by toogie 04 Oct 2017

Cuties, my sister has been down about a week and started to go back home and her van wouldn't start. She called one of her friends/neighbors to come check it out. She had recently put a new alternator on before she made the trip.

Well, the man went over and when he opened her hood, there was a snake under where the battery sits. He thought he could poke it with a long stick and make it fall out. It didn't. It went further up somewhere under the hood and they couldn't see it.
He told her to go to Battery Warehouse and get them to check out her battery to see if it had a dead cell, but he got her van started.
She called me and asked if the snake could get inside the van. I told her YES. She asked me how I knew. I told her we watched a show about snake catchers or something.
Anyway, she is on the way to Battery Warehouse and I'm googling 'Can snakes get inside your car'- Some say yes and show one coming out an a/c or heater vent. Some say not likely. huh!
She said she didn't know what she would do if a snake crawled on her feet while driving. I told her I know what she would do.... wreck! I told her the best thing for her to do would be go car shopping today and start home tomorrow!
Battery Warehouse checked her battery, very carefully watching for snake, then re-installed a new battery. Don't know where the snake is.
Have any of you encountered snakes in the car? We are both deathly afraid of snakes. I told her that google says snakes go after mice and sometimes mice get in car. If mice get in, snakes can follow......
She said pray she makes the 10 hour drive with no incident. I have and I will!-Toogie

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by noah 06 Oct 2017

Have had a mouse or to in my car i knew as i kept seeing poop so i set a trap and got him lol

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by sebsews 06 Oct 2017

I am right there with you on the stress level! I am glad she arrived safely. I would have the car checked out from grill to tailpipe! Suzanna

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toogie by toogie 06 Oct 2017

I still wouldn't feel safe unless they FOUND the thing!

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by babash 05 Oct 2017

I hope once she got home she didn't park the car in the garage.

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toogie by toogie 06 Oct 2017

Parked in the barn!

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by momac 05 Oct 2017

Hi Toogie, the snake probably crawled down and out of the car passed the guy who was looking in the engine. Normally they have mates near by, so might still be in your yard. They also go for lizards, which like cars. Not encountered any in my car, but do have many in our garden. They say leave them alone and they won't hurt you. Hugs from Maureen in South Africa

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toogie by toogie 05 Oct 2017

I wish that had been the case, but my sister was watching for it to come out or drop down, when He poked at it. He saw when it went up into or around the tire well area.
We don't see too many in our yard, this was at her house. She has a house here too, about 15-20 miles from me.

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by Sewmum1 04 Oct 2017

I certainly would not go anywhere near the car if that happened to me. The snakes we have near us are too deadly to risk it and i am not that brave! We have people that are trained to remove snakes that get into difficult places, I wonder do you have that there?

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toogie by toogie 04 Oct 2017

No, we don't, but we need to. I have such a headache from stressing out about this, but I just got off the phone with her. She made it home safe, no sight of snake and no car wreck, so I am relieved and thankful for that.
You and I must have more sense, because the snake could have that van. I would not get in it, nor would I have driven it that distance half of the time in the night too, knowing it was 'somewhere' in the van. Thank goodness she is back, but how will she KNOW where the thing is???!!!

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by graceandham 04 Oct 2017

Okay, I wouldn't feel safe going near that vehicle again until I saw the snake come out - in pieces. This story files under "what else can go wrong?"

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toogie by toogie 04 Oct 2017

I feel the same way. Just called her and she made it back but is tired from the long drive and all the stress. I told her I was tired from the stress too!!!

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by shirley124 04 Oct 2017

I wish your sister a safe and uneventful trip home. We have not encountered snakes in the car but have had mice and rats when we were living in the country. They chewed the water hose on our Van once and luckily there was enough hose left for the repairman to cut off and pull to fix the problem. Another time we had a mouse or maybe a rat get under the bonnet and it got caught in the fan somewhere and the further we traveled the worse the odour got. We were on a 7 hour round trip. We felt so sorry for the poor repairman who had to retrieve it's parts. Hubby did go to the Supermarket and bought him a can of disinfection to spray under the bonnet. Hugs

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toogie by toogie 04 Oct 2017

I talked to her again about 2 hours ago. She said this morning when the snake went deeper into the engine/under hood area, it was on the drivers side. Now she said the a/c vent on that side started making a noise she has never heard before. She was trying to find a Walmart to stop and buy a flashlight. I haven't called her since as I wanted to give her time to do what she had to do. I hate calling while she is driving. She wants to be able to shine it every once in awhile to check inside but I think I would be shining in that vent area.
Gosh, she is either a lot braver than me or crazier than me. I don't know if I would ever feel safe in that van again. I'd have to see the snake leave out. I told my husband she could buy a game camera and set up to show all under her van. It would take pictures if it came out. My husband says its probably already out. I said what makes you think that? He says the heat from the motor would make it leave. I said that's probably why its in the a/c vent!!! Oh goodness....

shirley124 by shirley124 04 Oct 2017

Oh my. Sure hope the snake does not get in through the A/C and she gets home safely. Am praying for her, Hugs

toogie by toogie 04 Oct 2017

She made it home Shirley so thank you for the prayers. I am exhausted and I didn't make the trip.

shirley124 by shirley124 04 Oct 2017

Good to hear she made it home safely. Hugs

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by sewtired 04 Oct 2017

Praying for a positive outcome. Maybe the snake is getting rid of mice that could be gnawing on her cables and such and then will leave when he's made her car pest free. Maybe???

