Kupili so si sanjsko hišo, kjer so doživeli najhujšo nočno moro: "Ena je bila visoka dva metra".

Tyler and Lauren Bouldin bought a dilapidated stone house from the 1830s in Pine Grove, Pennsylvania, in late 2020, expecting years of renovation, unexpected costs, and structural challenges. What they did not anticipate was the presence of venomous snakes, particularly one that measured nearly two meters in length. The couple, who had dreamed of owning a historic property surrounded by nature, found themselves facing an unusual and persistent threat from wildlife rather than just the physical decay of the old home. The house, purchased at auction, was in dire condition: floors were missing, the staircase was on the verge of collapse, and the kitchen was completely ruined. However, the land surrounding the house presented its own set of problems. Overgrown vegetation had created an ideal habitat for rodents, rabbits, and frogs, which in turn attracted a variety of snake species. From harmless black snakes to more dangerous venomous ones, the area became a breeding ground for unwanted wildlife. On their very first day on the property, Tyler spotted a black snake climbing up one of the large trees in search of wild bird eggs. For the first six months, while the main house was being renovated, the couple lived in a small shed within the old barn. During this time, Lauren was pregnant with her second child, and their eldest son was still young. Safety became a daily concern. “We had to be extremely careful whenever we went outside,” Tyler explained. “We made sure our children and our dog didn’t venture into overgrown areas.” Initially, the couple tried coexisting with the snakes. They learned that black snakes could help control rodent populations and prevent the arrival of more dangerous species. “Black snakes are here and will remain here,” Tyler said in a social media post. “But the problem is that they’re getting really big. One of them was almost two meters long.” However, their perspective changed when they began finding black snakes alongside venomous species near the abandoned swimming pool and even under stones near the front entrance. “It quickly turned into a feeling of betrayal because they weren’t doing their job,” Tyler joked, referring to the snakes. He started actively removing them from the property. Rather than killing the snakes, the couple opted for a non-lethal approach. They removed all conditions that attracted snakes, including cleaning up the overgrown land, eliminating piles of debris, and repairing stone walls that had previously served as hiding spots. They also filled in the dangerous abandoned pool, restored the fish pond, sealed holes in the house and barn through which pests had entered, and planted mint, a plant believed to naturally repel snakes. When snakes still appeared, Tyler used a long-handled snake hook to capture them and relocate them farther away from the house. “I take my snake hook, place it in a bag or bucket, and I do it heroically,” he said. “I film it from afar so you don’t see my tears. It’s very scary, but once I catch it, I simply release it far from the house.” After more than five years of effort, the couple has begun to see results. While snakes continue to inhabit their woodland property, encounters have become significantly less frequent. “Today we see them much less often, and it seems like our efforts have made a difference,” Tyler said. “We probably won’t go a whole month without seeing one.”