Holy Cow! Copperhead in Laundry hamper

[homersapien 11,352]

My wife was putting in a load of clothes and called me down to see something.  I went to the laundry room and she pointed to a set of three cloth hampers in a stand we use to organize dirty laundry and told me to look into the middle one.  In the bottom were two socks and a live Copperhead about two feet long.

We are used to occasionally seeing Copperheads around the house, but not inside.  And certainly not in the bottom of a rectangular, cloth laundry hamper held upright in a stand. 

We've had a large Black Rat snake get in the house and I've also seen a large Black Rat snake crawling up the wall in my storage shed (they are excellent climbers)  but I didn't know Copperheads could climb.  How in hell did it get inside an upright laundry hamper??!!

The Black Rat snakes are more or less welcome (in the yard), at least after the initial "scare".  We prefer them to the mice constantly trying to move in. But finding a Copperhead in the laundry basket kind of freaks us out.  

Anyone have any insight on Copperheads ability to climb?

 

Edited May 9, 2018 by homersapien

[AUDub 11,131]

That would freak me right out. Time for you to buy a few tubes of caulk and seal off every potential point of ingress. I did that right after we bought this house to prevent this sort of thing. We still get the occasional mouse in the basement man cave. 

[AUFAN78 3,889]

Spent many a night in a makeshift leaf and or brush bed. Very good success with sulfur powder around the perimeter. Seems to work just fine around the house.

[SaltyTiger 7,761]

47 minutes ago, homersapien said:

My wife was putting in a load of clothes and called me down to see something.  I went to the laundry room and she pointed to a set of three cloth hampers in a stand we use to organize dirty laundry and told me to look into the middle one.  In the bottom were two socks and a live Copperhead about two feet long.

We are used to occasionally seeing Copperheads around the house, but not inside.  And certainly not in the bottom of a rectangular, cloth laundry hamper held upright in a stand. 

We've had a large Black Rat snake get in the house and I've also seen a large Black Rat snake crawling up the wall in my storage shed (they are excellent climbers)  but I didn't know Copperheads could climb.  How in hell did it get inside an upright laundry hamper??!!

The Black Rat snakes are more or less welcome (in the yard), at least after the initial "scare".  We prefer them to the mice constantly trying to move in. But finding a Copperhead in the laundry basket kind of freaks us out.  

Anyone have in insight on Copperheads ability to climb?

 

I have insight. They do not climb but I have seen them fly. Get some heavy duty custom screens on the windows and the problem should alleviated ?

 

[homersapien 11,352]

1 minute ago, SaltyTiger said:

I have insight. They do not climb but I have seen them fly. Get some heavy duty custom screens on the windows and the problem should alleviated ?

 

Our current theory is almost as bad.  We think it might have been in a bundle of dirty clothes that my wife set on top of the hampers.

No more dirty clothes on the floor, that's for sure.

[NolaAuTiger 3,295]

1 hour ago, homersapien said:

My wife was putting in a load of clothes and called me down to see something.  I went to the laundry room and she pointed to a set of three cloth hampers in a stand we use to organize dirty laundry and told me to look into the middle one.  In the bottom were two socks and a live Copperhead about two feet long.

We are used to occasionally seeing Copperheads around the house, but not inside.  And certainly not in the bottom of a rectangular, cloth laundry hamper held upright in a stand. 

We've had a large Black Rat snake get in the house and I've also seen a large Black Rat snake crawling up the wall in my storage shed (they are excellent climbers)  but I didn't know Copperheads could climb.  How in hell did it get inside an upright laundry hamper??!!

The Black Rat snakes are more or less welcome (in the yard), at least after the initial "scare".  We prefer them to the mice constantly trying to move in. But finding a Copperhead in the laundry basket kind of freaks us out.  

Anyone have in insight on Copperheads ability to climb?

 

Did you kill it?

I’ve seen cottonmouths come out of water vertically to reach low hanging branches. I don’t know if that translates to copperheads. But definitely seal exterior and look at crawl space if you have one. Also check door sweeps. I’ve heard that some ag operations use cinnamon oil and clove oil as snake deterrent. 

