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Not to say that I want one in my house, but I try to live and let live when it comes to black snakes for this exact reason. Almost stepped on a #*&(! copperhead in my barn the other night, and it was too dark to get an accurate aim to kill it.
Black snakes, bull snakes, garter snakes, green snakes . . . they can live in my yard.
Copperheads cannot.
Black snakes are welcome! I even put our water for them during our drought.
The fact they eat mice, rats and venomous snakes is awesome!
As long as they don’t eat my eggs or new chicks (when I get them) they are welcome anywhere on my farm.