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Offline longview

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Garter snakes
« on: April 24, 2012, 09:03:46 PM »
Any tips on getting rid of them?

A fellow in my department is fairly inundated by them in his several acre yard.  He and his girlfriend aren't up to taking gardening implements and doing away with the varmints.  I'm too busy to sit in their yard and wait for snakes.

I did run out to their place and didn't see the usual long grass, piles of branches, etc.  I did suggest that they get steel wool and plug every available crack and crevice around baseboards and around drains before trying to exterminate the snakes chemically.  He's afraid they have nested in the crawl space under the house.  The house had been empty for a while before they moved in during the past winter, so I guess that could have happened.

It's only been going on for about a week, so I also suggested that the snakes are migrating through his area.  And/or since garter snakes mate at this time of year kind of orgy style, his yard is the equivalent of a decadent spring break for garter snakes.
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Offline thundley4

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Re: Garter snakes
« Reply #1 on: April 24, 2012, 09:27:22 PM »
I chase them down with the lawn mower when I see them.  It leaves a crazy pattern in the yard sometimes, though.  Our Beagle caught one last fall that I had to take from her.
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Offline franksolich

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Re: Garter snakes
« Reply #2 on: April 24, 2012, 09:30:56 PM »
Cats are good.
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Offline EagleKeeper

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Re: Garter snakes
« Reply #3 on: April 24, 2012, 09:49:46 PM »
Just keep the yard cut and get rid of any brush piles.

Garter snakes ain't looking for people to snuggle up to.

I don't really understand the urge to get rid of them though, it's not like they are any kind of danger at all.

In fact they are quite useful, unless of course you would like to replace them with the pests they remove.

The last house I lived in had a sump that ran out to a drainage easment, it allowed things to get in. Things like silverfish and I guess one anole type lizard.

My ex saw it first and freaked right the heck out. She demanded that I crush the life out of it.

I tried to catch it...never did, I did see it once though.

Metalic blue, very handsome.

I guess they are kinda smelly if you pick them up, garters that is.
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Offline Rebel

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Re: Garter snakes
« Reply #4 on: April 24, 2012, 10:55:12 PM »
Why would you want to? They're part of the Eco system. They eat bugs. Isn't that a good thing?
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Offline Rebel

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Re: Garter snakes
« Reply #5 on: April 24, 2012, 10:55:55 PM »
They don't bite.
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Offline Rebel

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Re: Garter snakes
« Reply #6 on: April 24, 2012, 10:58:06 PM »
Quote from: franksolich on April 24, 2012, 09:30:56 PM
Cats are good.

This is also a good idea. A barn cat is awesome. My estranged wife's grandfather has one. No snakes, no mice.
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Offline CG6468

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Re: Garter snakes
« Reply #7 on: April 24, 2012, 11:07:49 PM »
Garter snakes = no little varmints. I'd take all you have if there was a way, and then I'd have no chipmunk problems. Even if they can't eat the critters, varmints are scared to death of them.
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Offline Rebel

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Re: Garter snakes
« Reply #8 on: April 24, 2012, 11:54:02 PM »
Quote from: CG6468 on April 24, 2012, 11:07:49 PM
Garter snakes = no little varmints. I'd take all you have if there was a way, and then I'd have no chipmunk problems. Even if they can't eat the critters, varmints are scared to death of them.

So are females. Hmm... ;-)

I have no problem with rat snakes, king snakes, or garter snakes. ...and I hate f'n snakes as well as spiders. They all have a purpose. I'd say all God's creatures had a purpose if he'd reveal to me the the purpose a common house fly, a gnat, a chigger(red bug), and a mosquito have.
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Offline MrsSmith

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Re: Garter snakes
« Reply #9 on: April 25, 2012, 05:41:51 AM »
Why would anyone want to kill garter snakes??  Leave them alone.  Even in town, I've found them curled under rocks I moved, and even once inside a wall I was fixing.  I sometimes catch them and bring them to show the kids, but then we let them go.  They're harmless, even beneficial. 

In our area, all poisonous snakes have the triangular head, so I've taught my kids which ones to kill.
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Offline Wineslob

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Re: Garter snakes
« Reply #10 on: April 25, 2012, 12:19:37 PM »
Quote from: Rebel on April 24, 2012, 10:55:55 PM
They don't bite.

They will piss on you. Don't ask.....
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Offline thundley4

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Re: Garter snakes
« Reply #11 on: April 25, 2012, 12:36:32 PM »
Quote from: Rebel on April 24, 2012, 10:55:55 PM
They don't bite.

They can and do bite, but it doesn't hurt much.
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Offline Rebel

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Re: Garter snakes
« Reply #12 on: April 25, 2012, 01:04:44 PM »
Quote from: thundley4 on April 25, 2012, 12:36:32 PM
They can and do bite, but it doesn't hurt much.

