34 replies to this topic

[monk]

Guys,

The other day I found this garter snake coiled around a stem in our flower bed. I am really scared of snakes regardless of if it's poisonous or not. We called animal control but they wouldn't do anything about it unless it's a rattler. We recently bought our house and have no experience with wild life, specially snakes.
I am thinking about replacing all the bushy plants with roses (I am assuming snakes don't like thorns). I thought about getting those ultrasonic devices to keep animals away but then the snakes don't have ears, they can only smell, see and feel vibrations. BTW, does anyone know if snakes can climb on stuco walls? I would hate to see a snake coming out of vents. A friend told me that snakes are good swimmers and they love pipes, worries me about the toilet
Is there anything I can do to keep snakes out of our yard/home/toilet/garage?

[Candy Apple]

I'm with you about snakes----don't know one from another, and don't want to learn.
When I was fairly new to Lexington Hills I found 2 in one day slivering on the carpet INSIDE my house!
My neighbor got them and put the 2nd in a jar. The fireman laughed at me when they saw it, as it was a garter snake.
BUT INSIDE THE HOUSE!!!!!?????
I also couldn't sleep for thinking they could drop from the ceiling vents!

[Terry]

This year there's a bumper crop of snakes - all different kinds - including rattlers, which we've seen 4 of so far this summer. Most are harmless but they are startling to come upon in the garden. There's not much you can plant that will deter them from wandering where they want, however, they can't climb walls of any kind and particular stucco because of it's high texture. Yes, I've known people who have had snakes in their homes, but that's as a result of homes built on grade-level slabs rather than the raised foundation homes of years ago. Most snakes in toilets stories are urban legends and the gravity-based sewers we have here in Folsom pretty much prevent any critter from coming up a drain or toilet. In another month or so they'll drastically reduce their numbers and you can sleep easy until next summer. Do be careful though - the rattlers we saw were unusually large (because of the abundance of voles, moles, mice, etc. this year also). You can encircle your yard with a snake fence but those have mixed results.

[xlr8]

Yes, those rattlers do get very large!

My neighbor left his garage side door open one afternoon to cool it off. When his wife came home, she found a six foot rattler coiled around a ladder hanging on the wall! Animal control came about 30 minutes later to take it away.

[cybertrano]

6 feet is huge!!!!! one bite and you can say goodbye.

[xlr8]

Yes, it was the biggest rattler that Animal Control guy has even seen. Even he was afraid of it. He said that it was at least 9 years old.

I'll see if I can get a picture of it from the home owner.

[xlr8]

My Neighbor's 6-foot Rattler

These pictures make the snake look deceivingly small. The rattler is coiled up on a large wooden ladder. If it was uncoiled and stretched straight it would be about 6 feet long.

Notice the bottom image contains some 8 inch long red hanging j-hooks.



Folsom Rattler!

[monk]

6 foot rattler story is very scary, I can barely get over my encounter with a Garter snake. I would probably run as fast as I can if I see a rattler that big. I have been pulling weeds all summer, sticking my hands underneath rocks and stuff without the slighted worry of snakes. Now, I get a chill thinking abou it, actually seeing a snake in my yard has caused me some anxiety as it was my first encounter with a live snake outside a zoo. The picture of snake all coiled up around a plant stem is stuck in my head, even pay per view channels couldn't get this picture out of my head

BTW, I like the idea of snake fence, where can you get it? I searched through the home depot's website, but couldn't find it.

Thanks

[Terry]

You can buy the material at Home Depot for a snake fence, but it's the method of putting it in that makes it a snake fence.

Here's information from the California Dept. of Fish & Game regarding constructions of a snake fence:

Keeping snakes out of the yard
The best protection against rattlesnakes in the yard is a “rattlesnake proof” fence. It can be expensive and require maintenance, however. The fence should either be solid or with mesh no larger than a quarter of an inch. It should be at least three feet high with the bottom buried a few inches in the ground. Slanting a snake fence outward about a 30-degree angle will help. Keep in mind, however, that a snake-proof fence will also keep snakes that may be in your yard from leaving. Vegetation should be kept away from the fence since the snake could crawl to the top of an adjacent tree or shrub. Encouraging and protecting natural competitors like gopher snakes, king snakes and racers will reduce the rattlesnake population in the immediate area. King snakes actually kill and eat rattlesnakes.

Good luck.

[Candy Apple]

I tried to access the user posted images posted by xlr8 but couldn't. Is something special needed?

[cybertrano]

QUOTE (Candy Apple @ Sep 1 2003, 08:15 AM)

I tried to access the user posted images posted by xlr8 but couldn't. Is something special needed?

try these links:

http://www.geocities...01/rattler1.jpg

http://www.geocities...01/rattler2.jpg

[Candy Apple]

Thanks! Tried both. No luck.

[john]

It's because they are on Geocities. They have some sort of coding in it so people can't steal the images and strain their servers.

[cybertrano]

If you highlight the link, copy and paste it into a new browser, it will work. It worked for me.

[Chad Vander Veen]

By the way, in answer to the question posed by the topic; snakes can not climb stucco walls. Rattlesnakes anyway.