Thank you, snake killer. We haven't howled reading a post like that for a long time.

I don't care if you ridicule me--
I just want some accurate info...
and I don't like snakes...pathological dislike maybe...but was almost bitten by copperhead and by rattlesnake on separate occasions when I was child and don't like any of them...

calling the ag extension agent is good idea...

If it were a larger snake I would have no problem thinking my cat might have brought it in--he leaves love kills for us from time to time...
but these snakes are so small I think he would have a hard time holding them in his teeth...and would almost distain as too small to mess with

it has been very hot in our area (like most of US) and snakes are probably not that easy to find...but I can see where they might be trying to follow the water lines

I planned to get my husband to check under the sinks and the jacuzzi tub for opening and caulk any with expanding foam...

We find tree frogs in the bottom of our toilets from time to time . . . we have loads of them outside and I have never figured out how they got in there! Maybe the same way your snakes did.

And I'm with you - I would want to put a stop to that immediately!

I posted same problem on forum linked to my local area and got a response from someone who had your problem--frogs in the bathroom...
the poster said they were coming in via the stack vents on roof--
said that they put screening over the tops of the vents to stop the frogs coming in and I might try that...
so guess you could get some fiberglass window screening and some metal straps and try that is your roof is not too steep
if it is then call a roofer and get them to do it--
like a chimney cap to prevent birds from getting in...

I don't see how frogs could get up there but the poster said that stopped their problem...'

someone also said that there could be a cracked sewer drain that may have allowed entry closer to the drain opening...although our house is built on a solid slab--not raised piers--I guess depending on how the slab/plumbing are set up that could be a possibility...

I am calling the plumbing company who did the install for this house originally to ask their opinion about snakes in the sewer lines...since a plumber might know better than an exterminator...
I think the exterminator was too focused on exotic pets getting into homes to get some of the details of my story...

"Who put the G*ddamn snakes in the Go*damn bathroom??"

**
Couldn't help it. Check and seal cracks around incoming/outgoing drain and water lines.

We have a cat inside who has killed snakes in the yard before...
and a dog in the house

Whoa, that's some cat!!

Ok. My first thought was garden snakes but my second thought was you had a bathroom contractor that you really didn't like! LOL!

too_funny!
(cause it ain't happening to me...)
check plumbing penetrations and do a
walk around of your house for openings
that would allow entry.

still trying to figure out how the snake
that shed a 5' skin got into attic
at last job...we think that it went
in after the mice/rats that ate the flex duct
the mice got in at the corners of the house
that had vinyl siding..thats a mice highway!
so that's their entry...how did that big ol snake
get up there?? I sure didn't see him but he is
prolly smart enough to get back out of a 130 degree
attic.
unlike me

best of luck.

I have the idea that like the 800 lb gorilla, a snake can go whereever it wants to...

going to call our plumber and check with them about the drains...
and will get my husband to check the foundation around the bathroom corner tomorrow and around the plumbing entries...

he does not want to use expandable foam around the plumbling entries--any suggestions?

and what to use in the weepholes--
can we superglue some fine, fiberglass screening over them?

No ridicule, it was funny, intended or not.

Snakes are an important part of the ecosystem. They are as scared of you as you are of them. Even the poisonous variety doesn't want anything to do with humans. They strike us only in self defense. We are a little too big to be dinner. Plus, we probably don't taste too good.

Pythons excepted, and they aren't poisonous anyway.

Here's our "construction" snake. I had to save the snake from being lunch for one of the concrete crew, proving snakes have a real reason for fearing us.

We had a lot of garter snakes at our old house. Although I never saw one in our house, I would see them climb up the exposed part of the foundation (up about 1 foot--snakes can climb) and then disappear under our siding where they would sit on the top of the concrete edge of the foundation under the siding (I hope you know what I mean--I actually got out a mirror to see what they were doing because I did not want snakes in our house!). We live in the upper midwest and have insulation in our walls and I know that there were mice living in the insulation and I think that the snakes were after them. However, if there had been any gap/hole on an inside wall, I imagine the snakes could have gotten into our house. So, I would check around your foundation for possible entry points and caulk any holes/gaps that you find. Baby snakes can crawl faster and further than you might think. Garter snakes are born alive, but I don't know about other snakes. My cousin had a snake in her house once--she had just moved in they hadn't put the weather stripping on the bottom of the door yet so the snake came in under the door, so you may want to make sure that there are no gaps under any of your doors either. Good luck!

