How can I make sure there are no snakes hiding in my plants?

Louise
by Louise

bring them inside? I've brought them inside for years and never gave this a thought, but I keep hearing now about people bringing in plants and then seeing a snake slithering around. I would DIE on the spot. LITERALLY!! Someone told me to put cinnamon oil in the plant to run out any snakes and also Snake B Gone but I've heard neither works. And there's NO WAY I can put my hands in a plant to see what might be there. NO WAY!! Sooooo, plz tell someone who's terrified of snakes how to make sure there's not one in my several plants I have to bring inside tomorrow.

  7 answers
  • Bernie Zaboski Bernie Zaboski on Nov 09, 2019

    Before bringing the plants indoors, water the plants thoroughly with a hard stream of water, they detest water.

  • Karen Brunck Karen Brunck on Nov 09, 2019

    Get yourself a long stick or broom handle. Gently poke around in each plant, bottom to top. If there's one in there, scream and run!😂 (kidding). Poke it until it leaves the pot. It will most likely go in the opposite direction. I've found that spraying them with the garden hose doesn't work. Just makes them mad. I've been literally plagued by snakes my entire life. After living in fear, I finally realized after a few deep breaths, I can do this! They're just as much afraid of us, and will hurry to get away. I do still scream like a lunatic though😀

  • Fiddledd224 Fiddledd224 on Nov 09, 2019

    I would inspect any plant coming into my house carefully before bringing it in...and even "quaranty" it by itself for a couple days to be sure.

  • Judy Judy on Nov 09, 2019

    Put up a little sign that says "No Snakes Allowed".

  • Wanda Wanda on Nov 09, 2019

    Use moth balls for awhile. Before bringing pl ants in


    Your.home..?

  • Where are you Louise? Karen has your answer. Snakes are nothing to fear. Most are harmless and good for your garden. They eat rats and mice . . . A bonus for most people. I live in rattlesnake county and deal with them constantly. Just the other day I was at the local sports complex / playground. A rattler decided to sun himself in the sand by the child play area. I arrived at the perfect time. I picked him up, placed in my box in the back of the car and everyone was safe. A couple of men doubted my ability. Yup, showed them alright. Took him to "approved" wild space and released him. My dad taught us when we were very young. Later on I took a training class which was essentially everything our dad taught us, but still an excellent class. If I can wrangle with various venomous snakes, surely you can deal with a harmless garden snake.

    • See 1 previous
    • If you have never encountered any, you have nothing to worry about. I live alone and there is no "help" readily available, hence I can put my "big girl panties on" and deal with whatever needs doing.

  • Judy Judy on Nov 11, 2019

    Louise, I live in Northern California, when I was a child my mother would visit her people up in the mountains, and in the summer time it was nothing to run into a snake(s)! So then and now I am terrified of snakes! I'm a senior now and probably if I would see a snake I would die right on the spot. I'm more scared of them than you are! Just the thought that I could bring one into my home, will let's just say no plants would I bring from outside! LOL Good luck!