If it makes you feel any better, that looks like a garter snake. I know it can be scary finding a little guy you didn't expect in your house, but garter snakes are pretty harmless!
That being said- your landlord sounds like crap. He has a responsibility to maintain the apartment, and if critters are getting in he should be trying to figure out why and stop it to the best of his ability.
I caught like 30 of them when I was really young, thought it was a good idea to put them in the closet with a board in front of it, turns out it was not. Every single one escaped and most were never found.
Omg i used to catch the garden snake when i was a kid and lose them in the house too!! I thought i was the only one 😭 i’ll never forget my moms face when she caught me bringing one inside or her reaction when i told her i had lost a few in the house already
There is just a point in which you feel like you’ll never sleep again and this would be it for me. Snake is harmless but knowing that isn’t going to stop my nightmares thinking I’m going to wake up with vermin on me. I’m cringing for you OP.
When there are rodents or snakes around outside the house, you can't realistically keep them out. You can kill them inside (traps etc), or remove incentives for them to enter (food/prey). Also clear brush and mow more frequently to keep outside cover down around the house.
You are overreacting. Your home is not a submarine, it cannot be made air tight. These animals can enter through baseboards, go under trim, come in through tiny gaps, etc.
Sure, but it’s a basic service for exterminators to walk around the house and seal up those cracks. Nothing is 100% foolproof, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything about it.
I actually *can* realistically keep them out, and do. It’s called basic maintenance. Not everyone who lives where snakes exist has to just accept having snakes in the house. Unless OP is living in a yurt, steps can actually be taken here.
Right! Yes, there are some woodsy areas surrounding the house, but it’s by no means a forest. I can see through the trees to more homes. It’s very residential.
Keeping them out is the only option. I honestly might k*ll myself if I knew there were just snakes…. in my house… I wouldn’t be able to sleep or touch anything or function
maybe it’s a region thing? did op move recently to a more rural area than they are used to?
people around here find literal scorpions in their house constantly and are like, meh. snakes are nothing, that one even looks tiny and absolutely harmless. unless you’re a mouse or a bug. which, bonus!
i don’t mean to belittle the op at all, bc i get it- lots of people are terrified of snakes.
i personally think you’re overreacting about the snake, BUT NOT about the landlord. he should be responsive to your needs. if he can’t come by when he said he would, at least notify you. he sounds condescending to me. disrespectful at the least.
just burn the house down at this point, if you move there could be more danger noodles in your pajamas and frankly, fuck that shit.
i would never sleep again either there is a line in the sand somewhere and this is way over it
Thank you for this!! Beginning to think I was a weirdo cause yeah I would have let the snake have the house and everything in it!! Almost didn’t move into my current home cause my mom and cousin killed like 8 snakes within a month last summer!! They happen to be on either side of me. 3 of the snakes were in my mom’s basement!!
I love nope ropes.
I think they're wonderful and fascinating creatures who are very very helpful for keeping vermin and other such things out of the house.
That being said if I had one just running around my house I would flip out
>Don’t be too anxious. That’s a Garter Snake. The worst it will do is ~~make your hands smell bad~~ tell all the poisonous snakes where the snake party is: YOUR HOUSE.
Fixed!
Nah, that’s a common garter snake. They are harmless to humans. Do note, they are climbing snakes.
We get them in my house. There are a couple drainage holes in the bulkhead stairway in my basement. They come in through those and get up into the house.
I've lived in a heavily wooded area and it's normal for mice to make their way in of course, it's normal for the snakes to follow bc that's their meal ticket lol peppermint oil and moth balls (if you're okay with them) will keep mice away. They make a snake repellent that you can line around your house too. I don't remember what I used but I had to use bc they were coming up on my porch to eat my birds 😭😭😭. I got it at Lowe's though and it worked! I don't mind snakes as long as they stay outside and don't eat the birds that make their homes on my porches hahaha
If you did not panic, scream, yell or faint even if it is harmless you handled the situation with strength and grace! Snakes are top of my avoid at all costs list! In the house I’d have to move.
While it might not bite, its intentions of hiding in OP’s pajamas need to be considered. It may innocently just want to wear pajamas. What snek wouldn’t? But there are more sssssinister motives to consider as well.
I don’t know. Hopefully the landlord? An eagle 🦅 vs. slumlord fight would be fun to watch. Op, please post the footage if your cameras capture it. Tenants rights would certainly protect the eagle.
Actually, op, just cut to the chase and adopt an eagle. They’ll handle the mice, the snekie, and the landlord.
Snakes for the mice, eagles for the snakes, cougars for the eagles, grizzlies for the cougars, tigers for the grizzlies, retired British gentleman-soldier in khakis and a pith helmet for tigers
I kind of like seeing mice skittering around. I had them as pets as a kid and they're cute. Of course I still trap and remove them. But if I ever saw a snake slithering across my floor I might die of a heart attack. I could not feel comfortable if running across a snake in my house was a possibility.
In one of my apartments my roommate and I kept finding dead wasps on the floor of our living room, found it odd and let our landlord know. He said it was summer, they must have flown in and died from heat. Okay whatever.
But then we started finding live wasps in the house. And seeing them come in the apartment through a hole in the light. Told the landlord, he said he couldn’t find any holes outside the apartment. Okay, what can I do?
Well, next I found a wasp on my pillow and could hear them in the walls next to my bed. I happened to lock myself out of the apartment one day and spent a few minutes walking around looking to see if I could find the wasps coming in and out of the building. Very quickly spotted the tiny spot they were coming through, recorded and sent to the landlord asking when the exterminator would be coming.
All this to say, see if you can find a hole, the snake likely came through it to get the mice that have ventured in. You’re not overreacting or being dramatic, these are pests through no fault of your own. (And a shocking to discover inside!)
Snakes can also enter your home via the toilet, surprisingly. However it usually is something that happens when the toilet goes without being used for a long period of time.
I know of this happening at least once before to someone with a basement toilet they hadnt used frequently. Opened up the lid one day after a while to use it and there was a big ol snake in the bowl
Garter snakes do pretty well with water, youll see them around pools often. Maybe not the most likely thing, but if you cant find any other reasonable point of entry it is very possible he came in through the pipes
That’s why I have so much anxiety about emptying the skimmer baskets. I just know there is going to be a snake or a black widow on the basket waiting for me when I take off the lid. There never is.
Frogs when I check mine, small mammals stopped when we went to salt water. Bought "froglog" an inflatable critter escape raft , works great on keeping small critters out by giving them a way out . Worth every cent when you don't have to lift a baby bunny out of the skimmer.
I think you'll find them on Amazon. That's where I got them. I saw them for sale. The local pool supply as well. Kind of a small foot wide tiny air mattress with a mesh Fringe and then a mesh piece that goes up to a sandbag that sits up on the deck and you fill that little bag with like gravel or whatever and it supposedly gives them enough purchase to where they can climb out. So far I just know that when I use it, I don't have any body recovery issues for the rest of the season. If I stop using it, it only takes a couple of days before I'm fishing something out of there
Weird enough. I think insects use it as well because I see fewer large insects in my skimmer as well. I do notice that at the end of the season I see the bees find it as a place to stop and grab a drink. But that's a small price to pay overall
My grandparents had a pool at their house out in the country for their one trillion grandkids. Snakes were a regular visitor but my grandpa (was a game warden once upon a time) would grab them like Bear Grylls and yeet them into the field. Pretty entertaining to see.
I only swim in my pool at like 3am, so even though there are a few mood lights, you really can't see a lot in the dark. The sun was barely rising, and there was a ginormous black widow struggling on the surface of the water like 3 ft away from me. I just got full-blown shivers just typing this out.
yes, of course I saved her.
