Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Wildlife Management Snakes

I have a pondless waterfall feature in my yard with lots of boulders planted along the side. I realize that I have created a perfect spot for snakes to hangout, but it has never been a problem until this year. I have spotted several garter snakes on the edges and slithering across the stone steps. Problem is the steps lead to the swimming pool and we often are walking down them barefoot. They are startling the heck out of my wife and I and when the little ones(nephews and nieces) come over to swim this summer I can only imagine the nightmares they will have. What to do?

Tell them that the garter snakes will eat bugs and mice.

And then kill every doggone one you see!!! Good snake = dead snake in my book!

I've never been harmed by a snake but several have made me hurt myself.

One consideration is that snakes need moisture to shed their skin. Perhaps, just perhaps, they will leave.

I know that is true, but I dont think the kids will care. And to tell you the truth, I screamed like a little girl 3 times today while going up the stairs, and seeing the giant serpant slither away. Cmon somebody has to have a snake remedy.

Sounds like a great addition to the "copperheaded rattlemocassin" thread!

By the way, I'd have done the same thing in all likelihood!

Here ya go.

Plus one. IMHO you should use this as an opportunity to learn and teach. I grew up in the city but in my youth my mom and dad took us camping a lot. In addition we lived on one of the numerous canyons in San Diego. I encountered plenty of snakes growing up. My dad made sure that we could identify the dangerous snakes so that we could keep a safe distance. Unfortunately there were times that we had to kill a few (once I killed a 5 foot Western Diamondback that decided to make our garage it's home) but for the most part we left them alone.

Learn to identify the dangerous snakes from the beneficial ones and teach the family how to as well.

Wow, JHAP! Another serious and beneficial post! You, sir, are on a roll!

Must be a fluke. Don't go upping your expectations on me.

Tom McEwen?

I guess it is a good thing we've had these important discussions.

Travis (CJBS) can at least do a good job of protecting the people in his patrol area from the dreaded Copperheaded Rattlemoccasins that are invading Fairfax County, VA

Time to get a dog http://www.australianterrier.org/
specialist in snake hunting

nypondguy - You are to be commended for providing habitat for beneficial snakes. However, many people have an irrational fear of snakes. I have heard that mothballs will repel them, but personally, we have few poisonous snakes in my area, so I encourage them. In fact I hope to build a large snake hybernaculum this year.

I have lots of stone walls on my property and have had my share of garder snakes. When the kids were growing up they liked to catch them and bring them in the house. My wife was not very found of that behavior.

It's been a while since I've seen a snake, even though I have a rocky slopes around the pond. Last fall when I pulled the waterfall pump there was a eastern corn snake that had gotten to close to the inlet and drown. This year, just last week, I came across a large garder snake and tossed it into the nearby woods. I saw it again the following day and it disappeared into the rocks and I haven't seen it since.

I've also heard that moth balls will drive snakes and other creatures away.

1) Fill in the pond. That will deny them a water source for them and their food, and softening the skin for shedding.
2) Eliminate the plants, trees, rocks or any other structure they can hide in, get shade, or where their food source hides. You'd be 99.99% safe building your house on a 1 acre parking lot.
3) If items #1 or #2 don't work, pray for snow...

I hope advice this helps you get rid of those pesky rodent eaters. If it wasn't for snakes though, we'd only have spiders to make grown men scream like girls.

Lets not get mean. Fear of snakes occurs all over the world, most likely as an evolutionary trait to avoid poisonous snakes. It is no small feat to overcome an innate fear. Some are afraid of heights, others spiders. It may be amusing to poke fun at this, but it only serves to drive folks away. I don't mean to be a party pooper, but I think we are here to support one another and help each other out? OK - enough of the mushy stuff...

Two things that seem to keep snakes away are poultry and cats. I've lived most of the last 62 years in rural surroundings. I've certainly seen my share of snakes, but overall, the numbers are really low.

I'm not sure why it works, but I've read that having outdoor cats really keeps the snake population down. It may be because of the lack of food for the snakes. I've never seen any of our cats ever bring a snake home as a gift for us, but in the last 30 years, I may have seen 3 or 4 snakes near the house.

As for poultry -- snake control is a major entertainment event for chickens, guineas, etc. If you've ever seen a chicken discover a snake, you actually begin to feel sorry for the snake. As soon as one chicken sees the snake, the whole flock will be there immediately for some wholesome fun -- in chicken terms. They love to play what appears to be "keep away" with smaller snakes.

Catmandoo,

Now that you mention it, our cats are into full time rodent control since they are now let out of the house each morning. I've seen at least one mouse or mole gifted by the walkway each day. We keep the cats in at night because, wev'e lost several over the last two years to coyotes.

One of the cats likes to walk with me when I go to the pond to feed the fish. I'll bet the snakes can sence the cats are around.

Chickens are also a good bet, I've seen what they can do to a mouse that found its way into the chicken yard, an it was not pretty.

Cats, chickens, or moth balls should cure your snake problem, nypondguy.

I used to be a huge snake fancier, trying to catch and identify every obscure species. I lost interest, but know my snakes like some pondmeisters know their fish. I guess I've been bitten a hundred times, and just laugh at it.

Still,,, when I walk up on a snake, I get a tingle up my legs a split second before making it out visually, proving we have an innate fear of them.

Mothballs do a great job of repelling me. I rather the snakes... just not too many of them.

Good sites to educate yourself.

http://www.snakesareus.com/home (Jason Clark of Animal Planet)

http://www.snakesandfrogs.com/scra/snakes/scsnake.htm

http://www.uga.edu/srelherp/index.htm (has frog and toad sounds)

http://timberrattlesnake89.tripod.com/index.html

I just saw my first Eastern Hognose today. It was pretty cool. It was in my sisters garden. She just gently touched it with a stick and it's head puffed up and took a stance like a mini Cobra. It went into a hole under one of her raised beds. I am glad my dog Luna did not see it, as she is a digging machine. I have enough work in my garden, without having to repair hers. These are beneficial snakes that eat all kinds of nasty garden bugs.

It was about, maybe, 14 inches long. If Todd saw it, undoubtedly, a new species would have been named: Copperhead Rattle-moccasin Cobra, and it would probably be a spitter



Picture is from the MI DNR website.

I too find snakes neat. I have a 6 foot diamondback rattler skin mounted in the studio. It came from Florida.

Just teach the children that garter snakes are a part of nature, eat pests, and are not a threat to people.