Snake Bit!

As we came in for lunch today, Georgia disgustedly told me that a Black Snake (also called a Black Rat Snake) had gotten entangled in the bird netting protecting the Blueberry plants from pests.  Sure enough, when I got there a good sized snake was indeed thoroughly wrapped up in the fine mesh.  It seems its head, and about half of its body were skinny enough to fit through the mesh, but the res of him failed to get by. Moreover, the scales acted as a ratchet and made it impossible for it to back out. I got a pair of scissors, and started to cut the mesh free, working up close to its skin to open the mesh enough to let it slide out.  I failed to notice it's increasing agitation, signaled by his rapidly vibrating tail, and eventually, it struck out at me, and grabbed the tip of my right middle finger.  I snatched my hand away, of course, but that only caused one of his little needle like teeth to cut a quarter inch slice in the tip, which bled profusely for a few minutes.  I proceeded to cut it free, and using a pole, prodded it out of the area, drawing a few strikes on the pole.

A little soap and water cleaned the cut, and killed the snake smell (they emit a horrible scent when excited), and a small bandage fixed it all up.  I'm just glad it wasn't a Copperhead.

We welcome/tolerate Black Snakes around the yard because they eat the rodents which eat our garden. Too bad they don't eat deer. . .