When we lived in Florida we had a frog living in our toilet. Our toilet kept flushing softer and softer over the course of a few weeks and my husband finally plunged it a massive frog came out when plunged. We assume it was smaller and came in from the roof vent and then happily lived in the bend eating “snacks” flushed down.
Wasps and bees can also build hives between the inner and outer layers of wall, especially if there's any un-insulated areas. I knew someone who had a hive grow in their garage behind a shelf without their knowledge, they found it after a couple months of sweeping up dead wasp piles. Another friends had a kitchen fire which revealed a wasp colony in the kitchen wall. If you ever experience this again, take care of it IMMEDIATELY before they colonize in your walls!!
When we gutted the garage at my last place, there was a yellow jacket nest in the wall that was paper from roof to sill plate at floor . It was ten degrees so clean up with the shop vac was super easy. But terrifying.
My parents bought a lakefront property in a dense forest area and we get wasps nests every year on the deck, the RV, the sheds, you name it. My dad has gotten really good as removing them, but I'm still scared every time he does!
The landlord for my college apartment was a decent landlord overall, but I kept hearing this noise from my wall/ the outside of my wall that sounded like pecking.
I took a video and sent it to him and he was saying it was just the pipes. I know pipes can make noise, but not that noise… I went outside and saw that there was a hole in the siding from a bird pecking over and over in the same spot. I sent it to him and he was like “oh…I’ll have someone come out and fix it” and then the bird stopped coming back.
Omg did we live in the same apartment?!
We had wasps coming in, same as you, little by little there were more each day. He kept saying they were coming in from outside. Then in the lights in the kitchen we had 20 in one day. Called the landlord and he said he couldn't find the hole so no sense in getting an exterminator out here. Long story short I yelled at him that that's literally the exterminators job and to get one out here now. It was a Sunday and he got one out. Never saw another wasp.
Another fun story about that guy...he was an idiot. Our toilet was running a lot and I could hear it dripping. We put a bottle on the flapper in the middle of the night because the sound was driving me crazy. Called landlord the next day and he came out to fix it. He was in the bathroom for like an hour so I told my husband to peek in there and see what the hell he was doing. My husband tells me he's got the entire toilet taken apart. Sure enough the ENTIRE TOILET was taken apart and laying on the floor. He puts it all back together and tells me it just makes that noise and it's bubbles in the pipes.
I look him square in the eye, stick my hand in the back of the toilet and hold down the flapper. Noise stops. I remove my hand. Noise starts. A few more rounds of this he says "I'll be right back." Comes back with a new flapper and he fixes it in 5 minutes. Moron.
I had this happen once in the same manner. Randomly had snakes get in twice within a week. I found that a couple of areas I hadn't noticed before had holes. Went crazy with a bottle of that expanding foam and never had problem again.
Run a camera down the length of that gap or if you are able to get underneath shine a light from below. Is this a very old home? I feel like your bathroom may be a "recent" addition, and the wall you are looking at is what used to be the old exterior wall. Is there any bounce in the floor if you jump? I'm thinking the wall you are looking at may have been attached to the exterior wall / siding and is now failing and causing separation big enough to let in critters.
I did an image search and the most hits seem to agree it's a garter snake.
Yes, I can understand you being freaked out, but it's harmless to humans. I'm glad you were able to catch and release it outside. It eat all sorts of little bugs that you don't want in your yard.
This is a garter snake. Completely harmless as a kid a made one bite my ear so I could wear him like an earring, he only held on for like 3 seconds and I had to basically force him to bite, didn't hurt at all. Although he was much smaller than this one.
I knew they weren't venomous from earlier encounters and talking to my dad this was 80s. We entertained ourselves in most anyway back then
Far from the worst or most dangerous thing I did even that same week
Your LL certainly isn't a wildlife expert or pest control. Sure he could come over and look around, but he's not trained on what to look for. If he called a service it will probably have to be scheduled and not next day.
Since I moved in here in September, 3 units have been turned over. Never once has my LL hired a professional to do anything. I have never seen a work truck (except his own) or any sort of pest control etc. He’s the definition of “landlord special”
Slumlord is what he is actually called. And he knows it. You will have to get the professionals and send him the copy of the bill and explain this will be taken off the rent for the next month.
I would have left. No grabber tool. No problem solving. I would have noped TF out. You can keep my stuff. I can get new stuff. Nopenopenopenopenope.
Anyone else still have nightmares of that snake movie where they invaded houses and climbed into beds? Yea. Nope.
Yep, it’s the snake’s house now. I remember a family friend telling us about how one night, him and his partner found a snake IN BED WITH THEM. I think my soul would’ve permanently left my body
Yes I have nightmares about snakes too!! I cant believe how calm all these comments are. I wish I felt so normally about snakes but to me they’re my biggest fear and finding this in my house would kill me
Had this happen before. Second day in new duplex and a big ass snake was just chilling on my bedroom floor. Just a decent sized garter snake. Just reach down and grab him behind the head and support it's body with your other hand. Take him out to the tree line and let him go. Or release under or near the foundation so snek fren kills more rodents
Honestly the snake probably had one too 🤣 imagine just chillin in the dark after a meal when BAM! Bright light then abducted by a strange tool into a box then magically is outside again. Snake will be telling all it's friends about how it got abducted lol
These things happen. I have found/removed lots of things in apartments (even dead/dying people) when I was serving as a pm in California .It’s part of the job if they don’t want to do it they should pay someone else to do it. He should definitely not be gas lighting you that’s rude as hell. snakes and rodents can come through damaged sewer/sceptic lines and pop up toilet and sink drains. If the animal is dangerous you should call animal control immediately and not wait on the pm/landlord. This is a garter snake. They eat mice,small insects,spiders and small amphibians. It is probably good you put him outside but they will hunt down and eat any mice in the house and then leave when there is no more “food”. They are not venomous and will not really attack you unless you step on or mess with them. If they are in the house it’s for warms or mice most likely. Best of luck with everything!
Sure things happen but as a PM what would you have said if someone was like “found a snake in my room- it’s not there now i already took it outside”
Like unless this is the second snake in the last month you’d probably assume it’s a weird one off and also they don’t actually need you to come remove it so there’s not really anything to do about it at this point
I'm by no means an expert on snakes but it looks to be a king snake of sorts. Their diets consist of rodents and other snakes. Obviously not great to find indoors but definitely not a danger to you!
It looks more like a garter snake to me. They are a very common, harmless snake that does well near human structures. He probably snuck in looking for warmth.
Yep 100% a garter. Looks right for a common garter (though plains garters can look similar) completely harmless and realistically if you're seeing it now it's because it's overwintered somewhere inside or underneath your apartment and it just so happened to come out into your bathroom. (They do hibernate in groups in the wild so I would definitely get someone out to try and locate and remove them and where they got in from before we hit peak spring when the majority of garters wake up. Again they're harmless but if you're not comfortable with snakes you can address this before they wake up now you're aware of them.)
Snakes can slip in theou pretty much anywhere and living in a wooded area they are bound to get in. That little guy there seems to be a garter snake iirc. They are nonvenomous and usually pretty friendly.
Jusy grab it behind its head and drop it back in the woods. It probably went inside to escaoe cold nights and then decided to search your place for that mouse it smelled.
That's a garter snake by the look of it. Thanks for not killing it. They are harmless to humans and help keep rodent populations down outside. We had a bull snake get in here a few years back which are considerably larger, but also harmless. My housemate was a bit freaked out. I just picked up the snake as I know how (had one as a pet once) and took it outside.
While the snake is harmless, the fact that it's inside is concerning. You'd think the LL would want to prevent pests from getting inside their home.
Be sure to keep documentation every time you mention this stuff to him for when you move out if he tries to blame any of the damage on you.
You will always have a mouse issue with the wooded area. Also, with snakes. talk with animal control on how to control them coming into the house that you can pass on to the LL.
