Marilyn Pokorney

Control Snakes in the Garden

To have a snake or two in the garden is good. Non-poisonoussnakes, such as the common garter snakes, are beneficialcreatures because they eat pest insects, mosquito larvae,slugs, snails, crickets, rats, mice, voles and even othersnakes which may be poisonous.

But if you really don't want snakes in your yard and gardenhere are a few tips to eliminate them without hurting orkilling them.

Keep the lawn neatly cut and clean. Be careful using weedeaters because the sting from the fast moving string cankill them.

Snakes need cover for protection. Don’t leave wood or brushpiles sit in one spot for more than a month.

Keep leaves and other debris picked up.

Don't keep piles of rocks.

Stack firewood on a rack 12" off the ground.

Remove old lumber or junk piles.

Remove their source of food. Keep the insect and rodentpopulation under control.

Place garbage bags in sealed trash cans away from the house.

Repair cracks along the foundation and fill holes aroundpipes. Snakes only need about a ¼ inch crack to get inside.

Sprinkle moth balls around the perimeter of your yard orgarden. But beware that these can be dangerous to pets andchildren.

Sulfur from a garden center is said to keep snakes away.

Don't plant bushes and other plants too close to thefoundation of the house.

Use mulch in the garden beds but not too thickly.

Trim the lowest limbs on shrubs and bushes so they are atleast 12 inches from the ground.

Construct a fence around your garden with heavy galvanizedscreening. Make it three feet wide with quarter-inch mesh.Be sure to bury the bottom of it six inches below the soilsurface.

For more help on controlling snakes:

http://www.apluswriting.net/garden/snakecontrol.htm

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