Do you have any rocks piled up like a outside fire pit? Check there. Mice? Crickets? Bugs? Even though your exterminator would not come out he should have more compassionate and recommended someone. Our "bug man" as we called him, came once a month and sprayed all around the outside of the house, and if we had ants etc inside he used an herbicide spray both inside and outside that was non toxic to animals but sure took care of the bugs. Sounds like a nest somewhere and I agree, contacting your local Ag dept should help, or someone specializing in snakes etc. We had to watch rattlesnakes where we lived before.

I can't add to the suggestions, but I can offer empathy. Several years ago, we found a baby snake in our (basement) bedroom, at our old house.

Creeped. Me. Out.

It doesn't matter that it isn't poisonous. It's not something you want to step on when making a nighttime bathroom visit, or stepping out of the shower. It was about this time of year, so maybe this is hatching time.

We found a baby snake while walking the dogs the other night. It was outside, thankfully, on the back part of our property on an asphalt driveway. It was probably 4-6 inches long.

Find another exterminator. We had a bunch of creepy crawlies that came in when the house was under construction. Our exterminator set traps, including a snake trap, so there are exterminators who deal with snakes.

What to use in the weepholes---are you talking about between the bricks? They make fine, sort of mesh, inserts for this--I forget what they're called. And I don't remember if we got them at the brick yard or HD or Lowes or ???

We had a large garter snake slide into the exterior wall next to the main gas line pipe. I kept watching for a day when I'd see it LEAVING (it couldn't get into the house cause we have ICF walls), and when I did, got DH who cemented up the opening.

Anne

@ creekside--so what kind of snake it that--I would say nonpoisonous because of the very pointy tail--but he looks pretty angry too...

@jimandanne--chalk up another reason for liking ICF construction...

will check out Lowes and/or Home Depot tomorrow

I did read about snake traps which are basically boxes with some sort of glue stuff in them to keep snakes from slithering out...but don't know they would really draw a snake in if it were in the room by design or accident...

guess I could call other exterminators to see what they say...my plumber did not call back about the snakes/drain thing...

thanks guys...

ps--I think garter snakes each bugs not mice...they were probably just trying to get out of the heat and maybe go for some crickets or something...

I have an equally "funny" story. We went to visit our DD in another state, and as we drove in the driveway, our grandson came running out of the house with a plastic bag, yelling, "Grandma, look what we found in your bathroom cabinet!". Well, I looked in that bag, and it was a snake skin, over 5' long and over an inch in diameter. I asked him "Did you find the snake?". His response was, "Not yet, Grandma!" Apparently my DD found it when she was putting clean towels in the vanity for us. She really freaked out, and her husband told her she was overreacting, and there couldn't possibly be a snake in the vanity. He soon found out she was right on. Our room at her house, was on the lower level of a multi level house with a crawl space, and apparently the snake had come up around the drain. You can just imagine I didn't sleep too well during that trip. Never did find the snake. Oh, by the way, they said it was a black snake. They can get quite large, but are harmless.

Lordy, this is an interesting thread! We live in the ultimate area for creepy critters - moist, subtropical, with thousands of former exotic pets (SNAKES) thriving in the mild climate. Occasionally little snakes and lizards find their way into the house. I have had the house thorougly inspected for points of intrusion and have decided that they must come in on plants that we move in and out of the house, or they must dart in when the dogs are let in and out.

Just be thankful that you don't have a problem that I had in a previous home. Bufo Toads Breeding in the Sprinkler System! These deadly-to-pets obnoxious toads appeared seemingly overnight at my home. The county extension office was no help. They said, "If you find a way to kill them let us know." I talked to a Good Old Boy and was advised to spray the toads with Chlorox. That meant getting really close to the toad, but I did it when my neighbor's doberman died within an hour after mouthing one of the toads.

We killed over 200 on the first night. It took repeated "kill nights" over a six month period to eradicate the toads. For those of you who can not imagine how gross this was, understand that these are huge toads, the adults were about 10" long, fat, smelly, and they GROWL. When you spray them with Chlorox they jump at you!!

Feel better about the non-poisionous snakes yet?

Have you found anymore recently?
This is probably not practical, but put some flour or baby powder on the floor near the door opening and/or in your tub near the drain and see if any slither marks are left. That might clue you in as to how they are coming in. My guess would be the cat--mine brings in salamanders and lizards all the time. Thankfully she injures them just enough that they slow down so that I can throw a container on top of them and get them back outside. Of course, none of this is without dancing and screaming on my part because I have to get near the thing...I wouldn't want to have snakes in my house. We do have a pest/critter exterminator in our area. Keep looking for one if it becomes a problem. Good luck!

