Snake in the cabin heater ducts

I opened the door to find a bull snake on the dash slithering toward the passenger side. Went around the truck to help let him out, and it slithered back to the driver side and then disappeared in the dash somewhere, can't find it now. So many questions.

We've had a problem with mice in the cabin filter, had several families raise a lot of offspring and then turn to jerky when it got hot, found the pile of mouse corpses, maybe the snake was hoping they'd have a reunion he could participate in?

I don't want to create snake jerky, what to do? If I leave the door open overnight, maybe squirrels will move in. I live deep in the woods, and so do small creeping things. Maybe this is their truck.

 

Cahaba snake trap. (Google it)

Or Extra large sticky rat traps.

It's an unpopular option.
But I'm not poking around in a dash, looking for a snake.

 

If the snake would just give me the rundown about if he's still hunting some rogue mice, maybe I leave him in there, wait 'til he eats, gets fatter and slows down so I can grab him. So far haven't heard a thing.

 

Fair enough.

I'm gonna ask him to leave.
If he doesn't within 5 mins. I'll start looking at eviction types.

I'm not a snake guy.
My rule is, if they leave me alone, I leave them alone.

Breaking and entering is grounds for action in my book.

 

He probably smelled mice and that’s why it went in the first place, and you gave it a warm place to hang out. How about putting a cage on the floor with a mouse inside it? Your buddy may come out then and you’ll be able to get it.

 

How do I never land these problems.

NEVER use sticky traps on a snake unless your prepared to spend the next month caring for it till it sheds and can live it's life afterwards. Unless you just aim to kill it then you can but that would be just sad.

I would put a heat matt or maybe the heated seat on let the truck run with the ac cranked at the coolest part of the day. He should seek out the heat in the cool conditions.

If it's for sure a bull snake just toss on a sweater and some fabric work gloves and get poking around they don't have much for teeth a bite is really nothing. These are solutions from someone that knows these animals and their behavior the above advice is from someone that treats them like a pest not the valuable species they are.

 

I told OP it was an unpopular option.

Now he knows, I wasn't lying.

 

Sadly it's not an unpopular opinion. As it's more of a common opinion that's snakes are pests and should be killed as they are all dangerous. Lack of understanding and fear mongering has led to generations that will openly kill snakes. But yet the general population will lose its mind over a cat/dog being put down.

 

I think it would be difficult to get it out of there by fishing around for it. He/She is gonna coil around wires etc.

I kinda like the idea of making an 'offering' either inside or outside. Not sure how you'd keep the mouse in there tho to attract the snake.

Nice to know you have them around to keep mice etc where they belong - in the snakes tummy.

 

You just have to find the right mechanic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZJ4g3ECidg

 

Here’s what I’d do:
Go down to the Home Depot. Go past the garden department though over by hardware. There you’ll find “For Sale” signs. Get one of those for the truck…

 

My solution and a realistic solution are 2 different things. I’d pay a stranger to drive it into the ghetto and leave it running with the door open and report it stolen. Realistically, probably one of those trap things with some bait. Either way, that sucks and I’d probably sell the truck and move afterward. Snakes are evil serpents.

 

It is not Friday, but it is late enough I can use fatigue as an excuse ...

PART IT OUT! IT IS TOTALED!

 

Stop eating Cheetos in the truck.

 

Find the nearest lake/river/body of water, drive the truck in there and park it for a bit. Snake will drown, problem = solved

 

Seriously ... snakes look for heat. That is why they end up in sleeping bags.

Get some kind of trap, humane or not (your choice) and put a noticeable heat source near it. Leave overnight. Some stinky pre-killed mouse you can buy from a pet store will attract the snake.

 

I can't seem to get word when he leaves, so I guess I'll never really know, I just don't want to have to snake (see what I did there?) dead snake jerky out of the vents when it begins to smell a bit like snake bacon.

I like having bull snakes on staff here in the woods because they eat things that like my cabin air filter as a king sized family bed. My dogs are useless at hunting the snake, they'd die in the wild of hunger, or try to snuggle with a bear. One did spot the snake on the dash, then went to look for treats.

Would one of those high pitched mouse deterrent whistle alarm things also make the snake slither off? Take that google/AI.

 

You need a Mongoose

 

Those used to be pretty good bikes. Do they also eat mice which may or may not still be there, or just snakes?