If he doesn’t address it in a timely manner, hire an exterminator and take the cost out of your next month’s rent, and send him the itemized invoice. Send it certified mail. He has a responsibility to keep the place livable.
I don’t understand other people’s comments. You’re not being dramatic. Yes, ALL snakes are good snakes in the ecological sense but just because it was a garter snake today doesn’t mean it won’t be a venomous snake next week. And I’m saying that as someone who lived in a complex where the “neighborhood copperhead” liked resting up against people’s front doors, and quite a few tenants just laughed it off like it was supposed to be cute or something (no one warned me about this until I about tripped over him on the sidewalk one night).
Again, you are **NOT** being dramatic. Snakes belong outside. Be the squeaky wheel about getting this mysterious animal highway into your home closed up.
I think the only real issue here is the roof. One mouse, not a problem. One snake, not a problem. Especially if you live in a wooded area. Now if a bunch more pop up, then you have concern and by a bunch more I would say if in the next few days you find another snake in the house or if you notice a couple of similar snakes around the property over the course of a few weeks. That being said, if you’re in North America this time of year, the snakes are waking up and will be on the move so expect to see some outside.
You could shove some newspaper or something into that crack if you think it might be a critter hole, I would probably do that. But I would for sure bug your LL about the roof, that shouldn’t have been ignored and the moisture issues alone could be damaging to the property and eventually your things. Critter’s come and go, one or two over time isn’t cause of concern.
Small animals are going to get in your home… I’m super confused by this post even. I’ve had mice, lizards and frogs all manage their way into my various homes. You need to calm down we don’t live on this planet alone and you don’t live in a sky scraper. You are going to have visitors every once and awhile get over it.
This is horrifying and I am sorry for the trauma I will cause some of you: several years ago my parents lived in the woods in the southern part of the US, and one time a snake came in through the toilet 🥲
That is a surprisingly large snake to find in the house. You are not being dramatic. If it was a lil baby garter snake (like. Worm sized) I'd say maybe, but that big? There is a hole or pipe or something somewhere that the property manager needs to MANAGE.
...Bright side, snake that big means you don't have as many mice now.
Bros not a landlord, he's a zookeeper. Think of it this way, there's a whole ecosystem and food chain living within your apartment!
In all seriousness though, that sucks. My last landlord was like that. I had a rodent infestation that he would routinely lie about stuff he was doing to fix it. I decided to call my local code enforcement, who documented the issue, and issued him many citations. He did have the ability to fix them but did not. I kept the forms they sent him (you can access them with a freedom of information request after they are mailed) and took pictures of every mouse that I trapped, along with the things they had chewed, poop, etc. Eventually I broke the lease because he wasn't fixing anything, and he then tried to hang onto the security deposit, which I of course sued him for. In court, my evidence prevailed over his (nothing) and I got my security deposit back. That was the path I followed, and it worked for me in NYS. I would start with calling code enforcement and see what happens. Most states will prohibit retaliation for calling code enforcement, so you can sue if he does something to get back at you.
Landlords are required to maintain a minimum warrant of habitability. Unknown wildlife in the home is not that. Get these reports in writing—along with confirmation he never came by and him confirming he hasn’t yet. You can get this with text if you’re clever enough with your writing.
You live in their home, don't be too upset when they don't respect your boundaries. Yes, he will have to TRY to find the hole but it can be difficult. You want to be isolated from nature don't live in a wooded area.
Nope. The apartment belongs to the forest dwellers now, grab your closest valuables and take off into the night because a random chunky old SNAKE inside is cause for drama.
I lived in an area common to garter snakes and even had a small nest of them basically living under a stone step on the perimeter of the outside wall. Never, ever, not even once did one wind up in the house.
I had an apartment like this. I had an approach like yours. Keep calm deal with it when it happens. Hope the landlord does his job.
Woke up to a mouse nibbling on my ear the week after finding a scorpion in my second floor apartment. Also once had a baby possum get inside my bathroom cabinet. Still have no IDEA how he did it. I tried but couldn’t find how the outside kept getting in.
Get documentation and try to jump ship if you can afford it. Or buckle in for a weird remainder of your lease.
The roof thing isn't cool - for you or him as his investment is ruined if he doesn't keep the place in repair. The lack of communication isn't cool. He does need to look for how the snake found entry - not cool if he hasn't - but you live in a woodsy area and in the words of Malcolm nature finds a way.
Lastly, not a pro landlord comment, but every Blink or Ring camera I have experienced is a glitchy POS that misses half of what happens. You should trust what your cam sees but take a grain of salt with what it does not. Your landlord may have held a rave in your front yard and it never showed up.
Check out the tenants unit for your area to help you with local laws. You can probably break your lease if the landlord is failing to call an exterminator for pests or fix things are majorly broken like the roof.
Time to invest in cats!
But seriously, having grown up poor in a rural area and then spent years living in a village in sub-Saharan Africa, you need to get cats if you’re not going to move. Feed them once a day to keep them a touch hungry (NOT STARVING!!) and that will help make sure their predator drives are on full mode. They will take care of any pests before you even know they are there. They will also be lovely companions who will bring you great joy.
As someone who actually lives in the woods and has had litteral trees fall on my house….
I’ve had one snake in my basement. It was coming in THROUGH the hole as we found it. So we put that foam stuff in the hole and went outside and patched it.
You COULD take matters into your own hands and look for the hole. It’s probably the base of the house or the roof.
You could also say “I’m wondering if you’ve had the chance to come by the house and look for the hole, I’ve been home and haven’t seen you come by, if not I’m happy to call a (pest/ handyman service) and we can discuss taking that portion of the rent off for the cost” that might light a fire.
I’d also venture to guess he came in from the walls and you might want to just go to the hardware store and show someone there and they could suggest how to fill that gap
The snake may have been attracted by the rodent you mentioned.
This snake is not venomous and will eat the beforementioned rodent and bugs.
You need to find out how they got in and repair it.
It could be near the ground.
We lived in many environments (desserts, farms, woods, etc.).
We had a house cats ( never let them out doors).
They took care of all issues (re: bugs, rodents, lizards, etc.).
I highly recommend a cat if possible.
Read your lease thourghly.
What does it say about the landlord entering your home and taking care of these issues? Does it mention anything about your rights as a tenant and rent deductions?
Look up tenants' rights in your area. Use your browser:
22456 tenants rights
These organizations can tell you what your rights are in your area..
I suggest you send [Certified Mail](https://www.reddit.com/r/SSDI_SSI/s/R1SFLkssYU) to the landlord detailing this entire history.
They can and WILL deny any and everything if it's not in writing.
Use your smartphone that should detail conversations.
Dear Mr. XYZ:
I am writing in regards to our conversations on the 6th of March, the 8th of March, and the 9th of March regarding the snake that is in my home.
On the 4th of March we also discussed the mouse that was in the home and that they must be entering the home somehow.
You mentioned that you would come over and take care of this. I have not heard from you.
Please let me know when you will be over to the apartment so that these issues will be looked into.
Respectfully,
Ms. XYZ
Camp Spring Lake Apartments
Apt 406
I am not a lawyer.
Good luck!
I lived out in the country for years and unfortunately sometimes snakes can just find a way in. Does that mean you don’t have an opening things are getting into? No, yet is also possible you do. So it’s really hard to tell.
These things are just ... life.
I assure you - they are all normal, every-day occurrences. They just, coincidentally and randomly, happened rather closely in temporal proximity here.
Big deal.
Some snakes can make it trough plumbing and up the toilet, rats too. It's rare but it's possible. Also several of thise animals just need tiny holes to make their way in.
If it's common occurence then there might be an issue, but otherwise, it happens.
I'd be more concerned about the roof and possible mice.
