snakes - did I just build them a home?

16 years ago

I had an erosion problem in my backyard, even though we are in the middle of a drought, so we decided to put in a dry creek bed using some rocks and tumbled stones. The rocks are not that large, and are only one layer deep. We have 2 two-foot retaining walls made with some large boulder type rocks, maybe 20 inches across, 5 rocks for each. They are pushing into the side of a small hill of dirt, whose top is covered with bermuda sod.

Does this sound like I've created a habitat for snakes or should I not worry? Can I fill in the cracks and crevices (there aren't many) with some spray insulation or something (that totally doesn't sound environmentally friendly, does it?).

Do snakes live in the dirt or just behind and under the rocks?

I've just moved here from the northeast (western mass) and I am loving living outdoors of the walls of my house now - I will cry if I've invited all of GA's poisonous snakes to my yard. You know?

ANY thoughts and comments and advice will be greatly appreciated!

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Comments (4)

razorback33
16 years ago
I see a non-poisonous one, every few years, in my garden or having been run over in the road. But snakes only hang around where there is a source of food, usually rodents.
I have lived in GA almost 42 years, walked through many tracts of woods, along and in streams, camped at many of the State and National Parks, trekked on the Appalachian Trail, waded in the Coastal marshes and crossed the sand dunes and I have yet to see a poisonous snake in GA!
Of course they are here, but they seem to avoid people, and if you keep a watchful eye, any encounter will probably surprise you and the snake and it will be as afraid of you as you are of it and will beat a hasty retreat, away from you.
If you keep rodents away, you will probably never see a snake on your property.
Rb
bmmalone
16 years ago
razorback33 - well I guess all the snakes were in my garden! It was a haven for them - a creek, ivy, and many squirrels and chipmunks! During that time we were seeing 8 - 15 copperheads a year. I was fine with that if they kept in their part of the yard, but when i found one on my driveway i freaked out. So, the ivy has long gone, the creek has dry stacked stone walls and the terrace walls are dry stacked too. Do I see many snakes these days? Not really. Maybe two or three. I think they moved next door to my neighbors yard as he has suddenly got the urge to get rid of his ivy! Also, when there are a lot of chipmunks around we know that the snakes are on vacation. So, interfx, just be aware that snakes can be in any yard, don't stop living outside, but just be careful.
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ollierose
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interfx - I don't think the rocks will be a problem. Just make sure you don't have any rats/mice around and try to keep ground cover under control. I've lived in GA my entire life and haven't had any really bad encounters. You'll probably run across one eventually, but don't let it get to you!

razorback33 - you're lucky you don't have the neighbors I have. I constantly see rats going underneath their house. Their answer? Let's get a cat preggers so we will have more cats to eat the rats. Funny how the 3 cats hey already have don't seem to be doing any good.

I've already seen two baby snakes in my yard, so you can imagine how many others are lurking around!

They frustrate me to no end! They are nice people, but they need to get off their lazy butts and get a job. Maybe then they could afford to get rid of the rats! 4 adults and 3 minors in one house - not one of them has a job!!

Ugh, I'll get off my soap box now!
toile
16 years ago
Could a compost bin bring more rodents, then more snakes?
We have occasional black snakes and garden snakes.
I am new to composting and worried all last summer that it would start a cycle of snakes..?

We have friend that own a private lake and acres of gardens. They have snakes and just ignore them.

Yall have me worried about squirrels now?
We used to have a ton and now we have ZERO. It's so weird.

snakes - did I just build them a home?

Comments (4)

razorback33

bmmalone

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ollierose

toile

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