Snakes, anyone for clearing tall grass?? NOT I

[scagman]

Got a little embarassing story to tell. Two years ago I worked for a LCO. Ill say this now IM TERRIFIED OF SNAKES, well I got dropped off one day at a housing development by myself for 8 hours to wackdown 5 big water retention ponds.

I went into the first one not even thinkin about snakes, boss gave me the privelage of getting to use his new HONDA WEEDEATER, woo hoo god I came outa there with some new arms. I went in there and started clearing I glance down and see a snakes slithering. Im not joking I almost had a heart attack at the age of 17. Heat wave came over me and I was outta there, I also dropped the damn HONDA.

I stood there on the road for 15 min thinking of what to do, I couldnt call my boss and tell him this he had three guys with him that I barely Knew. By now your probably picturing this, but it gets better. Im standing there thinking of how I can overcome this fear of snakes by the way their all Garner snakes, So I call my PREGNANT GIRLFRIEND. We'll what the hell am I supposed to do not do the work and get fired from a great job.

Girlfriend rolls up, all she did for the first 5mins was make fun, so I geared her up with safety glasses, ear plugs and the spare homelite trimmer they left just incase. We go in I sprint through the pond grab my honda and started goin crazy wackin every thing down and also trying not to look down LOL. I honestly could not of done this without her, but shes holdin me up and makin me stop every 2 mins my plan was to keep movin and not to look down, this homelite trimmer is getting wrapped up in grass every 1-2 minutes.

Making me having to stand still, not a good thing I had momentum going. If he would have left me 2 sthil FS 85's I wouldnt have to stop, but I have to say thank god for that Homelite trimmer.

Girlfriend is not afraid of snakes at all, every time she got clogged I would try to unwind as fast as I could, she would yell snake at me almost every time. Ya real funny!!

I did see more snakes outa the corner of my eye and I would jump, scream like a girl and move to another spot clearing as fast as I could. If you lived in this place and were watching me out of your window (and I bet some people were) you would think I was SYCO and keep your kids inside.

We knocked out three they were pretty big, but I think boss expected more than that. I could have done more if I were normal. I told him that I forgot that I had a dentist appointment the next day for fillings, so wasnt able to come to work the next day. Luckily they finished the ponds off the next day.

I think a good point in this story is that my pregnant bitchy girfriend would really come do that for me. We were over at my old bosses house the other day and this popped into my head. I told him what I did he laughed and thought nothing else.

Now Im 18 shes 17 and he Alex my son is 10 months. Were living on our own in our own house running a legit buisness. Last year our first year infact we maintained 35 residental and 3 small commercial and alot of side jobs we net around 26K. I am still waiting for my back to recover from a posterior fusion that was done on DEC 10 2001 all due to a car accident that was not my fault (her dads a laywer too ) I just bought a new 6.5 x 12 tandem axle and am very excited to get out ther, after taking it easy and staying home bla bla bla. I WANT TO WORK. Just dropped off my scag for repairs and buying a new exmark viking very soon....... Well im goin to bed, man that was alot of typin for me.

[plymouthvaliant73]

http://rockbottomdlux.freewebspace.com/smilies/Jump.gif

Your girlfriend is a keeper! http://rockbottomdlux.freewebspace.com/smilies/Clapping.gif

Love her with every ounce of your body and soul. http://rockbottomdlux.freewebspace.com/smilies/Love.gif

~phttp://www.freakygamers.com/smilies/s2/contrib/edoom/biggrinbounce2.gif

[65hoss]

At least there is 1 man in the family.:D

Just kidding. I hate snakes too.

[big james]

Just remember ,most are harmless and are good for the enviroment ,eat rats and mice.:alien:

[LAWNGODFATHER]

After getting bit 2 x by poisonous snakes, I am completily terrified of snakes.

I'll look at them if they are at a distance I can get away fast, but hey no snakes for me.

