Ball Python stuck under kitchen cabinets!!

Question
QUESTION: 3 days ago our ball python escaped, we looked everywhere in our apartment and finally caught a fleeting glimpse of his tail as it disappeared under our kitchen cabinets.  We had removed an access panel for the dishwasher in order to fix a problem with it and (stupidly) hadn't put it back, so the snake went under there and through a hole that leads to under the kitchen cabinets.

So, we're hoping that there is no way for him to get from under the cabinets into the walls.  In an attempt to get him out, we tried getting a mouse, leaving it in it's box and placing the box near the hole the snake went through, but that didn't work.  We have tried to remove the panels from the bottom of the cabinets, but we're not able to.  We have limited visibility through the hole the snake disappeared through due to it's location.

In hopes that he does come out soon, we have shut all the doors in our apartment and put towels under them so that when/if he comes out he will have limited places to go.  I know he hasn't been under there for long, but if he ever did get into the walls we could get into big trouble because we're not supposed to have snakes in our building.

Eric - I read in one of your other answers regarding how to find a lost snake that you had enticed one of yours to come out with a mouse... how did you do that?  We were thinking of tying a string around the mouse and putting it through the hole, but I'm worried the mouse will break free then we'll have a snake AND a mouse lost in the kitchen...

Please help!!!

ANSWER: Hey Alanna,

The only way I was able to entice my snake with a mouse was when I found her in the wall. I had pulled a section of panel away from the wall where she was hiding. I then grabbed a mouse and prekilled it to dangle in front of her. She then started to move towards the mouse as I pulled it out. I then had to grab her to get her out.

This trick will not help unless you see your snake. The best thing to do i pull the dishwasher out. It might be hiding around the backside of it. The warmth and moisture there is ideal for them. You could also try placing a heating pad on the floor and waiting. Snakes can sense the heat and will gravitate to it to get warmer. This one you may need to stay up all night to watch for it.

There is a chance it could find a previous hole and get into the walls. If this does happen it will die in the wall. The landlord can not possibly know it belongs to you due to other occupants in the building.

Hope this helps,
Eric

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Actually, I just thought of something else.  Over the weekend we jacked the air conditioning and put a heat lamp close to the floor near where the hole is in an attempt to get him out, it didn't work.  So not too sure if the heating pad idea will work either (especially if he's wrapped around the hot water pipe that leads to the dishwasher)

So, we just bought one of those dental mirrors and intend on putting it through the hole to see if we can see him in there.  Assuming we can see him, we were thinking of tying a live mouse onto a string and putting it through the hole and somehow either pull the mouse (with the snake following) or the snake & mouse (if he's attacked it) out... Is this a bad idea or should we stick to trying it with a dead mouse?

Thanks so much for your advice!!!

Answer
Hello Alanna,

I am not sure if the live mouse idea is great. What happens to the mouse if it gets away? In any case. They usually have a couple screws on the under side of the counter holding the dishwasher in place if you see him then the best bet is to just pull it out.

Eric