Ok if anyone knows anything about snakes,,,please help me! a few weeks ago I went into our back room to do some laundry and there on the floor was my worst nightmare,,,,a snake! I live in Michigan and I looked up to see what kind of snake it was and came to the conclusion it is a watersnake.My questions is, I did not go looking for it after I seen it, will it find its own way out of my house or will it stay here till spring? And if it will not leave on its own how do i get rid of it?

Welcome to the pool and thanks for your kind post in the DR. I don't know what you may have in Michigan but what I would do is call the local animal control agency and ask them what to do about it. If you don't have one, you may want to call your local Deputy Sherriff as they may know what to do with it.

The snake will need some sort of food supply. If this is cut off - or, alternatively, if the snake is endangered by another predator (such as a cat) - it will want to leave!

The only breed of snake in Michigan that is poisonous is the “Eastern massasauga rattlesnake”, which grows to 2 to 3 feet in length and are rare. They like wetlands and marshes. There are 17 other breeds of snakes that call Michigan home which are harmless and in fact are very beneficial in that they get rid of other unwanted pests such as mice, roaches and crickets.



One way to tell if the snake is poisonous or harmless is to look at the eyes, which can be easily seen from a safe distance. All harmless snakes have round pupils like our eyes, while poisonous ones will have a vertical elliptical (cat like) shaped pupil.



To prevent any future visits inside of your home take a walk around your home and look for any cracks or holes. Seal these up. Keep all doors closed. Tidy up areas that have clutter since these make great hiding places. During the warmer months keep lawn mowed and shrubs in check. If you have a buffet of roaches, crickets and mice work on eliminating their presence.