A Boa or Python while some one else is holding it, is another story.

And I don't like to kill them while mowing, but the poisonous ones I will.

Picked a few black and garder snakes up with rakes and weed eater to move them.


MAn do I hate those black hoses with 2 yellow stripes down them.

[scagman]

L.G.F, you really were bit by 2 snakes. I never relly thought about it, but alot of you guys have to work around poisenous snakes. I could not even imagine weeding through a bed and running into a poisenous snake gives me chills. How did you get bit, did you have to go to a hospital. We only have garner snakes around here their not poisenous. If there were poisenous snakes around here I would find a new occupation or move to another state.


How many of you guys have to work around poisenous snakes and how do you do it????????

[lee b]

Very carefully...................:D

[kroll]

Scagman
make sure she teaches your son not to be afraid of snakes. and thank her often for saving your butt.
she's a rare find you better be nice.because she knows your weakness.LOL

[parkwest]

funny story, John Wayne would be proud. Are you sure Washington State doesn't have rattlers?

Call me old-fashioned but if the girl is pregnant don't you think you've gone past the girlfriend/boyfriend stage?

[mdb landscaping]

i hate snakes too. one of the lawns i mow, every year has a snake around the same spot. each time i come to mow, i know hes around but dont know when he will pop up. i found him this summer on top of a small bush. if i ever see him in the center of the lawn, ill ruin my striping pattern to get that one. i wonder what it would sound like if i run him over?

[Downeast]

Well allright Park ,here it goes
You are old fashioned

[parkwest]

Originally posted by scagman
Girlfriend is not afraid of snakes at all, every time she got clogged I would try to unwind as fast as I could,

Now Im 18 shes 17 and he Alex my son is 10 months. not my fault.... (her dads a laywer too )

Why were you "clogging" your "girlfriend" when you were supposed to be working?

Got to admit you have guts knocking up a lawyer's 15 yo daughter. In some states that would get you 3 to 5.

[thelandscaper27]

I'm very terrified of snakes too. I've been bit 3 times in 1 week by those ^&&*^^%^ COPPER HEADS!!! They hurt here in Ohio!
Forget them weed eaters. Grab a Shindiawa T260 With a Metal Frail. That will teach theme to fool with me.

PS Those Copper Heads were about 3.5 to 4 feet in length.

[Downeast]

scaper27, how sick did you get each time . I thought those things could kill . We dont have them nasty critters around here . Lyme disease from a tick bite is about the worst here .

[summitgroundskeeping]

Even though I told this one to u guys, some newer members may not have heard this.
I was mowing at these 2 accounts I have next door to each other. I was mowing that island between the street and sidewalk. As I was backing up I saw this snake lying in the grass. I turned off the mower and looked at it. It had no head but still moving (lol) :confused: . I got out my knife, got the snake to so my brother at the other yard (owner of this yard is a skitzofrenic) and as I was going down the sidewalk the one homeowner went nuts, running around her garage screaming. SO I put the snake in the grass pile in the bed of the truck. It was just funny to see a lady work up a stain so fast from seeing a dead snake (with no head) from a good 150 feet away. Ah memories.

[LAWNGODFATHER]

Originally posted by scagman
L.G.F, you really were bit by 2 snakes. I never relly thought about it, but alot of you guys have to work around poisenous snakes. I could not even imagine weeding through a bed and running into a poisenous snake gives me chills. How did you get bit, did you have to go to a hospital. We only have garner snakes around here their not poisenous. If there were poisenous snakes around here I would find a new occupation or move to another state.


How many of you guys have to work around poisenous snakes and how do you do it????????



First time I was driven to the hospital with the trailer gate down the whole way.

Second time I was unconsous before we made it to the hospital.


PAIN PAIN PAIN, hurts like nothing you could imagine.

MOst snake poisons go after the nerve system.

