SC woman uses an unusual weapon to scare off 6 slithering guests on her deck

When Andrea Dick of Aiken, South Carolina, saw what was under her rocking chair during an afternoon coffee session, she threw her hot beverage at the uninvited guests.

She sat near six snakes, she told people on social media on April 17. The snakes slithered away.

She knew they weren’t venomous but she apparently was not a fan of snakes.

“I cant stop crying now and cant move. I think I’m gonna throw up,” she posted in a plea for help. “I literally jumped off the rocker and turned around and they were all going in different directions.”

After a while, she was able to better assess the situation.

“I don’t mind non-poisonous snakes,” she wrote, “but NOT that many at one time on my deck.”

“They evidently were having a convention of some sorts where I was sitting,” she said.

They were Eastern Garter snakes, which are non-venomous but, like most snakes, will bite if a person harasses or frightens them. The Eastern Garter snake is distinguished by the whitish-yellow line that runs along its black. The specie also has two more similarly colored lines along the sides.

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources called the Garter “a fast and feisty member of our wildlife community.”

“Garter snakes are common throughout the Southeast and most of North America and are found in a wide variety of habitats,” according to the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. “Garter snakes may be active by day or night and are often found under boards or other debris. They are viviparous (give birth to live young) and sometimes have more than 50 babies.”

The Eastern Garter’s mating season is in the spring. Many male garters may try to mate with one female, resulting in a “breeding ball,” according to the Maryland Zoo.

So maybe the snakes would have appreciated a cigarette more than coffee.

This story was originally published April 27, 2019 at 1:31 PM.