Snake in my garden of Eden

16 years ago

I have a new water garden that was installed about a six weeks ago. It is 3300 gal and is surrounded with flat rocks and gravel before you get to the bark mulch and garden plants. There are water llies in the pond and also marginalls on shelves. A Northern water snake has taken up residence.

I've found 2 comets dead by the side of the pond as though they had jumped out and a couple of fish have disappeared. I've seen the snake curled up around the potted plant I keep on the skimmer cover, swimming at the bottom of the pond in the hornwort, and sticking its head out from under several different rocks. It is about 2 1/2 ft long.

There may be 2 snakes as my husband has described seeing one much larger than the one I've seen, but he is afraid of snakes and it may have grown in his memory.

Does anyone have any experience with trapping these creatures? I don't want to kill it but I would like to relocate it to a nearby swamp. I called the local wildlife control officer who came and lifted a few rocks without finding the snake and said he would ask around because he had never caught a snake. But he hasn't gotten back to me and it has been nearly a month. Any advice would be appreciated.

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Comments (5)

sleeplessinftwayne
16 years ago
Believe it or not, most of the people on this forum comiserate with you. Most snakes are not poisonous or agressive although they might snag you with their teeth by accident. Usually it is not so much a problem catching a snake as what to do with it after you catch it. It is getting late in the season and the stones around the pond are very tempting for a snake who likes to sunbathe so to create a nice, warm, dark cave place a large brown paper bag or a large feed sack on top of a heating pad set to medium. Prop open the top of the bag and the snake will soon think it has found a great place to take a nap and scootch inside. (twilight and noon are the most likely times) Pull out the prop holding the bag open and flip the top closed. A couple of twists of the top of the feed sack will keep it closed. Just fold the top of the paper bag over. Drop the bag into a metal trash can with a lid for transport to that swamp. Those who are not so nervous can simply sweep the snake into a garbage can laid on it's side with a broom. There are a lot of sites that give similar advice better than I can. Simply Google "catching snakes in a garbage can" and you will find quite a few. BTW,I have managed to catch more than a few over the years and the only one that gave me a problem was a blue racer in my greenhouse. He was a really quick sucker and it was warm everywhere in the greenhouse and too easy to find a dark spot under the benches. It took a week to finally locate him snoozing in a flowerpot. Sandy
keithw
16 years ago
You can make a snake catcher pretty easily if you are not intimidated to use it. Buy a 6-7ft-ish length of thin PVC (1/2"). Get a length of stiff plastic clothesline. Double it over and run the two lengths through the pipe until they come out the other end. Pull them until a small loop is all that is left on the other end. keep it near the pond! Next time you see the snake, work the loop over him and pull on the ends to tighten it up around him. Dump him in a sack and your done. We used to catch a ton of snakes like that. Very easy, and doesn't hurt them.
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buyorsell888
16 years ago
Personally, I would be thrilled if a snake showed up and ate some of my goldfish fry.

Bodies left by the side of the pond would not be the work of a snake. They swallow them down head first. They don't catch them then kill them then eat them.

Fish do jump, accidents happen during spawning or if they have parasites too, and raccoons or birds do abandon carcasses if scared off by noise or people.
pikecoe
16 years ago
buyorsell how do you train snakes to eat only the fry and not your prized fish. Guess you don't have that problem if you only have Koi? Glenda
comettose
16 years ago
Water snakes do not have a great sense of humor BTW.

The way I catch snakes is to take them by the tail and lift them quickly into a container and have someone else p;ut the lid on right away.

I've also used a fine mesh net and put them in a container with a lid for transport.

Third way is to lay a stick GENTLY behind their head and then pick them up in the same place with one hand and support the rest of their body with the other hand while you place them in a container with a lid, letting go of the head last (and be fast).

Beware of snake poop though when supporting the body - it really REALLY stinks!

In all cases wear long shirt sleeves and long pants with socks and shoes. Suggest a pair of good fitting gloves if you can work with them on. This way if they manage to bite they won't get your skin.

Don't be surprised if they come right back or you get new snakes. Might just want to learn to live with them.

I would think if the snake caught the fish it would eat it so not sure who left fish bodies outside your pond. Doesn't sound like a heron either and if the fish were intact and not just heads or pieces most likely not a raccoon. Anything is possible.

Snake in my garden of Eden

Comments (5)

sleeplessinftwayne

keithw

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