[scagman]

What kind of snakes bit you and what kind are in your area. I bet you gotta be jumpy when you working. I would be , but im a woose. I forgot about rattlers we have them in Eastern WA where its hot. I dont like to go over there if you can guess why.

[LAWNGODFATHER]

Copper head and cotton mouth. Both time were copper head. They don't look copper.

I don't go back that far in that yard anymore.

Both times in my left ankle.

Once I was on the velke. The other had to use the fisilities (woods)

Nothing like the feel of watching your friend cut your ankle up with a knife to suck the poison out.

Second time we didn't do that.

[awm]

yea i saw the DUKE do that suck out the poison thing one time.
guess he saved the fellas life but i still wasnt sold on the idea.
dont wont to be the sucker ,or the suckee.:D
copper heads bad cause he dont move an will let u step onim
rather than move outa the way.course u bit then.
moccasinis different. hell come after u for a fight.
ive seenum mean as snapping turtles.
not to offend snake enthusiast but even the constrictors
get it from me. hate to find a animal or bird nest w all the babies in some old black snakes belly. seems like all the do is hunt baby
critters to eat. if i offended a snake lover ,so be it ,my youngest son is one.i still dont likeum.later now

[parkwest]

Two loggers were back in the woods when one of them gets bit by a rattlesnake right in the crotch. The other guy ran down to the truck to get medical advice on the radio from the office. They told him to make 2 small incisions over the puncture wounds and suck the poison out. The guy asked what would happen if he didn't and was told the victim would probably die before they were able to get some one out there to him.

The guy runs back up to his partner and his partner, looking at his swollen crotch area, asked what did they say. He tells the guy, "Well it looks like your going to die."

[scagman]

That is too funny!!!!! I think I would do it if it were me. Would you? You guys all talk about these Copperheads are they deadly? Ive never heard of em.

[LAWNS AND MOWER]

Depends on how much $$$$ he owed me. Was mowing a yard and blew a bunch of grass into a creek. Water started backing up so I went into the creek to move a big rock that was causing the backup. SAS there's a giant snake under the rock!!! Twisted my ankle trying to get out of the creek. When I used to have employees, I would plant a dead snake (accidently killed by weedeater) under there towel on the front seat. Talk about trying to keep a straight face before they noticed the critter!!!!

LAWNS AND MOWER

[big james]

that went out years ago ,turns out infection kills more people from doing that than the snakebite! We got Copperheads ,Cottonmouths ,Coral Snakes ,Timber Rattlers and the dreaded copperheaded trouser moccasin!:eek:

[TJLC]

Down here there is always something running or crawling around. I did cut a rental house one time with grass about 2 feet tall that was loaded with rats running all over the place. It was to help out a friend, otherwise I think I would have passed on it.

[David Haggerty]

I know what you mean about those moccasins being agressive.

A few years ago I was leveling some fill dirt behind Dad's house.
I was using a tractor with a loader. Dad watched from the bank.

I chased out two moccasins. They spied Dad and took out after him.
I didn't think the old man could move so fast! I could see it all from up on the tractor.
It was like watching a dog after a rabbit. He'd run this way then the other.
I could see those snakes stop, raise up, take another bead on him and go after him again.
They chased him like that right up to the back door of his house!
I thought it was all kind of funny, but he didn't see the humor in it at all.
I guess he was close to 80, and the chase alone could have killed him.


I'm calling them moccasins, but I'm no snake expert.
They were about 4 to 5 feet long, very tapered at the ends.
They had extremely muscular bodies, quite big around for their length.
They were extremely fast. Fastest snake I'd ever seen!
And they had very dark charcoal grey skin.

What do you all think they were?

People say cotton mouthed water moccasins don't live this far north.
But I've seen some Dad had killed before.
He opened their mouth and showed me, pure white and puffy inside..like cotton.

Here's a pic of where his house used to sit. It floods like this once a year or more.
Chases the snakes right up into our homes.
I live behind this property,"up the creek".

