Living In The Country

[crokett]

Moved one of the kids' toys in their play area yesterday and a mouse ran out. Tried to stomp it, missed. It ran for cover into the sand box. There was some squeaking and some thrashing. I took the cover off the sand box and there was a black snake in the process of eating the mouse.

[Santa Clarita Len]

Did you stomp the snake?

[cabinetman]

Now that's worth a picture.
.

[crokett]

I did not. It was a black snake. They eat the mice and more importantly, the copperheads. I waited until it had finished its meal and moved it off into the weeds.

[Shep]

Better a mouse than your kids

[dewi1219]

I did not. It was a black snake. They eat the mice and more importantly, the copperheads. I waited until it had finished its meal and moved it off into the weeds.

Exactly. We had a large black snake in our yard last year, and my wife got pretty mad when I refused to kill it. I asked if she would rather have the black snake or mice, other vermin, and nastier snakes in the yard. Of course, her reply was "the only good snake is a dead one"

[Richard in Smithville]

I had an on-going arguement with my mom and her boyfriend everytime they killed one of the snakes that lived around their house. The next year they were infested with mice. It made my point.

[L. D. Jeffries]

Yeah, my wife is the same way; goes nuts when she sees a snake. Most of ours up here are harmless, garter snakes mostly. Funny to watch our two cats; they would like to use them as playthings but have that built-in fear! I just pick them up and move they away from the yard.