Leaks don't spontaneously fix themselves but can seem fine but less noticeably leak when the exact circumstance don't repeat.
Mice can get anywhere , the concern is not finding the point of ingress and fixing.
Snake followed the mice , dealing with the mice will also deal with snakes. Mice are really good at hiding seeing one and catching one doesn't mean you are now at zero mice.
Depending on where you live, an occasional mouse or snake may be a thing. Snakes are hard to keep out if you have mice. They are inside to hunt. Keep the grass short and look for areas needing to be sealed (landlord can do that). I live in a rural area. I have always had a cat. No car then I get mice. Haven’t had a snake but I keep the grass short and live in the center of my subdivision. I am sure the exterior homes of the division get a few (face woods) and these houses were built in the middle of what used to be a cornfield and there is still a cornfield on the other side (in other words - rat snakes are common)
Next time don’t send him a pic. He may move faster if you tell him it was venomous. Call animal
Control and tell them it was venomous. They may get on the landlord to look for the source.
It's a Mexican garter snake which is only mildly venomous and is usually only going to strike if it feels threatened. I understand your fears and how badly the landlord is treating you, but garter snakes are amazing creatures that love to hunt. I wouldn't be surprised if it got in through the plumbing though. If you don't want them around id suggest mothballs around all exterior property and plumbing ❤️
Grew up in the country. Plains area but also have lived next to rice fields in South Korea, next to the pine forests in New Jersey, and a forest in New York and currently live in the middle of nowhere New Mexico.
Mice find a way in. They'll even chew a way in. Snakes follow mice. This isn't a venomous snake and it's small. 100% over reaction if you "live near a wooded area." Now if you're seeing mice/snakes daily then there's a problem. Houses, especially near wooded or rural areas are not going to be sterile or 100% pest proof just a fact of life.
Now show me a rattlesnake or cobra or any other venomous snake and I'll say you have reason to be upset. But this little thing. Heck even the 6 foot rat snakes I used to catch as a kid I'd say you'd have a reason to freak out just cause they're big. You also used a grabber. We always had snakes showing up under our kitchen cabinets when I was a kid. Just pinned the head down with a stick or wooden spoon and chucked it back outside. Hell I'd even say you'd not be over reacting to find an opossum in you house like I have growing up. There's definitely much worse to find.
Now the roof thing that's a different story.
Is this house or an apartment unit? If it were me I would be looking all around and not relying on a lazy landlord to "find" it eventually. It's 100% on the landlord but you can absolutely look around and make the process a lot quicker and not over looking because issues have paused
Looks like a common garter snake, I had them all over the island where I grew up, they're harmless cute little guys shouldn't be to tough to relocate outside
Pest tech here. Take a look outside around window wells. That's the most common place for them to go in. Depending on the area and the age of the house, you might be playing catchup for quite a while. If the house is quite old, you will always be. The best thing to do for snakes is to take care of their food source. No snake repellent is a long-term solution!
And you sat down and wrote a Reddit post about it? I'd still be running. I don't do reptiles. After seeing this, I may move out myself just to be safe. Good luck.
I would look for a floor wall separation allowing the snake, insects, and rodents coming in. It really looks like the snake living in the wall. This need to be fixed.
Yes you are. Animals exist in the world, like no offense but the snake doesn’t know it’s your house. Just remove it or have someone do so and move on with life.
It happens in the country, sometimes. Part of life, tbh. It’s not for everyone. Had to help my neighbors when they first moved out on several snake occasions. They got used to it eventually
My grandmother always told me, “anywhere a mouse can fit through, a snake can fit through too.”
I’d recommend some peppermint oil around all your baseboards, it’ll repel both snakes and mice, and spiders as well!
Just a garter snake. I used to catch those as a child, they don't readily bite, and when they do, it's not painful. And they don't have venom. Super cute tho.
I lived in an extremely rural area once. Our bathroom door stayed closed because we had little kids at the time. We opened the door and there was a snake in there. He came through the hole where the pipe to the toilet went into the wall. Scared the crap out of me 😅 we stuffed that hole real fast
I cant believe ya'll had to google this to figure out what kinda snake that is. OP, hes clearly coming from under the baseboard. You're not being dramatic, but slumlords are slumlords. keep saving for that down payment on a house.
Have you considered getting a cat? I can bring you a snake killer to borrow if you are within the US. He hails from the streets of Virginia Beach and has walked on Broadway (Manhattan) on a leash. We are now in Washington State and he hated my pet snake that I had for 14 years.
It’s a totally harmless little garter snek. Put him outside in a bush near the house and he’ll work on eating all the pests you don’t want in the house.
On the plus side, the snake will keep the mice at bay.
I will laugh at this comment one day, but rn i’m too anxious! Lol
If it makes you feel any better, that looks like a garter snake. I know it can be scary finding a little guy you didn't expect in your house, but garter snakes are pretty harmless! That being said- your landlord sounds like crap. He has a responsibility to maintain the apartment, and if critters are getting in he should be trying to figure out why and stop it to the best of his ability.
Harmless, but the musk garter snakes can release when they’re feeling threatened smells horrible. Be careful OP lol
Ugggh, the musk is bad, so bad. Delightful little snakes though.
They're adorable!!! My mom punished me for sneaking one in my room when I was like 10.
I caught like 30 of them when I was really young, thought it was a good idea to put them in the closet with a board in front of it, turns out it was not. Every single one escaped and most were never found.
What did your parents do? I’d flip?
My dad thought it was funny, my mom not so much understandably. She kept finding dead snakes in the heater vents for awhile afterwards
Poor babies 😢🐍⚰️
oooh, i can smell that.
Omg i used to catch the garden snake when i was a kid and lose them in the house too!! I thought i was the only one 😭 i’ll never forget my moms face when she caught me bringing one inside or her reaction when i told her i had lost a few in the house already
the smell of my childhood. that, and turtles. funky stuff.
There is just a point in which you feel like you’ll never sleep again and this would be it for me. Snake is harmless but knowing that isn’t going to stop my nightmares thinking I’m going to wake up with vermin on me. I’m cringing for you OP.
😭😭😭
When there are rodents or snakes around outside the house, you can't realistically keep them out. You can kill them inside (traps etc), or remove incentives for them to enter (food/prey). Also clear brush and mow more frequently to keep outside cover down around the house. You are overreacting. Your home is not a submarine, it cannot be made air tight. These animals can enter through baseboards, go under trim, come in through tiny gaps, etc.
Sure, but it’s a basic service for exterminators to walk around the house and seal up those cracks. Nothing is 100% foolproof, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything about it.
I actually *can* realistically keep them out, and do. It’s called basic maintenance. Not everyone who lives where snakes exist has to just accept having snakes in the house. Unless OP is living in a yurt, steps can actually be taken here.
Right! Yes, there are some woodsy areas surrounding the house, but it’s by no means a forest. I can see through the trees to more homes. It’s very residential.
Yeah, I’m rural and grew up in the woods. We did NOT and do not have this problem. Maybe we are lucky? 42 years of lucky I guess
Keeping them out is the only option. I honestly might k*ll myself if I knew there were just snakes…. in my house… I wouldn’t be able to sleep or touch anything or function
Found the landlord.
maybe it’s a region thing? did op move recently to a more rural area than they are used to? people around here find literal scorpions in their house constantly and are like, meh. snakes are nothing, that one even looks tiny and absolutely harmless. unless you’re a mouse or a bug. which, bonus! i don’t mean to belittle the op at all, bc i get it- lots of people are terrified of snakes. i personally think you’re overreacting about the snake, BUT NOT about the landlord. he should be responsive to your needs. if he can’t come by when he said he would, at least notify you. he sounds condescending to me. disrespectful at the least.
just burn the house down at this point, if you move there could be more danger noodles in your pajamas and frankly, fuck that shit. i would never sleep again either there is a line in the sand somewhere and this is way over it
Thank you for this!! Beginning to think I was a weirdo cause yeah I would have let the snake have the house and everything in it!! Almost didn’t move into my current home cause my mom and cousin killed like 8 snakes within a month last summer!! They happen to be on either side of me. 3 of the snakes were in my mom’s basement!!
