temporarily but so be it). There is also a Jon boat underneath that I think might be causing this snake issue that comes for free with the job.

TL;DR I can no longer live in peace until this venemous family that could be harvesting eggs for all I know is utterly destroyed and I need a stone cold trained killer (plus weed eater) that has experience in this realm before my dog or I get snakebitten unsuspectedly while just relaxing and having a good time. Please help.

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MyNameIsJeff
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10:06a, 4/18/25
AG
Do you have a picture of the snake you could post?

It sounds more like you need some cleanup at the pond. I'd find a guy with an excavator or maybe even reach out to one of the local pond management companies. Best way to get rid of snakes is to eliminate their habitat and/or food source.
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EriktheRed
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In reply to MyNameIsJeff • 10:13a, 4/18/25
AG
MyNameIsJeff said:
Do you have a picture of the snake you could post?
This. I've got $10 that says they aren't venomous.
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beb08
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10:18a, 4/18/25
AG
You live in the BCS area? I might be interested in trying to help you out.
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johnnyblaze36
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In reply to MyNameIsJeff • 10:19a, 4/18/25
AG
MyNameIsJeff said:
Do you have a picture of the snake you could post?

It sounds more like you need some cleanup at the pond. I'd find a guy with an excavator or maybe even reach out to one of the local pond management companies. Best way to get rid of snakes is to eliminate their habitat and/or food source.
Yes. I have video of this thing. It's a bit grainy but it still tells the story (along with me sounding like a complete p word upon discovery). It's not a pond though-it's a small lake so I'm limited on any excavation activies.

Typically, the neighbors' ducks spend their days underneath this deck which is as on the water as physically possible with about 5 feet of dirt from foundation to water.

In fact, just three weeks ago before the first snake incident, my dog got out and ran away for a bit (same dog that ran to Hurricane Harry's a few years ago that I retrieved the next day thanks to this board...I am a great dog owner btw...lil buddy is just a wild card)...and as he returned he ran under this same deck, fortunate to not be bitten by anything.

https://vimeo.com/1076729331?share=copy#t=0
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johnnyblaze36
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In reply to beb08 • 10:20a, 4/18/25
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beb08 said:
You live in the BCS area? I might be interested in trying to help you out.
I do and will pay you handsomely if you can.
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johnnyblaze36
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In reply to EriktheRed • 10:26a, 4/18/25
AG
EriktheRed said:
MyNameIsJeff said:
Do you have a picture of the snake you could post?
This. I've got $10 that says they aren't venomous.
I hope you are right and will pay you $20 if so.

Either way, it's not a pleasant feeling to be seeing gigantic snakes suddenly on a screened in deck crawling up from out of the woodwork out of nowhere completely ruining my evenings and I'd be even more terrified if one came up and bit someone or my dog during a casual social gathering.

I simply don't want to ever have to even think about it again but I'm now sensing a semi-consistent pattern developing.
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MyNameIsJeff
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In reply to johnnyblaze36 • 10:29a, 4/18/25
AG
johnnyblaze36 said:
MyNameIsJeff said:
Do you have a picture of the snake you could post?

It sounds more like you need some cleanup at the pond. I'd find a guy with an excavator or maybe even reach out to one of the local pond management companies. Best way to get rid of snakes is to eliminate their habitat and/or food source.
Yes. I have video of this thing. It's a bit grainy but it still tells the story (along with me sounding like a complete p word upon discovery). It's not a pond though-it's a small lake so I'm limited on any excavation activies.

Typically, the neighbors' ducks spend their days underneath this deck which is as on the water as physically possible with about 5 feet of dirt from foundation to water.

In fact, just three weeks ago before the first snake incident, my dog got out and ran away for a bit (same dog that ran to Hurricane Harry's a few years ago that I retrieved the next day thanks to this board...I am a great dog owner btw...lil buddy is just a wild card)...and as he returned he ran under this same deck, fortunate to not be bitten by anything.

https://vimeo.com/1076729331?share=copy#t=0
The snake in your video is a western rat snake. They are non-venomous and completely harmless to humans and pets (unless your pet is a small rodent). You mention ducks. They will definitely eat eggs, and are commonly called "chicken snakes" due to how often they're found in coops.

You don't have a "snake nest" or anything, you just have a prime living area or food source for them.

