Snakes in Your Garden

Rat snakes and black racers
live near the water where
rodents hang out.

The snake skin I found
by the path to the creek.

It measures about 3 foot long or so.

Looks like it might be
a rat snake.

I found a snake skin on my property today.

At first I didn't know what it was. When I was a kid, I used to see snakes quite often, black racers in the stream, garter snakes near the house flowers.

What does it mean when you find shed snake skin? It means there are snakes, at least one, around somewhere. What does an organic person do in this situation? Be happy. I want the proper wildlife to inhabit my neighborhood -- and that includes hawks, deer, wolves, foxes, moles, woodpeckers, bluejays, finches, cardinals, squirrels, ground hogs, dragonflies, hummingbirds, crows, hornets, bumblebees, chipmunks, rabbits, and a rumored "big cat", wild, not domestic, that was seen crossing the boulevard one morning at 4 AM.

So I have a garden guardian. Snakes protect your garden from rodents and other intruders.

I found the snake skin near the path to the creek, by a large clump of wild prairie grass and field lilies. It may be living just inches away from where I found the skin. Near the stream, there are lots of holes.

I began to wonder about snakes and holes.

At an online forum I came across an interesting discussion about snake holes. Someone asked if the many holes he sees on his property are snake holes.

"Do Snakes Live in the Holes I See in My Garden?"

Here are two of the reply comments, from pitbullylady and culebra:


[QUOTE]

Snakes do not dig holes. I, too, was told as a child that every hole in the ground was a "snake hole".

Later, I learned that this is not true, though that's not to say that a snake wouldn't occasionally take advantage of a pre-made hole, or go down inside one in search of prey.

Most of the time, the holes turned out to have been made by rodents, or even large beetle grubs. I've "fished" some really big, fat grubs out of holes that were fairly large in diamter. Pepsis wasps will also dig such holes to stash their larder of paralyzed spiders, caterpillars, or other insects, to lay eggs on, and sometimes the hole's covering gets brushed away, revealing the little "cavern".

I myself LOOK for snakes, and I've never found a snake in such a hole.

Of course, snakes would be FAR better to have around a garden than either beetle grubs or rodents, since unlike the latter, snakes won't eat the fruits of your labor, or cut through the roots and kill the plants.

-- pitbulllady



Posted by Culebra on Wed, Oct 19, 05 at 10:48

We have a one acre pond in the backyard that has perpendicular slits all along it that are about 10 ft. long. This previous spring, water snakes emerged in droves and dispersed far and wide. The pond was like a snake highway for weeks.

We are about 35 mi. south of St. Louis and the weather has been quite nice. I'm waiting for them to return.

In all probability, the snakes that you are finding in your garden are keeping the grasshopper, cricket, mice, moles and other critter populations down, spelling for a nicer garden.

They want nothing to do with you. Try to overcome your fears and enjoy the benefits the snakes are providing.


[END QUOTE]


I'd love to know what kinds of wildlife live in your neighborhood.

Post a comment and share your experience and what critters hang about near your home.

They're your family creatures. Be kind to them.

Remember that certain species are protected, and if you try to harm, kill, or trap them, you could be in serious felony legal trouble and incur large fines.

Enjoy your environment and keep it clean, functional, and safe.

Here's where I
found the snake skin.
Does the snake live in that
clump of lilies?
Or in a hole in the
muddy bank
of the stream?

Will the snake try to climb up
a wall and enter my house?

They're funny little rascals.