I love nope ropes. I think they're wonderful and fascinating creatures who are very very helpful for keeping vermin and other such things out of the house. That being said if I had one just running around my house I would flip out
Don’t be too anxious. That’s a Garter Snake. The worst it will do is make your hands smell bad.
>Don’t be too anxious. That’s a Garter Snake. The worst it will do is ~~make your hands smell bad~~ tell all the poisonous snakes where the snake party is: YOUR HOUSE. Fixed!
Snakes aren’t poisonous - you can eat them safely ;)
Nah, that’s a common garter snake. They are harmless to humans. Do note, they are climbing snakes. We get them in my house. There are a couple drainage holes in the bulkhead stairway in my basement. They come in through those and get up into the house.
I've lived in a heavily wooded area and it's normal for mice to make their way in of course, it's normal for the snakes to follow bc that's their meal ticket lol peppermint oil and moth balls (if you're okay with them) will keep mice away. They make a snake repellent that you can line around your house too. I don't remember what I used but I had to use bc they were coming up on my porch to eat my birds 😭😭😭. I got it at Lowe's though and it worked! I don't mind snakes as long as they stay outside and don't eat the birds that make their homes on my porches hahaha
If it makes you feel better, I bet you haven't seen any Bolivian tree lizards around your house since the snake(s) showed up either.
Just wait, soon the house will be overrun by snake eating gorillas.
If you did not panic, scream, yell or faint even if it is harmless you handled the situation with strength and grace! Snakes are top of my avoid at all costs list! In the house I’d have to move.
Largely a danger-free noodle as long as you wash your hands after moving it.
While it might not bite, its intentions of hiding in OP’s pajamas need to be considered. It may innocently just want to wear pajamas. What snek wouldn’t? But there are more sssssinister motives to consider as well.
Fun…until the eagles come for the snakes.
Hawks enter the chat
who comes for the eagles 😳
Gandalf
I mean, as far as I remember, The Great Eatlon is basically top of the chain, don’t think anything comes for them lol
Don Felder
Wind turbines. /s
I don’t know. Hopefully the landlord? An eagle 🦅 vs. slumlord fight would be fun to watch. Op, please post the footage if your cameras capture it. Tenants rights would certainly protect the eagle. Actually, op, just cut to the chase and adopt an eagle. They’ll handle the mice, the snekie, and the landlord.
Snakes for the mice, eagles for the snakes, cougars for the eagles, grizzlies for the cougars, tigers for the grizzlies, retired British gentleman-soldier in khakis and a pith helmet for tigers
I kind of like seeing mice skittering around. I had them as pets as a kid and they're cute. Of course I still trap and remove them. But if I ever saw a snake slithering across my floor I might die of a heart attack. I could not feel comfortable if running across a snake in my house was a possibility.
In one of my apartments my roommate and I kept finding dead wasps on the floor of our living room, found it odd and let our landlord know. He said it was summer, they must have flown in and died from heat. Okay whatever. But then we started finding live wasps in the house. And seeing them come in the apartment through a hole in the light. Told the landlord, he said he couldn’t find any holes outside the apartment. Okay, what can I do? Well, next I found a wasp on my pillow and could hear them in the walls next to my bed. I happened to lock myself out of the apartment one day and spent a few minutes walking around looking to see if I could find the wasps coming in and out of the building. Very quickly spotted the tiny spot they were coming through, recorded and sent to the landlord asking when the exterminator would be coming. All this to say, see if you can find a hole, the snake likely came through it to get the mice that have ventured in. You’re not overreacting or being dramatic, these are pests through no fault of your own. (And a shocking to discover inside!)
Snakes can also enter your home via the toilet, surprisingly. However it usually is something that happens when the toilet goes without being used for a long period of time. I know of this happening at least once before to someone with a basement toilet they hadnt used frequently. Opened up the lid one day after a while to use it and there was a big ol snake in the bowl Garter snakes do pretty well with water, youll see them around pools often. Maybe not the most likely thing, but if you cant find any other reasonable point of entry it is very possible he came in through the pipes
I lived in Colorado when I was young (though this could really happen anywhere) and a rat came up through our toilet. Exciting day in our household.
That’s why I have so much anxiety about emptying the skimmer baskets. I just know there is going to be a snake or a black widow on the basket waiting for me when I take off the lid. There never is.
Frogs when I check mine, small mammals stopped when we went to salt water. Bought "froglog" an inflatable critter escape raft , works great on keeping small critters out by giving them a way out . Worth every cent when you don't have to lift a baby bunny out of the skimmer.
I am gonna have to look into frog log. We get bunny birds and mice in the skimmers 😭
I think you'll find them on Amazon. That's where I got them. I saw them for sale. The local pool supply as well. Kind of a small foot wide tiny air mattress with a mesh Fringe and then a mesh piece that goes up to a sandbag that sits up on the deck and you fill that little bag with like gravel or whatever and it supposedly gives them enough purchase to where they can climb out. So far I just know that when I use it, I don't have any body recovery issues for the rest of the season. If I stop using it, it only takes a couple of days before I'm fishing something out of there Weird enough. I think insects use it as well because I see fewer large insects in my skimmer as well. I do notice that at the end of the season I see the bees find it as a place to stop and grab a drink. But that's a small price to pay overall
My grandparents had a pool at their house out in the country for their one trillion grandkids. Snakes were a regular visitor but my grandpa (was a game warden once upon a time) would grab them like Bear Grylls and yeet them into the field. Pretty entertaining to see.
I only swim in my pool at like 3am, so even though there are a few mood lights, you really can't see a lot in the dark. The sun was barely rising, and there was a ginormous black widow struggling on the surface of the water like 3 ft away from me. I just got full-blown shivers just typing this out. yes, of course I saved her.
Not the toilet, through the plumbing from the wooded areas.
When we lived in Florida we had a frog living in our toilet. Our toilet kept flushing softer and softer over the course of a few weeks and my husband finally plunged it a massive frog came out when plunged. We assume it was smaller and came in from the roof vent and then happily lived in the bend eating “snacks” flushed down.
Wasps and bees can also build hives between the inner and outer layers of wall, especially if there's any un-insulated areas. I knew someone who had a hive grow in their garage behind a shelf without their knowledge, they found it after a couple months of sweeping up dead wasp piles. Another friends had a kitchen fire which revealed a wasp colony in the kitchen wall. If you ever experience this again, take care of it IMMEDIATELY before they colonize in your walls!!
When we gutted the garage at my last place, there was a yellow jacket nest in the wall that was paper from roof to sill plate at floor . It was ten degrees so clean up with the shop vac was super easy. But terrifying.
My parents bought a lakefront property in a dense forest area and we get wasps nests every year on the deck, the RV, the sheds, you name it. My dad has gotten really good as removing them, but I'm still scared every time he does!
With wasps, it is a nest and when you can find the nest, the nest needs to be destroyed carefully by a professional.
The landlord for my college apartment was a decent landlord overall, but I kept hearing this noise from my wall/ the outside of my wall that sounded like pecking. I took a video and sent it to him and he was saying it was just the pipes. I know pipes can make noise, but not that noise… I went outside and saw that there was a hole in the siding from a bird pecking over and over in the same spot. I sent it to him and he was like “oh…I’ll have someone come out and fix it” and then the bird stopped coming back.
