Your sense of smell can be the source of frustration if you are around someone who recently ate beans or who doused themselves with too much perfume, but your ability to recognize odors can also save your life. If you can't smell something burning on your stove, then a fire might start, and if you can't smell natural gas, there could be an explosion. Well there is another odor to be on the lookout for because if you smell it in your house, you could be in danger, and that scent is cucumbers.
It might seem strange but if you smell the vegetable and no one in your home has been cooking it or eating it, then there could be a deadly animal creeping around your house. Venomous snakes like copperheads and rattlesnakes actually emit the smell of cucumbers. While the snakes are most prevalent in the Southwest, everyone needs to be aware since copperheads can be found in 28 states and rattlers actually live in nearly every state.
So what causes the cuke smell? According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, the odor is produced by the glands at the base of the snake's tail and can be more potent if it is mixed with their poop. When the reptile gets scared, it releases the musky, cucumber-like scent as a defense mechanism. However, their dens can also have the smell of cucumbers.
If you do smell cucumbers, especially in your basement or garage, you'll want to call an exterminator. If you have a snake, it can be extremely dangerous to remove them on your own. Exterminators are specially trained to find and get rid of the reptiles, plus they can see if there are any nests with eggs in your house, so best leave it to the experts.