I HATE SNAKES.

[homersapien 11,352]

21 minutes ago, NolaAuTiger said:

Did you kill it?

I’ve seen cottonmouths come out of water vertically to reach low hanging branches. I don’t know if that translates to copperheads. But definitely seal exterior and look at crawl space if you have one. Also check door sweeps. I’ve heard that some ag operations use cinnamon oil and clove oil as snake deterrent. 

I HATE SNAKES.

As much as I hated to, yes, I killed it (with a shovel).  Copperheads are territorial and it's not like they are in short supply.

I don't hate snakes, although they occasionally startle me.  My wife is even less afraid of them - she once picked up a four foot Black Rat snake just to move it out of our driveway and it struck her on the chin.  She didn't grab it close enough to its head.  I'm not crazy about trying to handle them.

Now, mice and packrats (Woodland Rat) have cost me a lot of money doing damage to my tractor and other vehicles by chewing on the wiring.  I had to replace the complete wiring harness on my tractor.  That's why I welcome Black Rat snakes in the area (who probably feed on Copperheads also.)

That's an interesting observation about Cottonmouths. They are closely related to Copperheads.  But they are pretty much limited to warmer climes / coastal areas.  We don't have them.

Edited May 7, 2018 by homersapien

[SaltyTiger 7,761]

20 minutes ago, homersapien said:

Our current theory is almost as bad.  We think it might have been in a bundle of dirty clothes that my wife set on top of the hampers.

No more dirty clothes on the floor, that's for sure.

How would it have gotten into the hamper? Good job, you do want rat snakes around  and the Black Indigo snakes. With the decline in the Black Indigo there was a rise in the Copperhead population as they do eat the nasty snakes. Auburn raised and released many in south Alabama and the Panhandle in an effort to offset the situation in those areas. One thing, most snake bites do occur in unsuspecting places around your home.   

[kevon67 2,368]

1 hour ago, homersapien said:

My wife was putting in a load of clothes and called me down to see something.  I went to the laundry room and she pointed to a set of three cloth hampers in a stand we use to organize dirty laundry and told me to look into the middle one.  In the bottom were two socks and a live Copperhead about two feet long.

We are used to occasionally seeing Copperheads around the house, but not inside.  And certainly not in the bottom of a rectangular, cloth laundry hamper held upright in a stand. 

We've had a large Black Rat snake get in the house and I've also seen a large Black Rat snake crawling up the wall in my storage shed (they are excellent climbers)  but I didn't know Copperheads could climb.  How in hell did it get inside an upright laundry hamper??!!

The Black Rat snakes are more or less welcome (in the yard), at least after the initial "scare".  We prefer them to the mice constantly trying to move in. But finding a Copperhead in the laundry basket kind of freaks us out.  

Anyone have in insight on Copperheads ability to climb?

 

Look on youtube at snake infested homes.........man I feel for you.

[homersapien 11,352]

1 minute ago, SaltyTiger said:

How would it have gotten into the hamper? Good job, you do want rat snakes around  and the Black Indigo snakes. With the decline in the Black Indigo there was a rise in the Copperhead population as they do eat the nasty snakes. Auburn raised and released many in south Alabama and the Panhandle in an effort to offset the situation in those areas. One thing, most snake bites do occur in unsuspecting places around your home.   

When my wife was a kid growing up in Plantation Fl, a neighbor called a cop on a Black Indigo snake in her yard.  My wife was out there with a reference book trying to explain what it was, but he shot it anyway. 

[homersapien 11,352]

4 minutes ago, kevon67 said:

Look on youtube at snake infested homes.........man I feel for you.

Eh, it comes with the territory I guess.

At least we don't have to worry about Black Mambas.  

Edited May 7, 2018 by homersapien

[homersapien 11,352]

3 minutes ago, SaltyTiger said:

How would it have gotten into the hamper? Good job, you do want rat snakes around  and the Black Indigo snakes. With the decline in the Black Indigo there was a rise in the Copperhead population as they do eat the nasty snakes. Auburn raised and released many in south Alabama and the Panhandle in an effort to offset the situation in those areas. One thing, most snake bites do occur in unsuspecting places around your home.   