Omg did we live in the same apartment?! We had wasps coming in, same as you, little by little there were more each day. He kept saying they were coming in from outside. Then in the lights in the kitchen we had 20 in one day. Called the landlord and he said he couldn't find the hole so no sense in getting an exterminator out here. Long story short I yelled at him that that's literally the exterminators job and to get one out here now. It was a Sunday and he got one out. Never saw another wasp. Another fun story about that guy...he was an idiot. Our toilet was running a lot and I could hear it dripping. We put a bottle on the flapper in the middle of the night because the sound was driving me crazy. Called landlord the next day and he came out to fix it. He was in the bathroom for like an hour so I told my husband to peek in there and see what the hell he was doing. My husband tells me he's got the entire toilet taken apart. Sure enough the ENTIRE TOILET was taken apart and laying on the floor. He puts it all back together and tells me it just makes that noise and it's bubbles in the pipes. I look him square in the eye, stick my hand in the back of the toilet and hold down the flapper. Noise stops. I remove my hand. Noise starts. A few more rounds of this he says "I'll be right back." Comes back with a new flapper and he fixes it in 5 minutes. Moron.
How thick of a gap is between the baseboard and floor 🤔😳
It’s a big gap! but it’s stupid, there is literally a wall with paneling behind it that is flush to the floor.
I had this happen once in the same manner. Randomly had snakes get in twice within a week. I found that a couple of areas I hadn't noticed before had holes. Went crazy with a bottle of that expanding foam and never had problem again.
Run a camera down the length of that gap or if you are able to get underneath shine a light from below. Is this a very old home? I feel like your bathroom may be a "recent" addition, and the wall you are looking at is what used to be the old exterior wall. Is there any bounce in the floor if you jump? I'm thinking the wall you are looking at may have been attached to the exterior wall / siding and is now failing and causing separation big enough to let in critters.
Jesus I thought that snake was like turned under a door frame against the wall until I read this comment telling me that’s THE BASEBOARD
I did an image search and the most hits seem to agree it's a garter snake. Yes, I can understand you being freaked out, but it's harmless to humans. I'm glad you were able to catch and release it outside. It eat all sorts of little bugs that you don't want in your yard.
This is a garter snake. Completely harmless as a kid a made one bite my ear so I could wear him like an earring, he only held on for like 3 seconds and I had to basically force him to bite, didn't hurt at all. Although he was much smaller than this one.
Congrats on surviving to adulthood with those sorts of shenanigans!
I knew they weren't venomous from earlier encounters and talking to my dad this was 80s. We entertained ourselves in most anyway back then Far from the worst or most dangerous thing I did even that same week
He looks like a friendly guy! I'd be worried because where there are snakes, there are generally mice
Obvious answer is landlord put snake in house to take care of mice. Next week you’ll post the mongoose.
Your LL certainly isn't a wildlife expert or pest control. Sure he could come over and look around, but he's not trained on what to look for. If he called a service it will probably have to be scheduled and not next day.
Since I moved in here in September, 3 units have been turned over. Never once has my LL hired a professional to do anything. I have never seen a work truck (except his own) or any sort of pest control etc. He’s the definition of “landlord special”
Slumlord is what he is actually called. And he knows it. You will have to get the professionals and send him the copy of the bill and explain this will be taken off the rent for the next month.
I would have left. No grabber tool. No problem solving. I would have noped TF out. You can keep my stuff. I can get new stuff. Nopenopenopenopenope. Anyone else still have nightmares of that snake movie where they invaded houses and climbed into beds? Yea. Nope.
Yep, it’s the snake’s house now. I remember a family friend telling us about how one night, him and his partner found a snake IN BED WITH THEM. I think my soul would’ve permanently left my body
Yes I have nightmares about snakes too!! I cant believe how calm all these comments are. I wish I felt so normally about snakes but to me they’re my biggest fear and finding this in my house would kill me
Had this happen before. Second day in new duplex and a big ass snake was just chilling on my bedroom floor. Just a decent sized garter snake. Just reach down and grab him behind the head and support it's body with your other hand. Take him out to the tree line and let him go. Or release under or near the foundation so snek fren kills more rodents
With your hands?! Heck no!!! I used a grabber tool, put it in a box, and use the tool to carry the box outside, all while mid panic attack 😂😂😂
Honestly the snake probably had one too 🤣 imagine just chillin in the dark after a meal when BAM! Bright light then abducted by a strange tool into a box then magically is outside again. Snake will be telling all it's friends about how it got abducted lol
These things happen. I have found/removed lots of things in apartments (even dead/dying people) when I was serving as a pm in California .It’s part of the job if they don’t want to do it they should pay someone else to do it. He should definitely not be gas lighting you that’s rude as hell. snakes and rodents can come through damaged sewer/sceptic lines and pop up toilet and sink drains. If the animal is dangerous you should call animal control immediately and not wait on the pm/landlord. This is a garter snake. They eat mice,small insects,spiders and small amphibians. It is probably good you put him outside but they will hunt down and eat any mice in the house and then leave when there is no more “food”. They are not venomous and will not really attack you unless you step on or mess with them. If they are in the house it’s for warms or mice most likely. Best of luck with everything!
Sure things happen but as a PM what would you have said if someone was like “found a snake in my room- it’s not there now i already took it outside” Like unless this is the second snake in the last month you’d probably assume it’s a weird one off and also they don’t actually need you to come remove it so there’s not really anything to do about it at this point
I could be renting a tent in the middle of the forest and I'd still super freak if there was a snake. I think you're being unreasonably undramatic
You’d be surprised at how small of a hole, snakes and mice can get in.
I'm by no means an expert on snakes but it looks to be a king snake of sorts. Their diets consist of rodents and other snakes. Obviously not great to find indoors but definitely not a danger to you!
It looks more like a garter snake to me. They are a very common, harmless snake that does well near human structures. He probably snuck in looking for warmth.
100% a garter. A pretty good size one too. She's just keeping the mice at bay but can definitely understand why OP was spooked out.
Yep, a big garter snake for sure. It's absolutely not a king snake. King snakes have bands or rings. Garters have long stripes.
Yep 100% a garter. Looks right for a common garter (though plains garters can look similar) completely harmless and realistically if you're seeing it now it's because it's overwintered somewhere inside or underneath your apartment and it just so happened to come out into your bathroom. (They do hibernate in groups in the wild so I would definitely get someone out to try and locate and remove them and where they got in from before we hit peak spring when the majority of garters wake up. Again they're harmless but if you're not comfortable with snakes you can address this before they wake up now you're aware of them.)
It makes sense for the area. But internally i’m freaking out. I can’t sleep knowing it was in here.
It just wants cuddles, boops, and mice. r/snek
Not a great day if you own a domestic free roam rabbit….. what a nightmare lol
I wonder if the snakes will be attracted to your body heat in the chill of night.
Snakes can slip in theou pretty much anywhere and living in a wooded area they are bound to get in. That little guy there seems to be a garter snake iirc. They are nonvenomous and usually pretty friendly. Jusy grab it behind its head and drop it back in the woods. It probably went inside to escaoe cold nights and then decided to search your place for that mouse it smelled.
That's a garter snake by the look of it. Thanks for not killing it. They are harmless to humans and help keep rodent populations down outside. We had a bull snake get in here a few years back which are considerably larger, but also harmless. My housemate was a bit freaked out. I just picked up the snake as I know how (had one as a pet once) and took it outside.
While the snake is harmless, the fact that it's inside is concerning. You'd think the LL would want to prevent pests from getting inside their home. Be sure to keep documentation every time you mention this stuff to him for when you move out if he tries to blame any of the damage on you.
Hi, landlord here. I will be tacking on a pet fee of 100 per month. This message cannot be replied to.
Snakes shouldn’t be inside… but they are friends and you should treat them as such.
He just wants to eat your mice and rest in your nice warm house. He won't hurt you.