[big james]

yep the thick body and blount tail are how you identify a water moccasin plus the white on the inside of their mouth ,you got them in ohio ,they just hibernate a little deeper down that's all. their venom smells like a skunks spray ,I learned that frog gigging when I was a kid :o

[David Haggerty]

Thanks for the confirmation.
People have told us that moccasins don't live here.
I wish they would tell that to the snakes!

The next creek north of me is named Rattlesnake Creek.
Named after the big eastern diamond back that used to live there.

Dad said the earley settlers couldn't live here till they started keeping hogs.
The hogs would get fat eating snakes.

Now that no one's keeping hogs outdoors anymore, the snakes are coming back!

Dave

[big james]

yep they will do it for sure ,a hog will eat anything just about ,they will eat there own nuts when you cut them ,once the pain dies down.:p Eastern Diamondbacks are on the Endangered Species List.:(

[awm]

i cant understand why the folks that are suppose to know insist that moccasins,are not around the carolinas.they not as common as copperheads,but they there. especially around the uwharries
hills.by the way dave ,what u described was a cotton mouth.
them things bugger me a little.least we dont have gators
THAT I KNOW OF.later now

[big james]

A four or five foot water moccasin is a BIG ONE for that species,He would give you a big old bump of venom!:eek:

[David Haggerty]

I know the names of snaked vary by region.
So what are these?
Dad always called these "cotton mouthed water moccasins".

Is that the right name for this snake?
Or do I have two species confused?

Snakes are a big deal around here.
Probably half the reason folks keep their lawns mowed.
The grass'll get really thick here and hide snakes, mice etc.

big james & awm, thanks for the info.

Dave

[thelandscaper27]

Chester M5,

It hurt baddly yes they can kill. It was a good thing I went to the hospital immediately after ecah bite. Sorry it takes so long getting to these posts.

[thelandscaper27]

Just gotta deal with them critters.
GRIN AND BEAR IT ! :D :D

[thfireman]

awm,

I dont know who told you we dont have moccasins in N.C.!! We have them everywhere around creeks and lakes and pine wooded areas. Rattlers also! Gators Too!, mostly farther east than Charlotte. A few have been spotted in Lake Norman and Wylie as well as a few golf coarse lakes.

[goodbeus]

I got one for ya...

I work here in Florida...pulled up to a job, got out of the truck, walked back to the trailer....was standing there, put on safety goggles and ear muffs, just happened to look down and lo and behold, a 4 foot moccasin between my legs striking at me....well, I screamed and jumped and danced....got the shovel off the trailer and killed that bugger....told the homeowner about it and she informed me that a lot of dogs in the neighborhood and gotten sick and a few we're killed from snakebites....I guess that snake didn't have no venom by the time I came around....he was striking at me, but not making contact, but man, woke me up for the day....

[scagman]

Saw the first snake of the season today, startled the sh@# outa me.

[goodbeus]

I saw 2 last week :(

[ProMo]

i do several lakefront properties and have had several encounters with mocassins so bad i spray a wall with roundup because they are always nesting there my worst encounter was with a green snake i was using wb in a backyard when it fell out of a tree and l;anded on the gas tank that was almost my head my worst encounter yet was a 4.5 ft gator turned the corner and there he was only the mower seperating us and he started toward the machine so glad them things have reverse

[the point man]

There are no snakes in western New York.
There are no snakes in western New York.
There are no snakes in western New York.

[LAWNS AND MOWER]

I've already seen 3 snakes this season. Only saw 5 all of last season. Told one customer I saw a snake while weedeating his bank. I described it to him as having a Triangular head and a little rattle thingy on his tail!!! Told him I wasn't sure what kind it was!!! Told him it was actually a harmless brown snake. Ask me if I killed it. Told him no, the snake keeps away the mice and rats!!!

LAWNS AND MOWER

[fireball]

The Point Man

Sure you do and her name is Hillary Clinton.