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TyHolden
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10:30a, 4/18/25
AG
20-gauge works for me
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johnnyblaze36
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In reply to MyNameIsJeff • 10:40a, 4/18/25
AG
MyNameIsJeff said:
johnnyblaze36 said:
MyNameIsJeff said:
Do you have a picture of the snake you could post?

It sounds more like you need some cleanup at the pond. I'd find a guy with an excavator or maybe even reach out to one of the local pond management companies. Best way to get rid of snakes is to eliminate their habitat and/or food source.
Yes. I have video of this thing. It's a bit grainy but it still tells the story (along with me sounding like a complete p word upon discovery). It's not a pond though-it's a small lake so I'm limited on any excavation activies.

Typically, the neighbors' ducks spend their days underneath this deck which is as on the water as physically possible with about 5 feet of dirt from foundation to water.

In fact, just three weeks ago before the first snake incident, my dog got out and ran away for a bit (same dog that ran to Hurricane Harry's a few years ago that I retrieved the next day thanks to this board...I am a great dog owner btw...lil buddy is just a wild card)...and as he returned he ran under this same deck, fortunate to not be bitten by anything.

https://vimeo.com/1076729331?share=copy#t=0
The snake in your video is a western rat snake. They are non-venomous and completely harmless to humans and pets (unless your pet is a small rodent). You mention ducks. They will definitely eat eggs, and are commonly called "chicken snakes" due to how often they're found in coops.

You don't have a "snake nest" or anything, you just have a prime living area or food source for them.

Good to know and now I owe EriktheRed twenty bucks. Please DM and I'll get you paid.

Now back to business-how do I get rid of these "western rat snakes" that I now see in my dreams/nightmares? I don't care if they are venemous or not. They are definitely poisonous to my mental health as a common city boy.

beb08-please contact. Again, free Jon boat (it's nothing fancy but works just fine with a motor) with the clearance of said boat and shrubbery surrounding the area. One of my neighbors that has lived out here for years told me a couple of months ago that the places the snakes like to gather are in the vegetation which naturally is only surrounding my home.
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Ronniecoleman30
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10:44a, 4/18/25
AG
For a temporary fix, strong scents will deter snakes from sticking around. Peppermint or cinnamon oil works well. Also vinegar or moth balls can also be used.
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MyNameIsJeff
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In reply to johnnyblaze36 • 10:47a, 4/18/25
AG
Like I mentioned previously, if they seem to be hanging around, you need to clear vegetation and food sources. Beyond that, there's not much you can feasibly do short of surrounding your property in hardware cloth. You seem to live on the water, so you'll naturally see water snakes or cottonmouths. It's just part of it.

My best suggestion would be to learn to identify the common snakes, or, at minimum, the venomous ones. The snake thread over on the Outdoor board would be a great place to start.
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johnnyblaze36
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In reply to TyHolden • 10:50a, 4/18/25
AG
TyHolden said:
20-gauge works for me
I thought about busting out my Hellcat after the first go around when I was so stunned but reconsidered. After I killed the first one in half with the 2X4 (or so I thought), I went to talk to my neighbor about what had just happened.

I came back 30 minutes later and this first snake almost completely split in half was somehow still alive much to my dismay and trapped within the screen. So I smashed it again. And then it still lived for another 10 minutes.

Snake 1 encounter: https://vimeo.com/1076738747?share=copy#t=0

ETA: I may not be cut out for "country" living but tell me this isn't horrible with my dog a foot from it having a standoff before I realized what was going on:

https://vimeo.com/1076740131?share=copy#t=0
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johnnyblaze36
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In reply to MyNameIsJeff • 10:51a, 4/18/25
MyNameIsJeff
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In reply to johnnyblaze36 • 10:51a, 4/18/25
AG
Snake 1 is a non-venomous and harmless diamondback water snake. They primarily eat fish and amphibians.
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TyHolden
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11:00a, 4/18/25
AG
just get a couple of cats and let them go to town....watching a cat charm a snake is great entertainment
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FlyRod
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11:00a, 4/18/25
If it is a rat snake, you want it around. They get that name for a reason. Having had rat problems, I would much rather have a few of those in my backyard.
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Rapier108
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12:11p, 4/18/25
If any of them are king snakes, you 100% want them around.