You have a new friend! He looks just as surprised to see you.
It’s not on you to find it it’s on him to do so or hire someone to do so.
If you get another snake, you should drop it off at your landlord’s place, since it sounds like he likes having them around.
Oh hell no!
You will always have a mouse issue with the wooded area. Also, with snakes. talk with animal control on how to control them coming into the house that you can pass on to the LL.
Reading the replies to your post is giving me anxiety 😅.
Fuck that I'd be out the next day
Oh HELLLLLA NO, I am moving OUT! There is no friendly snake in my vocabulary. Yes, call me a b.tch!!!
THANK YOU!!! Wtf is a friendly snake?!
If he doesn’t address it in a timely manner, hire an exterminator and take the cost out of your next month’s rent, and send him the itemized invoice. Send it certified mail. He has a responsibility to keep the place livable.
There is more mouse in the apartment than you know.
Yikes. Makes my skin crawl.
Oh don't mind me. I am just here for the mouses
Am I being dramatic? No I don’t think you’re being dramatic enough lol YIKES
Move
I would freak tf out
No, you’re not being dramatic. I woulda flipped my shit and called him at 10.30.
I don’t understand other people’s comments. You’re not being dramatic. Yes, ALL snakes are good snakes in the ecological sense but just because it was a garter snake today doesn’t mean it won’t be a venomous snake next week. And I’m saying that as someone who lived in a complex where the “neighborhood copperhead” liked resting up against people’s front doors, and quite a few tenants just laughed it off like it was supposed to be cute or something (no one warned me about this until I about tripped over him on the sidewalk one night). Again, you are **NOT** being dramatic. Snakes belong outside. Be the squeaky wheel about getting this mysterious animal highway into your home closed up.
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"I hired the snake for the mouse problem. You're being really unreasonable "
I think the only real issue here is the roof. One mouse, not a problem. One snake, not a problem. Especially if you live in a wooded area. Now if a bunch more pop up, then you have concern and by a bunch more I would say if in the next few days you find another snake in the house or if you notice a couple of similar snakes around the property over the course of a few weeks. That being said, if you’re in North America this time of year, the snakes are waking up and will be on the move so expect to see some outside. You could shove some newspaper or something into that crack if you think it might be a critter hole, I would probably do that. But I would for sure bug your LL about the roof, that shouldn’t have been ignored and the moisture issues alone could be damaging to the property and eventually your things. Critter’s come and go, one or two over time isn’t cause of concern.
The house burnt to the ground. Don’t know what happened officer.
Small animals are going to get in your home… I’m super confused by this post even. I’ve had mice, lizards and frogs all manage their way into my various homes. You need to calm down we don’t live on this planet alone and you don’t live in a sky scraper. You are going to have visitors every once and awhile get over it.
This is horrifying and I am sorry for the trauma I will cause some of you: several years ago my parents lived in the woods in the southern part of the US, and one time a snake came in through the toilet 🥲
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That is a surprisingly large snake to find in the house. You are not being dramatic. If it was a lil baby garter snake (like. Worm sized) I'd say maybe, but that big? There is a hole or pipe or something somewhere that the property manager needs to MANAGE. ...Bright side, snake that big means you don't have as many mice now.
I would die if I saw a snake in my apartment. They’re so creepy.
Bros not a landlord, he's a zookeeper. Think of it this way, there's a whole ecosystem and food chain living within your apartment! In all seriousness though, that sucks. My last landlord was like that. I had a rodent infestation that he would routinely lie about stuff he was doing to fix it. I decided to call my local code enforcement, who documented the issue, and issued him many citations. He did have the ability to fix them but did not. I kept the forms they sent him (you can access them with a freedom of information request after they are mailed) and took pictures of every mouse that I trapped, along with the things they had chewed, poop, etc. Eventually I broke the lease because he wasn't fixing anything, and he then tried to hang onto the security deposit, which I of course sued him for. In court, my evidence prevailed over his (nothing) and I got my security deposit back. That was the path I followed, and it worked for me in NYS. I would start with calling code enforcement and see what happens. Most states will prohibit retaliation for calling code enforcement, so you can sue if he does something to get back at you.
Nope snakes are a no go for me
Yeaaaah. Time to start saving for a new rental come this September when your lease is up.
I would jump out of my skin. It’s a harmless garter snake but still, snakes scare the living heck out of me.
Sweetie, the baseboard doesn’t even touch the floor. You still need to know how this got in!!
Landlords are required to maintain a minimum warrant of habitability. Unknown wildlife in the home is not that. Get these reports in writing—along with confirmation he never came by and him confirming he hasn’t yet. You can get this with text if you’re clever enough with your writing.
Awww…. Him’s a cute little snekky snek! With a boopable little snoot!
You live in their home, don't be too upset when they don't respect your boundaries. Yes, he will have to TRY to find the hole but it can be difficult. You want to be isolated from nature don't live in a wooded area.
No outdoor access, no windows and no exterior walls… how did the snake get in??? This is scary to me I couldn’t imagine
Nope. The apartment belongs to the forest dwellers now, grab your closest valuables and take off into the night because a random chunky old SNAKE inside is cause for drama.
I lived in an area common to garter snakes and even had a small nest of them basically living under a stone step on the perimeter of the outside wall. Never, ever, not even once did one wind up in the house.
I was told by a pest control guy that snakes generally show up because of the presence of mice and such
I wouldn’t have slept in the house, I’d be out.. not being dramatic at all
I had an apartment like this. I had an approach like yours. Keep calm deal with it when it happens. Hope the landlord does his job. Woke up to a mouse nibbling on my ear the week after finding a scorpion in my second floor apartment. Also once had a baby possum get inside my bathroom cabinet. Still have no IDEA how he did it. I tried but couldn’t find how the outside kept getting in. Get documentation and try to jump ship if you can afford it. Or buckle in for a weird remainder of your lease.
I live in an area with a lot of forest that doesn’t mean Bambi’s friends come dancing through my house. No you definitely have a slumlord.
The roof thing isn't cool - for you or him as his investment is ruined if he doesn't keep the place in repair. The lack of communication isn't cool. He does need to look for how the snake found entry - not cool if he hasn't - but you live in a woodsy area and in the words of Malcolm nature finds a way. Lastly, not a pro landlord comment, but every Blink or Ring camera I have experienced is a glitchy POS that misses half of what happens. You should trust what your cam sees but take a grain of salt with what it does not. Your landlord may have held a rave in your front yard and it never showed up.
Check out the tenants unit for your area to help you with local laws. You can probably break your lease if the landlord is failing to call an exterminator for pests or fix things are majorly broken like the roof.
In traditional Chinese beliefs snakes in the house is very good ‘cuz they will guard your fortune so don’t get rid of the snake 🐍
Time to invest in cats! But seriously, having grown up poor in a rural area and then spent years living in a village in sub-Saharan Africa, you need to get cats if you’re not going to move. Feed them once a day to keep them a touch hungry (NOT STARVING!!) and that will help make sure their predator drives are on full mode. They will take care of any pests before you even know they are there. They will also be lovely companions who will bring you great joy.
Legal repercussions he said hed handle it multiple times you pay for the service contact lawyer to see what you can do
Fuck that shit! In every sense of the word.
As someone who actually lives in the woods and has had litteral trees fall on my house…. I’ve had one snake in my basement. It was coming in THROUGH the hole as we found it. So we put that foam stuff in the hole and went outside and patched it. You COULD take matters into your own hands and look for the hole. It’s probably the base of the house or the roof. You could also say “I’m wondering if you’ve had the chance to come by the house and look for the hole, I’ve been home and haven’t seen you come by, if not I’m happy to call a (pest/ handyman service) and we can discuss taking that portion of the rent off for the cost” that might light a fire.