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toogie by toogie 04 Oct 2017

That would be the best thing but the way she said at those chicken farms the mice are tiny but are THOUSANDS of them! The people around have complained and the man has 3 different kinds of mice/rat poison out but how do you get rid of so many? I don't know...

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by rachap 04 Oct 2017

Your poor sister!!That gives me the creeps just hearing about it. If it is cold where she is maybe the snake just was looking for someplace warm so hopefully will stay near the nice warm engine as long as she is driving but I sure wouldn't park in my garage tonight!!!

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toogie by toogie 04 Oct 2017

No, the weather is warm/hot here. I think he is after the mice because she said she did find mice droppings INSIDE her van. If the mice are inside it won't be long before the snake is-oh goodness!

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by pennifold 04 Oct 2017

I hope that your sister makes it home safely Toogie. What a tale to tell. I hope the snake decided to hitch hike elsewhere! 💕 Chris

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toogie by toogie 04 Oct 2017

I'd rather see if he arrived at his destination, than not know where he went or if he is still hitching a ride. Oh I need to call her again before dark and see how its going. I told her if that thing decided to drop in on her after dark, she may not see it inside!

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by gerryb 04 Oct 2017

Oh mercy! I know there are good snakes...but none in my car are good!!! Keep us posted! You have some of the wildest adventures!

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toogie by toogie 04 Oct 2017

I must have a good heart, uh? I hope she does, too or a strong one! I'd die, the snake wouldn't have to bite me, if I even saw it inside the car or coming out the vents!

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getEdited - SELECT
by crafter2243 Moderator edited 04 Oct 2017

All I have to say is "YIKES!!!!!!!"
Hope you sister makes it home without a snake joining her. Incredible

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toogie by toogie 04 Oct 2017

Oh gosh, I will be up most of the night, I'm so nervous for her.

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by pennyhal2 04 Oct 2017

I can visualize the sign: Car For Sale. Snake Free.

I'm getting the creepy crawlies just reading this! There just was a gal who totaled her car because of a spider in her car while driving.

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toogie by toogie 04 Oct 2017

I know what you mean about having the creepy crawlies, I have been looking around my sewing room all morning!
I like your sign-lol

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by asterixsew Moderator 04 Oct 2017

Well Toogie what a tale and all I can say that I hope for a positive outcome that the snake decides it doesn't like travelling and falls out. The thought of buying a car with a hidden snake leaves me speechless. I hope you had a great time with your sister and its a visit that you wont forget in a hurry.

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asterixsew by asterixsew 04 Oct 2017

PS this is not a problem that tends to occur in the UK

toogie by toogie 04 Oct 2017

I only got to see her yesterday and she was down 9 days. She spent the day with us, but mostly spent time with her kids/grandkids. I never thought about a snake under the hood before OR inside the car, but I am sure if a mice or rat can go there, a snake can follow. The property that she recently moved by, has a mice problem, because its a chicken farm...thousands of them! I'd move again!!!

asterixsew by asterixsew 04 Oct 2017

Could tell a tale about farm rats that ate cables...

toogie by toogie 04 Oct 2017

A friend had that happen before and cost me $700 something dollars when Honda place found rat nest in my ac filter.

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by kustomkuddle 04 Oct 2017

Oh my goodness. I can feel myself shaking in my shoes just reading about it! I am not "deathly" afraid of snakes, but I sure would not want one coming anywhere close to where I am - especially driving. Praying the snake has left the vehicle and your sister makes it home safely!

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toogie by toogie 04 Oct 2017

I just spoke with her again. She said even if she stopped at animal catchers or pest control, how will they know where the snake went or if it is still under the hood, unless they see it.-I know I will not rest until she makes it home and that's a 10 hour drive with an already late start.

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by 02kar Moderator 04 Oct 2017

Oh my! If she could ID the snake to determine if it is one of the good snakes meaning harmless it would give her some peace of mind. Maybe she needs to drive to a pest control place and see if they could help. And in the meantime, prayers are going up for a safe trip and that the snake not show his little head.

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toogie by toogie 04 Oct 2017

That's just it Karen, they think it a poisonous one. I will call her and tell her what you suggest. She will be driving through some big places surely there is somewhere to get some help. I will try to find her some numbers/addresses if she wants to do that. Thanks for the suggestion Karen.

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by kay4sparkle 04 Oct 2017

I would definitely sell the car! OMG! That is crazy! Praying no incidents on her drive.

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toogie by toogie 04 Oct 2017

You and me both would sell. I would not have gotten in it until I was sure it was out.

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