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Reptiles & Amphibians

what to do with large garter snake?

12 years ago

I live in a residential area in south Jersey with small fenced in yard about 100 by 70. I have two dogs, one of which is a miniature schnauzer, a terrier if ever there was one. recently I have discovered I have 2 ( I think) garter snakes living under my dog shed. since my dog discovered them he will not stay away from the corner where he saw 1 sunning itself. He almost had the tail in it's mouth before the snake slithered into my shed. I am not afraid of garter snakes and love to see them, but not sure how to protect them without having to tie my dog up in its own yard, which seems unfair. And I don't want to acquire a large den of them in my yard as I have a friend who sometimes visits was deathly afraid. Any suggestions? Ps: sorry the pic uploaded upside down.

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Comments (4)

User
12 years ago
Well, you aren't going to end up with a large den of them because densites are not chosen by where it is easy to live in the summer but rather where they can survive the winter. If you were going to have denning gartersnakes on your property, they would already have been there for decades.

As for protecting them from your dogs, you could train your dogs to leave them alone. Unfortunately, trying to teach a terrier not to chase animals is like trying to teach one to read Russian. I like terriers, but this is their one fatal flaw for me.

Maybe you could treat the area where the snake hangs out with a chemical that is aversive to dogs but not snakes?

If you could find a dead snake and cover it in habanero chili sauce and let your dog play with it, that would teach the lesson pretty well and not hurt the dog.

The other solution is to provide the snakes safe passage and hiding areas that are difficult for the dog to access. I actually knew a person who installed a plastic pipe under their dog kennel to give snakes and toads a safe path to their pond.
highlandernorth
12 years ago
Was going to give an opinion, but I like the previous person's answer^^.

I'd say if you cant get the dog to leave the snake alone, and the other ideas dont work, then you will need to find a better area for the snakes. But that means you may eventually need to catch them. I have always been good at catching snakes, and its not too difficult, depending on where you find them at any given time. Its a garter snake BTW....
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That house was a snake hibernicula and it makes me not only feel sorry for the occupants, but the snakes who depend on dens for surviving the winters. There is one state, and I forget which, where their local garter is going extinct mostly because they are killed by humans. No, I don't expect the family to have to co-exist with hundreds of snakes but neither did I appreciate they killed over a hundred harmless garter snakes when they knew full well what they were getting into. I have a garter snake up in one of my g'houses now. It has decided that laying on the benches daily is a good thing to do and I work around wherever it happens to sun itself. Last year it was a big rat snake who lived there. I also have a resident black snake in the cellar and we just watch what we pick up. Obviously I am not afraid of them and appreciate their role in prey/predation. No, I don't relocate them. We did remove any delapidated outbuildings on our property so they wouldn't be drawn to occupy structures near the house. It's rare now to have one 'get in' the house and if one does, my husband leaves it to me to pick it up and remove it. LOL.
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C.Meens, is this home you are in a NEW home, or have you been there for a good while? If you've lived there a good while, I wouldn't worry much, BUT, IF you have just moved to your home, they likely have a spot close to your home where they overwinter. After I lost my past home in a divorce/bankrupcy situation, the guy that bought it (it's close to my present home) said there were Garter snakes living under the siding, they couldn't have been there long, so, he was able to get rid of them, OR they were living there unbeknownst to me when I lived there. BUT, they couldn't have been there for TOO long when I had been there, the double wide wasn't THAT old anyway. I wouldn't worry unless the house is new to you and keep finding more and more Garter snakes in your yard, There IS a house that was FAMOUS for having a swarm of them living in the walls and everywhere, BUT, I am sure THAT house has been deemed unfit for occupation by humans. I'd seen it on TV and REALLY IF somebody sold THAT house to anyone KNOWING the situation, they'll get sued big time. IT was MAYBE in Idaho or Iowa some place in the Midwest I THINK. Sorry, it may be the Vodka talking, but YOUR house is likely fine, I've seen a garter snake here and there, but, NOT this year yet. I've also seen a black racer snake many years ago. I am glad to see the snakes are NOT venomous ones. IF they do hang around you MAY have some rodents around for them to be hanging around your place. Do you have some animal feed that may be attracting mice? I HOPE this helps, I wouldn't worry, maybe they have overwintered in a hole in the ground near your place.
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Catherine, thanks! What about spraying individual sick plants or hitting individual weeds with roundup? That's my normal method. I use an organic gardening stuff for my lawn -- is that okay? Unfortunately we have a mowing service, and they ride around at top speed on those huge mowers. There are sections of the yard that aren't mowed, though. I could possibly add a water feature in one of those areas. Re: the water feature. Would one that isn't in the ground be of any help? One of those ponds-that-are-actually-a-tub-of-water-that-stands-on-the-deck kind of things? Or does it need to be something the toads can hop into and out of and such, something at ground level? What about garter snakes? Are the two mutually exclusive? Val
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Redfeather54
11 years ago
You could capture them and re-release them in a area where there is woods with water.. Myself I would just leave them be. They are great companions for keeping the rodent population down. And why isnt the dog staying in the house vs outside? Move the dog house up on the patio. They also make a chemical that you put out to keep snakes away and is sold at Walmart, Home Depot . They go by many names like Snake Keep Away. Ask an employee. You get move the dog house and get the snakes to leave and put out the snake barrier chemical.
Sharon McKenzie
11 years ago
"Snake Away" and other products DO NOT work! It's just a gimmick to take advantage of a needless fear that too many people have. Snakes are not repelled by sulfur, the main ingredient, in spite of countless wives' tales claiming that they are. Sulfur does not burn snakes, either, as many people claim, anymore than it would burn your skin to touch it. Best thing is either to relocate the snake or train the dogs to leave them alone.

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