We figure it was in the bundle of clothes. 

[NolaAuTiger 3,295]

8 minutes ago, homersapien said:

As much as I hated to, yes, I killed it (with a shovel).  Copperheads are territorial and it's not like they are in short supply.

I don't hate snakes, although they occasionally startle me.  My wife is even less afraid of them - she once picked up a four foot Black Rat snake just to move it out of our driveway and it struck her on the chin.  She didn't grab it close enough to its head.  I'm not crazy about trying to handle them.

Now, mice and packrats (Woodland Rat) have cost me a lot of money doing damage to my tractor and other vehicles by chewing on the wiring.  I had to replace the complete wiring harness on my tractor.  That's why I welcome Black Rat snakes in the area (who probably feed on Copperheads also.)

That's an interesting observation about Cottonmouths. They are closely related to Copperheads.  But they are pretty much limited to warmer climes / coastal areas.  We don't have them.

I use to do some work out at grand national in opelika. Copperheads and Timber Rattles galore 

[kevon67 2,368]

Just now, homersapien said:

Eh, it comes with the territory I guess.

I have had close encounters with cotton mouths..........I fear all snakes........a size 15 shoe can end a spider......but a snake......my biggest fear...

If you have a home on some acreage I have always heard having several outside cats help keep mice and snake numbers down.

[homersapien 11,352]

13 hours ago, NolaAuTiger said:

I use to do some work out at grand national in opelika. Copperheads and Timber Rattles galore 

Yeah, we've got Timber Rattlers as I have seen one killed on the road.  But they are pretty rare. I haven't spotted one in 36 years.  (But I always think about them if I step into a hidden stump hole .)

We used to see a lot of Copperheads back when the climate was wetter - maybe a dozen per year.  But after a few years of drought the sightings vastly decreased.  I think it fluctuates with the toad population as that is one of their primary prey animals.

Of course for every one you see, there's probably a half dozen you didn't see.  As you know, they are incredibly cryptic.  I have looked away from one on the ground and then had trouble reacquiring it when looking back.  And it hadn't moved.  It's like they have a Klingon cloaking device!  

 

Edited May 7, 2018 by homersapien

[kevon67 2,368]

10 minutes ago, homersapien said:

We figure it was in the bundle of clothes. 

That mental picture sent chills down my spine.

 

[homersapien 11,352]

11 minutes ago, kevon67 said:

I have had close encounters with cotton mouths..........I fear all snakes........a size 15 shoe can end a spider......but a snake......my biggest fear...

If you have a home on some acreage I have always heard having several outside cats help keep mice and snake numbers down.

We had a female Pit Bull that got bitten regularly about the head.  It would swell up like crazy.  We just gave her Benedryl.

She once got bitten on the tongue and it rotted away to form a notch.  She'd be smiling at you and one of her bottom canines would be sticking up through the notch. It was a great conversation starter.   

We've had cats, but the Coyotes will soon get them.  (They're not a great mix with Pit Bulls either.) 

Edited May 7, 2018 by homersapien

[homersapien 11,352]

3 minutes ago, kevon67 said:

That mental picture sent chills down my spine.

 

Yeah.  And I am about to go crawl into bed. 

Scorpions are bad enough, but geez....

I once read about someone who bought a potted plant that had a Rattlesnake in it.  Fortunately snakes aren't really all that aggressive. They are undoubtedly more afraid of you than you are of them.   Lots of people are bitten trying to catch poisonous snakes. 

 

[kevon67 2,368]

10 minutes ago, homersapien said:

6 minutes ago, homersapien said:

Yeah.  And I am about to go crawl into bed. 

Scorpions are bad enough, but geez....

I once read about someone who bought a potted plant that had a Rattlesnake in it.  Fortunately snakes aren't really all that aggressive. They are undoubtedly more afraid of you than you are of them.   Lots of people are bitten trying to catch poisonous snakes. 

 

 

Makes you feel any better I surely wont sleep now?