They eat other snakes, and seem to have an affinity for the venomous kinds.
"If you will not fight for right when you can easily win without blood shed; if you will not fight when your victory is sure and not too costly; you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival. There may even be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves." - Sir Winston Churchill
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maroon barchetta
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12:25p, 4/18/25
We had a 5' rat snake on the back deck a few weeks ago. A 5' rat snake has eaten a LOT of rats to get to that size.
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johnnyblaze36
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In reply to FlyRod • 1:13p, 4/18/25
AG
FlyRod said:
If it is a rat snake, you want it around. They get that name for a reason. Having had rat problems, I would much rather have a few of those in my backyard.
Funny you should say that. There is a bathroom/laundry room that is attached to the same deck where the snakes have been popping up that rarely gets used except for laundry day so it is lightly trafficked.

Recently however, I noticed rat droppings in there. Had ABC Pest Control take care of that problem two weeks ago or perhaps snakes took care of them because now those recently disappeared.

I'd rather have the rat back I never saw other than it's poop tbh than seeing half a boa constrictor at sunset.

I did just see another neighbor cruising by and asked him if he has been seeing lots of snakes lately and he said he has and that one swam aggressively at his little boat the other day and he grabbed the nearest thing to hammer it away.

I guess it's just something I'll have to learn to live with now but not before heading to Lowe's today to see how 100 pounds of this works out:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Victor-4-lb-Pest-Repeller/1002399018?store=103&cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-lwn-_-ggl-_-PMAX_LWN_000_Priority_Item-_-1002399018-_-local-_-0-_-0&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD2B2W9EmP2JZq2XgMlavSLsegC_T&gclid=CjwKCAjw8IfABhBXEiwAxRHlsKs4oSmDYNOBTZw3XodR2mi6hyLBJVcMmYuUmXDQ27mhuF01uZOIExoClNAQAvD_BwE
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Buford T. Justice
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1:43p, 4/18/25
AG
410 snake charmer will do the job.
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legalbird
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3:14p, 4/18/25
I live in a neighborhood where a snake is found by someone's pool. Many of the Facebooker's comment how beautiful the snake is even though it is a copperhead. All hands on deck to re-locate the snake.

My point, if you get bit, and the snake gets away, you will be freaked out for the days to come thinking it was full of venom. Incur medical costs, etc.
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studioone
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6:11p, 4/18/25
Just leave it be and it'll leave you be...

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johnnyblaze36
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In reply to studioone • 12:23a, 4/23/25
AG
studioone said:
Just leave it be and it'll leave you be...

You say that, however just this evening around 7 pm I'm having a nice evening fishing off the dock while sitting in a chair and I'm not joking when I say the longest one yet comes swimming up and right underneath me.

Yesterday, I went to buy a Gamo .177 from Academy but hadn't set it up with the scope yet (which I hear is a crappy scope anyway...I will be upgrading...and not that it would have done any good in this circumstance on the fly), but now I suddenly can't wait to see one on the deck between the crosshairs.

These things are not leaving me or my dog be and now it's time that they all meet their maker in hell where they belong.
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studioone
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In reply to johnnyblaze36 • 5:22a, 4/23/25
johnnyblaze36 said:
studioone said:
Just leave it be and it'll leave you be...

You say that, however just this evening around 7 pm I'm having a nice evening fishing off the dock while sitting in a chair and I'm not joking when I say the longest one yet comes swimming up and right underneath me.

and how is this 'attacking' you? It's not.. you just happened to be near where the snake wants to go... it has NOT bothered you, it has NOT attacked you, harmed you, or anything other than just existing..

Killing a snake just because it's a snake is beneath you..
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EliteElectric
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8:38a, 4/23/25
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Grmpy
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In reply to johnnyblaze36 • 8:55a, 4/23/25
johnnyblaze36 said:
studioone said:
Just leave it be and it'll leave you be...

You say that, however just this evening around 7 pm I'm having a nice evening fishing off the dock while sitting in a chair and I'm not joking when I say the longest one yet comes swimming up and right underneath me.

Yesterday, I went to buy a Gamo .177 from Academy but hadn't set it up with the scope yet (which I hear is a crappy scope anyway...I will be upgrading...and not that it would have done any good in this circumstance on the fly), but now I suddenly can't wait to see one on the deck between the crosshairs.

These things are not leaving me or my dog be and now it's time that they all meet their maker in hell where they belong.
I can't help, however your writing is entertaining and I had a good laugh.

Happy hunting! Its your property, kill the snake if you want to. Ignore those that get upset if you kill it.
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