Garter snakes eat anything they can catch including mice and voles. One day I came home, opened my garage door and drove into the garage. I opened the car door and was about to step out when I saw that I was about to step on a garter snake with the back end of a vole sticking out of its mouth. A snake can't move when it is trying to swallow something like that, so it just started squirming back and forth. I freaked out, got back in the car and drove out of the garage until I saw it leave. I hate dead snakes on my property more than I hate living snakes (at least they can slither away on their own), or I would have driven over it. There was a pond near our old house, which is why we had so many snakes and the snakes are why we moved--they were always in our garden, in the planting around our house or in our garage and I just hated them. Garage doors don't seal very well and it doesn't take much space for a snake to get in, so if you bathroom shares a wall with a garage, you will want to check that wall too.

I've been lurking here for months, but snakes got me to join! I've attached two pictures of the garter snakes at our old house. One picture is of my flower garden and one is taken through our living room window of the flowers next to our house. It was by those flowers that the snakes liked to crawl under the siding. We never got an exterminator, but we should have because exterminators are good at finding entry points into your house and closing them up. You must have a food source for your snakes for them to be there, so the exterminator can get rid of the food source (bugs, mice, voles, etc.) which will help get rid of the snakes.

Here is a link that might be useful: snakes

loves2read (me, too!)

I asked DH, and he said we got our weep vent fillers at the brick yard. They look sort of like a fine Brillo pad, and are pre-shaped to fit the opening. I forget how many there are in a box, but to save making more than one trip, you might want to estimate the number of weep holes you have before you go.

Anne

Cane toads make very good fertilizer when gassed and liquified.

I'm almost grateful now for our mouse attacks. At least, ourcoyotes and foxes pretty much maintain their distance. Just keep your kitties, chihuahuas and toddlers close.

I realize this is a common phobia and a problem having them in your house, but it really is unnecessary to kill a non-venomous snake (like the black rat snake in creekside's picture), much less a 4" snake that you thought was a worm. Small snakes like that can be easily picked up and taken outside. It sounds like you are in a surburban/rural setting and those snakes provide a valuable service by eating rodents and insects. If you and the neighbors continue to decimate the population, it may backfire by increasing rodent/insect problems in the house.

We used to live in a very old home in exurbia surrounded by a meadow and forest, here in Ohio. So, there were plenty of snakes, eating plenty of the mice.

There was an old cistern a few feet from the house that was about 15' deep and we took the top off it one day and there was a snake in there! Who knows how it got there. Just goes to show you, they will go where they please, when they please.

Being an old house, I'm sure there were many ways for mice and snakes to enter the house. We never saw a snake upstairs, but I saw them a couple times in the basement. I'm glad they were there...we had way too many mice. My partner is terrified of snakes so I didn't tell him they were there...they were simply eating the mice.

I don't know about them coming in through pipes and the sewer. All I know is you can plug every hole you think there is and critters will still find their way in.

thanks for the info about weephole fillers at the brick yard--I am sure there is one fairly close to us...

no more recently--
and our cat could have brought them in...they are just much smaller than the ones he has brought as trophies before...

I know this is not "fair" to snakes...but an irrational aversion is all the harder to change...

Aw poor snake. We have snakes in the garden, and while they freak me out when I see one, I leave them be as they aren't hurting anyone and are good for the garden. They live in the back and never have snail or slug problems..not so in the front where the snakes don't hang out.

I agree, no need to kill them. People with problems with nature and wildlife should go live in a hi-rise. I love our snakes..everyone calls our garden the garden of eden. Our landscaper was so proud one day when he told me he "got one" by running it over with the lawnmower. I fired him.

I can't even imagine the horror of finding a snake (small/big) doesn't matter in or around my house!

There are groups that collect and "show" reptiles. They would not be in the phonebook under exterminators. You may be able to find them on craigslist, or maybe the local zoo would have some names that you could contact. I think they would be happy to come and gather any snakes that you have lurking around and they may also be able to help you find out WHERE they are coming from.

Good Luck - I'd be packing to move !!

