ok..ok.. i know they are signs that some one was creative and that a lower level is pretty easy to slither into and possibly LIVE IN!!! ugh! but that snake skin looked pretty new sittin pretty under the bar counter in the basement but in the open wall section of under it near the electrical wires. The downstairds( the basement) has a toilet room.. that is all it is.. there is no sink .. just a toilet.. lol.. and on the door someone drew a real creepy eye-symbol-thingy that reminded of some damn voodoo stuff.lol.. i looked on line and couldn't find it.. but it has swirls inside the eye.. and i know i will either paint over it or tear the damn door off..lol.. maybe just child's play... but the landlord said last person to stay there was a lone Marine. I get this real creepy feeling when i walk into the house. But geographically it works for me and him, and the schools are nearby, so great for the kids. Any ideas on how to snakeproof a basement? are there poisonous snakes in the VA area?
2007-12-19 00:56:21 · 3 answers · asked by Renegade 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
how would i identify it by the skin alone? i checked online and have found places that tell you how to check.. or where to send it.. but what about just pics of shed skin with the identificaton of them? do you know where i would fnd those?
2007-12-19 04:15:23 · update #1
The location you described finding the snakeskin suggests it was actually shed by a snake who would have sought a place it felt secure to shed it's old skin. Someone playing a prank would likely have left it in an open area so as to make it more likely for you to find it.
Many snakes including a few posionus are common to Virginia http://fwie.fw.vt.edu/VHS/snakes_of_virginia.htm
Check the snakeskin. If the bottom scales behind the anus are straight across, I believe it's a sign they are non-poisonous.
As for the symbol, can't help you there. It could be anything from "Leroy was here" to "Vote for Ron Paul" Just paint it over.
The snake may have vacated long ago or it's found a cozy place to huddle up for the winter. The good thing is you may have a snake but no mice!
2007-12-19 02:36:10 · answer #1 · answered by Bill G 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is a possibility the snake was a pet of a previous tenant.... in any case it would be a good idea to walk around the outside of the dwelling looking for anything that could be used as an entry... any small holes.. and seal them up.
(on the plus side, you wont be having any trouble with mice, lol)
I'd suggest taking the skin to the local Dept. of Natural Resources (game wardens, natural parks, etc) for identifying it....they'd know best what kinds of snakes you have in your area. And they can probably offer some good advice on signs and prevention.
As for the door... heheh...I'd just paint it or replace it.... you can buy a standard door slab for about $20 at most local building supply stores. If it bothers you that it's there... go ahead and replace it.
If there are other reasons you get the 'creepy feeling' then you may want to rethink moving in, hehehe....There are things you can do to make a home feel more comfortable, and youve really provided no descriptions, so its hard to say what might be causing any unpleasantness...could be a bad color scheme (then new paint will help), to the 'curb appeal' (then some cleaning/trimming/landscaping may help).
Good Luck
2007-12-19 12:39:14 · answer #2 · answered by thewrangler_sw 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you have a basement then there is always a chance for a snake to gain entry. Treat all snakes as poisonous unless you are sure. Cats are good at keeping away snakes. Do as suggested by Bill G and take the skin to get it identified. Then look for any space around pipes under doors etc. You can use steel wool to stuff into cracks and holes to prevent both rodents and snakes from gaining entry. As for the eye it could be one of two things if its for real and not just child's play. An eye with swirls can represent a hypnotic eye. An individual eye can also represent "Ojo". "Ojo" is pronounced O-ho. It means evil eye in English. It is used to place a curse on someone and is popular in Mexico. The customary way to battle "ojo" is by burning a candle with one of the Saints, the Virgin Mary or Jesus's image on the glass candle. If you have an uneasy feeling in the house as a result of these signs you can have the house blessed if you are a true believer. God bless you.
2007-12-19 13:26:39 · answer #3 · answered by g henry 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