It was a beautiful, blue sky day in Virginia Beach. The high was going to be 80 degrees, in early June. This was the ideal day for my husband, Allan and I to go for a boat ride.
Allan eagerly walked out to our 22-foot boat to warm up the engine for our first boat ride of the summer. I was making some snacks and packing supplies for what would surely be the ideal day on the water. I saw him lift the battery hatch to get ready to start the engine. He quietly and carefully closes the hatch and comes running into the house.
Once he is in the house, he yells to me, “There are several large black snakes in the battery hatch! How are we going to get them out?”
Madeline: (I am tall, statuesque, with dark brown hair and eyes.) “I say to him, “Call Jay, he’s an expert on boats and snakes – the one legged and two legged kind (variety).”
Our friend Jay is a man of many talents. He is rugged, yet polished. He didn’t say much, but when he talked…you should listen.
Allan said, “Remember a month ago, we opened the battery hatch and a mother bird and her babies were sitting inside the hatch by the battery. Well, they finally left the hatch and we cleaned it out with disinfectant and put in mothballs to keep them from returning.”
Jay, “Well, the snakes smelled the birds eggs and slithered in! Mothballs do not stop Snakes. Open the hatch and let the sun get in and they will most likely leave. When they leave, close the hole where they entered.”
“Thanks Jay”.
That’s as long as it took for Jay to advise us on our problem.
We found a product called “Snake –A-Way” that gets snakes to leave any area.
Meanwhile I spoke to, on the telephone, to the local snake removal service in Virginia Beach. Then collected from our garage our boat gaff, a long rake, long shovel, all just under 6 feet.
I despise snakes, but I love boating with my husband. I wanted no part of being around a 6 foot long soon to be homeless slithering creature, but I decided that the rewards exceeded the risks.
“We took the Snake –A-Way, the long rake, long shovel, and gaff, all under 6 feet and walked back to the boat.
I opened the cabinet on the boat with the gaff, then push the long rake in turning the rake upside down to hold the cabinet open and put the required Snake –A-Way amount on the shovel and dropped it into the cabinet with the snakes by turning the shovel over in the cabinet.
Two days later, we carefully checked the battery hatch and the black snakes were gone. We added, with our long shovel, more Snake –A-Way and closed the hatch. Later, we cleaned out the hatch, sterilized it, closed the hole where the snakes were entering through and called all of you to go on our boat ride.
What 3 things did you and I learn about snakes?
1) If you see or hear a snake make a hissing, sizzling, growling, and spiting sound quietly and quickly walk away. Snakes are not aggressive the sounds are to warn predators away. (Snakes are attracted to a food source keep all hatches clean and free of holes to enter in to cabinets!)
2) If bitten call 911. Expert, Lawrence Paul says, “do not apply pressure or suck fluid, or use ice. Keep the effected snake bite extremely below the heart.”.
3) Do not attempt to kill or capture a snake. Paul says, “80 percent of snake bites occur when people attempt to capture or kill snakes. Very often alcohol is involved.” If you want to know what kind of snake it is, “from a safe distance” take a picture of it “and upload it to the Facebook wall of the Virginia Herpetological Society” for identification.
Snake areas (April- Oct.): In areas where grass is high with logs, marshes, or holes on the ground wear long pants, socks, long sleeve shirts and real shoes. At night use a flashlight.
Look and listen carefully!
So, the next time you see or hear a snake walk away quietly! © 2026 Madeline Frank
Madeline Frank, Ph.D. is an Amazon.com Best Selling Author, speaker, business owner, teacher, conductor, and concert artist. She helps businesses and organizations “Tune Up their Business”. Her observations show you the blue prints necessary to improve and keep your business successful. Her latest book “Leadership On A Shoestring Budget” is available everywhere books are sold.
If you need a speaker or video speaker contact Madeline at: mfrankviola@gmail.com