I thought before that if the snakes has been a little larger our cat might have brought them in and we did not notice--
he is large == solid gray--so the snakes and he are basically the same color...
but they were just so small I thought he would not bother...

well this morning he was outside and wanted to come in while we were sitting around the kitchen table...
I opened the door and turned away and my husband said pretty quickly--
HEY--he has a mouse in his mouth...

the cat ran to the pantry--and dropped the mouse--which was still alive...
we ran to the pantry and the cat ran OUT leaving the injured mouse/rat (guts falling out) but still able to run around
he was hiding in the stuff around the baseboards--the two bins with pet food, some drinks cartons, sack with large paper bags--
so my husband got some leather gloves and we tried to getthe cat to finishe the job...
he was having nothing to do with the mouse/rat...

so my husband spent about 7 minutes trying to trap that thing...
there were bloody smears along the baseboards and on things...
UGH--
I have enough of critters for a while...
My husband keeps saying "mouse" but it was a RAT--
it had a long tail--longer than the animal--and was dark gray...and big...

my cat is just lounging around on the tile floor now--acting like butter would not melt in his mouth...

CATS!

You poor thing! Sounds like the cat should just stay outside or in your garage!

I just saw a snake in the garden about an hour ago and thought of you. It startled me at first..they always do..but this one was shedding it's skin! EW!

can't leave him outside--
he is really a sweet boy--but it was funny how he just decided that his part was over when he brought the "mouse/love gift" inside...
like a parent taking a grandchild to grandma's and grandpa's--
here--it's yours now...

it certainly woke us up...
guess we should be glad it was not a snake--
and I looked at him through the glass door and did not notice that he was holding it in his mouth at that time...
am going to start inspecting much more closely...

last year he killed and brought us a young rabbit--about 14 inches long head to tail--
that was heavy...
and we have a city lot with part of a city park behind us--so he is a pretty good hunter

omg ...my skin is crawling. thankfully we haven't found any snakes in the build. just in the garage of our temporary house (on the same property). my little girl went to get her bike and i heard one of those blood-curdling, primal screams. i almost break my leg trying to get to her and when i finally make it outside i see she's fine ...can't figure out why she's so upset. and then i see it ...black and coiled up neatly in a pile right under her bike. O.M.G.
the bulldozers were in earlier that day moving dirt around so that's where he came from. sometimes i hate nature. they should move to the city with the rest of the animals.

i hope you figure out your problem QUICKLY! outside is one thing but inside ...yikes!

My cat used to bring in large insects and put them in the bathtub to play with better.

Don't trust the cat! :)

so yesterday I almost stepped on a snake in my yard.
usually the dogs keep them at bay..in 17 years I've seen
maybe 5 snakes outside. (0 in house to date)
my phobia is spiders.
try not to kill them..but sometimes
like the bubble bath I was enjoying until the spider
dropped into the bubbles. haven't had a bubble bath since then.

love your thread...and hope your snakes stay outside.
great cat btw, sounds like a keeper

Venomous snakes have a triangular shaped head (from ears to nose) and non venomous snakes have a more rounded (or spoon shaped) head.

Your construction snake looks like a black king snake. They eat rats. They are your friends. We had one living in a tree hole next to our porta potty during construction.

Black king snake, non venomous, rounded head:

{{gwi:1491022}}

Timber rattlesnake, venomous, triangular head:

{{gwi:1491023}}

Rattlesnake that got in my way (54", 9 rattles). My sister told me how to skin it. My DH would not even touch it. He's hanging in the den now (the snake, not DH...although.... ;) ) Really ticks me off when he kills the non venomous snakes in our yard. We have a large garter snake living near our front veranda. He is eating my frogs, which is bothering me, but I told DH not to kill him. 15yo boy down the street shot/killed a 13 rattlers snake taller than he is a few weeks ago.

GET OUT!
you skinned (skint??) a snake???
you a brave lady.

did you make a gravy & cook that
snake???..good eating according to
my cajun neighbors. mias yea.

It was dead. Nothing brave about it. ;)

Did not eat since it was hot outside and awhile before my sister arrived. The meat did look good though. Next time.

• I hate snakes and my husband found one last week In are bathroo today we found another one can someone tell me where are they coming from im friking out
  

Snakes don't like mothballs, most humans don't either. You can put out some mothballs and they should keep the snakes away. They have to be the smelly kind with naphthalene in them.

This came up from my daughter's drain yesterday. It wasn't in the shower when she got in, obviously, she started was washing her hair and then stepped on it. Clearly it must have come from the drain. She wants to sell the house. Any ideas?

Put him back outside in the garden and calm down. Does she want to sell her house anytime there's a bug in it?

I had a copperhead in the front year yesterday when I was out walking the dogs. I can't have that - so I sent to get my implements of death and realized every freaking tool I have for stabbing or digging is at the new home site. So -had to borrow a shovel and a hoe from the neighbors. Unfortunately - the thing was gone by the time I got back.

I can't risk the dogs being bitten (they are not that bright)

I am now on high alert and going to lows to get a sharp edging tool / implement of death.

LOL Jannicone!