[Just Turned Pro]

Originally posted by scagman
Saw the first snake of the season today, startled the sh@# outa me.

Same thing this weekend... In my own yard I have an area with a large ivy covered stump surrounded by 1 man rocks, flowering shrubs, junipers, etc. There also used to be a pond there. This is the only spot in the yard that the garden snakes like and about this time every year they start to sun themselves.... Well on Saturday I was weeding my yard, on my hands and knees, got into a pretty good rythym, just pulling weeds and not really paying attention... well I reached over into one of the shrubs and grabbed a weed about 6 inches from this big fat garden snake... of course it slithered over the dried leaves and into the rocks making all kinds of noise...startled the poo-poo out of me. :blob1: After I realized what it was (and calmed down) I looked closer and saw 2 others poking out of the ivy. I know that they are harmless and I've played with them before... But its the darn startle effect... gets me the first couple times every summer.

Of course it got me to thinkin... how do you guys in rattler country do it!

[maple city]

I was weedeating around the foundation of a house when I realized there was a snake curled up (sleeping, dead, I don't know) where I needed to trim next. I went right around that sucker and (thankfully) he didn't move. I finished trimming everything else and the snake was still there. I left that small section of grass right where it was. Unprofessional or not, I don't trim where a snake is sleeping.

[Dennis E.]

We have lots of em' here. I've seen Moc's,a few pygmy rattlers,Indigo,black snakes,corn snakes. I leave them alone. They have a purpose.
My close encounter was with a huge black snake in a Ligustrum tree. I was standing on the base of a ladder,leaning into the tree,while trimming around the top. It had the "umbrella" style canopy,about 9 ft. tall. As I was leaning into this tree the black snake came across my left shoulder,went across the top of my chest,along the top of my right shoulder and he was gone. He must have been sunning in the ligustrum and I never saw him.
Scared the life out of me.

[Cramer Lawn Care]

I usually kill about 6-7 snakes a year with my trimmer. Had a hard time at first,have to make sure to hit them with the line turning away from me. To me a dead snake is a good one!

[RLS]

:eek:
Here in our area, we deal with several different kinds of poisinous snakes on a daily basis. Copperheads(hide VERY well in pine staw and leaves, even by just laying on top of them), water moccasins(big and ugly and like it around the lake), timber rattlers (beautiful and mean, but at least you usually hear them before you see them).
We have been very lucky that one of us or our employee haven't been bitten. There have been quite a few close calls with each one of us. Just last week, I was picking up some leaves that I had racked up and a copperhead slithered right through my arms. I nearly had a heart attack. My husband and our hand (Martin) have both been struck at quite a bit.
There is this one account that we do that is on Lake Livingston, and every, and I mean every, time we mow there we see at least 5 water moccasins. We carry our 4/10 shotgun with us to this place and kill them for the customer. 2 weeks ago we killed two with one shot, laying up on a huge bolder sunning. One of them was 6' long and as big around as a baseball bat. No exaggeration! When the smaller one fell into the lake, 10 or 15 other moccasins came from under the water and formed a big ball around the dead snake. I guess the were going to eat him. I'm not sure what else they would be doing.
We just have to be very careful and very aware of what we are doing when it comes to snakes.
Have a good one all!!!!!!
:) PK

[Jimbo]

Scagman as said before you got a real good woman. Mine is good too she has brought me water many a time when my dumb butt was so dehydrated I could have died. Thats how I am though in a hurry to get out the door and only take a quart jug for all day...then she drives 30 miles to bring me more.

Also we will say a prayer for you...get well...sorry to hear about your accident.

AND THE REST OF YOU!!

I have a great new marketing plan that I will put into effect after reading this post. If you have an account that looks like it would be a great habitat for snakes, just mention to the owner or whoever does the ontracts that there are so many snakes on the property you dont know what to do. Most people wont want to mow it themselves, and you might get the lock on the property.. Just a thought.