Edited May 7, 2018 by kevon67

[homersapien 11,352]

1 minute ago, kevon67 said:

Makes you feel any better I surley wont sleep now?

I am more worried about the dreams when I do go to sleep. 

At least I sleep with a couple of dogs.   Just wish they didn't have long tails. 

[kevon67 2,368]

Played my sons video game a few years back called Red Dead Redemption..........character John Marsten lived at Beecher's Hope.......everytime I would go get on my horse in my yard.....I would get mauled by a cougar, bear, or bit by rattlesnake...

You by chance live near Beecher's Hope? ?

[SaltyTiger 7,761]

11 hours ago, kevon67 said:

I have had close encounters with cotton mouths..........I fear all snakes........a size 15 shoe can end a spider......but a snake......my biggest fear...

If you have a home on some acreage I have always heard having several outside cats help keep mice and snake numbers down.

I stepped on Cottonmouth when I was 11 or 12. They keep me in the hospital for 5 or 6 days back then. Thing bit me on the ball of the foot and my entire leg turned blue and swelled. Started studying snakes at that time and became fascinated with them. Most snakes we encounter are not given a fair shake and are harmless. Naturally you need to eliminate a poisonous in your house or yard. I would never kill a snake in its natural environment.    

[AUld fAUx@ 2,584]

14 hours ago, homersapien said:

My wife was putting in a load of clothes and called me down to see something.  I went to the laundry room and she pointed to a set of three cloth hampers in a stand we use to organize dirty laundry and told me to look into the middle one.  In the bottom were two socks and a live Copperhead about two feet long.

We are used to occasionally seeing Copperheads around the house, but not inside.  And certainly not in the bottom of a rectangular, cloth laundry hamper held upright in a stand. 

We've had a large Black Rat snake get in the house and I've also seen a large Black Rat snake crawling up the wall in my storage shed (they are excellent climbers)  but I didn't know Copperheads could climb.  How in hell did it get inside an upright laundry hamper??!!

The Black Rat snakes are more or less welcome (in the yard), at least after the initial "scare".  We prefer them to the mice constantly trying to move in. But finding a Copperhead in the laundry basket kind of freaks us out.  

Anyone have in insight on Copperheads ability to climb?

 

In a fairly long life so far, and with three generations of family lore, I've never seen nor heard of such a thing.

Thanks, um

a bunch.

"While they usually stay on the ground, copperheads will sometimes climb into low bushes or trees in search of prey or to bask in the sun. Sometimes, they even voluntarily go swimming."

https://www.livescience.com/43641-copperhead-snake.html

Now rat snakes, yes. Need a bit of roughness on the surface, but I've seen 8-9 footers on the face of brick walls, and also handily climbing up within walls.

[AUld fAUx@ 2,584]

13 hours ago, NolaAuTiger said:

Did you kill it?

I’ve seen cottonmouths come out of water vertically to reach low hanging branches. I don’t know if that translates to copperheads. But definitely seal exterior and look at crawl space if you have one. Also check door sweeps. I’ve heard that some ag operations use cinnamon oil and clove oil as snake deterrent. 

I HATE SNAKES.

Moccasins, definitely!

ETA - Seen them often drop out of trees as well. Doesn't happen frequently anymore, but we used to lose ~a skier/year (springtime) getting thrown into river-bank brush with nests.

Old college buddy was apparently (mentally) scarred for life canoeing with his Dad. Dad, in the stern, saw a fat moccasin in the bushes over his son's head, knocked it out and proceeded to beat the snake to death in the air, batting it back and forth between two paddles.

Edited May 7, 2018 by AUld fAUx@

[AUld fAUx@ 2,584]

12 hours ago, homersapien said:

Yeah.  And I am about to go crawl into bed. 

Scorpions are bad enough, but geez....

I once read about someone who bought a potted plant that had a Rattlesnake in it.  Fortunately snakes aren't really all that aggressive. They are undoubtedly more afraid of you than you are of them.   Lots of people are bitten trying to catch poisonous snakes. 

 

Moccasins will chase you.