Best way to get rid of a snake

[caj]

Hasn't happened yet, but snakes will be crawling soon. With small children in the neighborhood, I'm curious what the best way to get rid of a snake (large or poisonous, not grass & garter snakes).

I've heard all kinds of ways, from:

*running over it with the lawnmower(!)
*killing it with a hoe or shovel
*shooting it
*capturing it in a bag or container then calling pest control
*leave it alone and call pest control (and hopefully they'll find it)

[CaptainEurope]

Book a ticket and put it on a plane.

[shooshoomanjoe]

Option 3, then cook it.

[achilles]

Call animal control. Or pick it up and handle it for a while before releasing it into the wild, whichever.

[Scott Taylor]

Leave it be. What did that theoretical snake ever do to you?

[seismic-2]

Buy a mongoose, or a bigger snake.

[achilles]

Buy a mongoose, or a bigger snake.

King snakes eat rattlesnakes and other snakes...

[Spike-X]

Trying to kill it increases your chances of being bitten. Try to keep it isolated, and call someone who knows what they're doing to come and deal with it.

[foxley]

Call the local snake catcher who will catch it and release out in the wild.

[achilles]

Nuke it from orbit, just to be sure.

[Spike-X]

*shooting it

Tell me you live in the US without telling me you live in the US.

[foxley]

Tell me you live in the US without telling me you live in the US.

And as someone who grew up in rural Australia, I can tell you it is pretty much impossible to shoot a moving snake with anything other than a shotgun. Not a recommended option.

[achilles]

And as someone who grew up in rural Australia, I can tell you it is pretty much impossible to shoot a moving snake with anything other than a shotgun. Not a recommended option.

Like I said, nukes, those'll get 'em!

[foxley]

Like I said, nukes, those'll get 'em!

Not Australian snakes.

[Zelena]

Not Australian snakes.

The deadliest snakes in the world… Brr…