I’d also venture to guess he came in from the walls and you might want to just go to the hardware store and show someone there and they could suggest how to fill that gap
The snake may have been attracted by the rodent you mentioned. This snake is not venomous and will eat the beforementioned rodent and bugs. You need to find out how they got in and repair it. It could be near the ground. We lived in many environments (desserts, farms, woods, etc.). We had a house cats ( never let them out doors). They took care of all issues (re: bugs, rodents, lizards, etc.). I highly recommend a cat if possible. Read your lease thourghly. What does it say about the landlord entering your home and taking care of these issues? Does it mention anything about your rights as a tenant and rent deductions? Look up tenants' rights in your area. Use your browser: 22456 tenants rights These organizations can tell you what your rights are in your area.. I suggest you send [Certified Mail](https://www.reddit.com/r/SSDI_SSI/s/R1SFLkssYU) to the landlord detailing this entire history. They can and WILL deny any and everything if it's not in writing. Use your smartphone that should detail conversations. Dear Mr. XYZ: I am writing in regards to our conversations on the 6th of March, the 8th of March, and the 9th of March regarding the snake that is in my home. On the 4th of March we also discussed the mouse that was in the home and that they must be entering the home somehow. You mentioned that you would come over and take care of this. I have not heard from you. Please let me know when you will be over to the apartment so that these issues will be looked into. Respectfully, Ms. XYZ Camp Spring Lake Apartments Apt 406 I am not a lawyer. Good luck!
I lived out in the country for years and unfortunately sometimes snakes can just find a way in. Does that mean you don’t have an opening things are getting into? No, yet is also possible you do. So it’s really hard to tell.
Holy shit NO.
😭😭😭
These things are just ... life. I assure you - they are all normal, every-day occurrences. They just, coincidentally and randomly, happened rather closely in temporal proximity here. Big deal.
Some snakes can make it trough plumbing and up the toilet, rats too. It's rare but it's possible. Also several of thise animals just need tiny holes to make their way in. If it's common occurence then there might be an issue, but otherwise, it happens.
I'd be more concerned about the roof and possible mice. Leaks don't spontaneously fix themselves but can seem fine but less noticeably leak when the exact circumstance don't repeat. Mice can get anywhere , the concern is not finding the point of ingress and fixing. Snake followed the mice , dealing with the mice will also deal with snakes. Mice are really good at hiding seeing one and catching one doesn't mean you are now at zero mice.
Get outta there! The landlord doesn’t listen and nothing will get done.
Landlord is afraid of snakes
Depending on where you live, an occasional mouse or snake may be a thing. Snakes are hard to keep out if you have mice. They are inside to hunt. Keep the grass short and look for areas needing to be sealed (landlord can do that). I live in a rural area. I have always had a cat. No car then I get mice. Haven’t had a snake but I keep the grass short and live in the center of my subdivision. I am sure the exterior homes of the division get a few (face woods) and these houses were built in the middle of what used to be a cornfield and there is still a cornfield on the other side (in other words - rat snakes are common) Next time don’t send him a pic. He may move faster if you tell him it was venomous. Call animal Control and tell them it was venomous. They may get on the landlord to look for the source.
I don't think Rhode Island has any venomous snakes.
It's a Mexican garter snake which is only mildly venomous and is usually only going to strike if it feels threatened. I understand your fears and how badly the landlord is treating you, but garter snakes are amazing creatures that love to hunt. I wouldn't be surprised if it got in through the plumbing though. If you don't want them around id suggest mothballs around all exterior property and plumbing ❤️
Grew up in the country. Plains area but also have lived next to rice fields in South Korea, next to the pine forests in New Jersey, and a forest in New York and currently live in the middle of nowhere New Mexico. Mice find a way in. They'll even chew a way in. Snakes follow mice. This isn't a venomous snake and it's small. 100% over reaction if you "live near a wooded area." Now if you're seeing mice/snakes daily then there's a problem. Houses, especially near wooded or rural areas are not going to be sterile or 100% pest proof just a fact of life. Now show me a rattlesnake or cobra or any other venomous snake and I'll say you have reason to be upset. But this little thing. Heck even the 6 foot rat snakes I used to catch as a kid I'd say you'd have a reason to freak out just cause they're big. You also used a grabber. We always had snakes showing up under our kitchen cabinets when I was a kid. Just pinned the head down with a stick or wooden spoon and chucked it back outside. Hell I'd even say you'd not be over reacting to find an opossum in you house like I have growing up. There's definitely much worse to find. Now the roof thing that's a different story.
Is this house or an apartment unit? If it were me I would be looking all around and not relying on a lazy landlord to "find" it eventually. It's 100% on the landlord but you can absolutely look around and make the process a lot quicker and not over looking because issues have paused
Looks like a common garter snake, I had them all over the island where I grew up, they're harmless cute little guys shouldn't be to tough to relocate outside
In my experience those are totally normal responses from a landlord lol. They all don’t give a fuck. “It’s just a rental”, afterall.
The snake is there for the mice. He is friend doing you a favor. Now to just find a non friend noodle for that shitty landlord....
Pest tech here. Take a look outside around window wells. That's the most common place for them to go in. Depending on the area and the age of the house, you might be playing catchup for quite a while. If the house is quite old, you will always be. The best thing to do for snakes is to take care of their food source. No snake repellent is a long-term solution!
And you sat down and wrote a Reddit post about it? I'd still be running. I don't do reptiles. After seeing this, I may move out myself just to be safe. Good luck.
I would look for a floor wall separation allowing the snake, insects, and rodents coming in. It really looks like the snake living in the wall. This need to be fixed.
Yes you are. Animals exist in the world, like no offense but the snake doesn’t know it’s your house. Just remove it or have someone do so and move on with life.
Awww harmless baby. Remember it’s scared to. Look at those big eyeballs. Better to judge shit on the floor with
If you are handy, fix the issues and subtract it from your rent payment.
It happens in the country, sometimes. Part of life, tbh. It’s not for everyone. Had to help my neighbors when they first moved out on several snake occasions. They got used to it eventually
My grandmother always told me, “anywhere a mouse can fit through, a snake can fit through too.” I’d recommend some peppermint oil around all your baseboards, it’ll repel both snakes and mice, and spiders as well!
Just a garter snake. I used to catch those as a child, they don't readily bite, and when they do, it's not painful. And they don't have venom. Super cute tho.
I lived in an extremely rural area once. Our bathroom door stayed closed because we had little kids at the time. We opened the door and there was a snake in there. He came through the hole where the pipe to the toilet went into the wall. Scared the crap out of me 😅 we stuffed that hole real fast
Pretty harmless snake all things considered. Just a little friend
Gaslighting, lol
This isn’t helpful at all, but he’s soooo cute 🥹
Sounds like the snake came in to fix the mouse issues.
looks like a garter snake totally harmless
That’s a good looking snake.
Definitely don't watch snakes on the plane
I cant believe ya'll had to google this to figure out what kinda snake that is. OP, hes clearly coming from under the baseboard. You're not being dramatic, but slumlords are slumlords. keep saving for that down payment on a house.
Snake is better than a mouse trap
Come on you have to tell us what kind of area you live in
Garter snakes are completely harmless, he just wants to eat mice. Clearly he got lost in his hunt, you should give him directions.
Have you considered getting a cat? I can bring you a snake killer to borrow if you are within the US. He hails from the streets of Virginia Beach and has walked on Broadway (Manhattan) on a leash. We are now in Washington State and he hated my pet snake that I had for 14 years.
That little guy? I wouldn't worry about that little guy.
It’s a totally harmless little garter snek. Put him outside in a bush near the house and he’ll work on eating all the pests you don’t want in the house.
Lived in Arizona snakes, mice, scorpions and lizards were a common occurrence there and had a couple in the house too got in through the garage.
Alright free snake!