Live with it. As long as the buffet is there more will come.
I relocated many Hog-nosed snakes and more come. Last summer I saw a baby one less than a foot long. A garter snake was the first customer to take a bath in my waterfall sveral years ago. Later I spotted one slithering across the water which I didn't know they could do. As long as it is not poisonious enjoy nature. Happy water gardening.

Oooh I'm so lucky I've never seen any snakes! I suppose it's the creek back behind my house that keeps them away from my yard. I wouldn't know what to do with one if I found it, except shriek and run away. ;)

I have 4 boys and tons of neighbor kids.. I don't even have to pay them to take the snakes, It's almost world war 3 over who gets em... lol

I had problems last year with a big black snake and water snakes. My running after it didn't do a thing. I found that wetable sulfur at 99% sent the black snake away. I saw a couple of baby water snakes swimming around and could not catch them since my net isn't deep enough. I finally bought a snake trap and that took care of them. The large mom was caught by a friend in my skimmer. I have seen three babies this year so far and caught one. The trap is out. I would put sulfur under the deck and around where your pets can not get into it. Good luck.

Thanks everyone.
I guess I'll just have to see how it all plays out. Part of me wants to just let nature take its course. But I enjoy the songs of the frogs and toads, and I hate thinking of their fate if I don't move the snake. Maybe I'll get one of those snake traps that will let me move it.
The last thing I want here is baby snakes!
I'll just have to think about this.
Thanks for your input.

Hi Catherinet
Thanks for appreciating that the snake is part of the scheme of things. They are one of the reasons amphibians need to procreate so profusively to continue to be successful. The snakes can't eat them all! (Birds, rodents, raccons, opossums, etc. can't either!) The biggest danger to the amphibian population to date is habitat destruction by mankind....you know, all those closed malls with empty space in them and a brand new one less than 5 miles away? Yeah, that decreases the frog and toad calls more than anything else! (Also, snakes, toads, deer, and anything else natural, like trees, oxigen, water recharge areas, etc.)

This weekend is Earthday. In Cleveland we have one of the biggest celebrations in the country at the Cleveland Zoo on Sunday, April 22nd from 10-5P. This Sunday! Come on down to EARTHFEST 2007! And bring someone with you!! Bring a bag of aluminum cans and register for a new bike made of aluminum!

Why don't you join us and learn some more, get a new compact flourescent bulb! Admission is free if you ride a shuttle bus from Public Square, $7 for adults if you go right to the zoo. The weather looks like it will be perfect!

By the way, the snake is going to help with rodents too. Let him stay is my vote!

-TT

Here is a link that might be useful: Ohio Amphibians

I agree let the snake be the frogs and toads can take care of themselves. If your dog did not bother the toad to begin with the snake might not have gotten it. You can get rid of one but sure that more will come. You can put something out to discourage the snake but then you have other critters that can get the frogs.

I love watching and listening to the frogs in the pond also, The best was when I saw them sitting on the lily pads in the ponds. I thought that was something that you only saw on TV.
By the way I like having snakes around for rodent control. I have a cat that likes to hunt and bring me live presents, he is a hunter but not a killer. So the snakes do my cats job, since the other 2 could care less about hunting.

Thanks tillertilter and my catsbc,
I'll let the snake stay. I'll just try not to make friends with what it might have for dinner!
Actually, I was looking at the snake today. It has its favorite spot to sun in, right by the deck. I'll probably really start liking him, and then have to worry about the owls eating him! ;)
Thanks for your input. I really appreciate it.

You know it is funny how we make wild animals our friends and care so much for them. Besides my cats, birds and fish, had a dog but she died in December lived a nice old age of 17 have not got a made a decision on getting a new dog yet. And one of the cats was a stray who adopted us and was so friendly brought him in.

But besides them I have made a family of swans that come to deck every day my adopted pets. I have bread for them everyday when they see me on the deck from across the channel they come. But I am worried about them I have not seem them for a week, the enviormental people might be tagging them again so I hope that is it. Then in my parents summer place up in the catskills I have the birds that we feed and then I made a nice home for the frogs and then the bats that come back every spring, I make them leave the boards on the bathroom windows so the bats can sleep there, they seem to like it and they do help with the bugs. Then of course we have the snakes living in the wood pile, which we leave aone.

So you will probably start worrying about the snake also now.

One of my favorite animals are snakes. Today we saw 2 garters in the yard! First of the year.
Mrs. decided to play with one of them and a stick. This had to be the bravest snake I have every seen! He(she)didn't just slide away from us, but rather stayed to sniff and explore us and the stick Mrs. had. Very unusual experience! But fun!

-TT

I would just leave them all be and let nature balance itself. Having them show up is a testimony to your ability to create a good habitat. Snakes, turtles, salamanders, frogs, toads, and the like all need our help and support. Snakes are misunderstood as are bats. I have become the snake lady of the community when people start freaking out and want to kill them, I will catch them and take them away to keep that from happening (at least when I can). It makes me sad when people kill snakes just because they are snakes. They really are quite beautiful and useful.

Some of my pondside visitors:

Eastern Red-Backed Salamander

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This Eastern Garter Snake ate a toad I named Mrs. Fowler. I was getting ready to give her crickets. She liked to go in the window well as did other toads and frogs and every so often I'll find a snake down there. After the photo I caught the snake and put in my woods where it slithered off into the leaves. All part of nature - although I did miss Mrs. Fowler. That lump is Mrs. Fowler:-( She was a very colorful toad - more so than the usual toads, but they are variable.

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Closer view. Note the pattern is more visable as the toad passed through and stretched out the skin.

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Baby frogs: Bull frog and Southern Leopard:

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Bullfrog:

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Snakes are cool and a treat to see in the neighborhood. It tells you there is a balance.

If the black snake is next to an apple tree. Please don't eat the apples this time.

Thanks everyone,
Great pics Comettose........but poor Mrs. Fowler. :( Maybe its best in the long run not to name them!