They don't hurt at all. We used to let'em dangle from our fingertips.

Wineslob is correct. Don't know what it is, but they piss on you almost every time you pick'em up.
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Offline Rebel

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Re: Garter snakes
« Reply #13 on: April 25, 2012, 01:08:10 PM »
Now, as harmless as they are, you don't want to get popped by a 4' King snake. Doesn't really hurt but it'll shock the hell out of you. You have to really piss off a King to get it to do it. They normally don't go around trying to mess with humans. Oh, and they kill and eat poisonous snakes. Check mark in that column.
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Offline thundley4

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Re: Garter snakes
« Reply #14 on: April 25, 2012, 02:40:05 PM »
Quote from: Rebel on April 25, 2012, 01:04:44 PM
They don't hurt at all. We used to let'em dangle from our fingertips.

Wineslob is correct. Don't know what it is, but they piss on you almost every time you pick'em up.

I don't remember ever having one piss on me. I've had lots of toads and frogs do that though.
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Offline CG6468

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Re: Garter snakes
« Reply #15 on: April 25, 2012, 03:31:40 PM »
Quote from: thundley4 on April 25, 2012, 02:40:05 PM
I don't remember ever having one piss on me. I've had lots of toads and frogs do that though.

They have a strong scent they emit from a liquid they expel. I don't know if it's piss, but that's as as a term as any.

QUESTION: Do snakes piss?
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Offline EagleKeeper

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Re: Garter snakes
« Reply #16 on: April 25, 2012, 03:38:37 PM »
Quote from: CG6468 on April 25, 2012, 03:31:40 PM
They have a strong scent they emit from a liquid they expel. I don't know if it's piss, but that's as as a term as any.

QUESTION: Do snakes piss?

Sorta

They expell urea which is a combination of fecal material and uric acid.
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Offline longview

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Re: Garter snakes
« Reply #17 on: April 25, 2012, 05:20:29 PM »
I wouldn't have a problem with even half a dozen.  I guess they've been seeing 20 or more at the same time.  They are worried about the snakes being/denning under the house, but I told them there would be a nasty smell if they were.

I'm with y'all.  I'd rather have garter snakes than rodents and insects.  These folks are from a midwestern city and other than liking the view, they don't seem to tolerate living at the edge of town very well.
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Offline Rebel

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Re: Garter snakes
« Reply #18 on: April 25, 2012, 05:25:51 PM »
I wish our little snake problem down here in Jawga was just limited to garter snakes. ;-)

It's the Copperheads, Cottonmouths, Eastern Diamondbacks, and Timber Rattlers that I hate. We have coral snakes, but they're rare and not much of a problem.
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Offline Toastedturningtidelegs

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Re: Garter snakes
« Reply #19 on: April 26, 2012, 08:58:18 AM »
Quote from: CG6468 on April 24, 2012, 11:07:49 PM
Garter snakes = no little varmints. I'd take all you have if there was a way, and then I'd have no chipmunk problems. Even if they can't eat the critters, varmints are scared to death of them.
Yep! My grandmother used to have my younger brother and I go out into the fields and woods to gather them and bring them back into her garden. Amazing how good her vegetables grew were not ever chewed on by one critter or another.  :-)
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Offline Wineslob

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Re: Garter snakes
« Reply #20 on: April 26, 2012, 02:12:29 PM »
Quote from: thundley4 on April 25, 2012, 02:40:05 PM
I don't remember ever having one piss on me. I've had lots of toads and frogs do that though.

You aren't a licker......are you?









 :-)
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Offline Rebel

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Re: Garter snakes
« Reply #21 on: April 26, 2012, 02:59:48 PM »
Gotta watch out for those camel toads.
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There's a reason why patriotism is considered a conservative value. Watch a Tea Party rally and you'll see people proudly raising the American flag and showing pride in U.S. heroes such as Thomas Jefferson. Watch an OWS rally and you'll see people burning the American flag while showing pride in communist heroes such as Che Guevera. --Bob, from some news site

Offline thundley4

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Re: Garter snakes
« Reply #22 on: April 26, 2012, 03:07:15 PM »
Quote from: Wineslob on April 26, 2012, 02:12:29 PM
You aren't a licker......are you?









 :-)

Nope, I was just a normal kid that had lots of creeks and ponds around where I grew up.
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Offline longview

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Re: Garter snakes
« Reply #23 on: April 26, 2012, 05:20:12 PM »
Quote from: Rebel on April 25, 2012, 05:25:51 PM
I wish our little snake problem down here in Jawga was just limited to garter snakes. ;-)

It's the Copperheads, Cottonmouths, Eastern Diamondbacks, and Timber Rattlers that I hate. We have coral snakes, but they're rare and not much of a problem.

I used to make sure we always had a bull snake in the yard/barn area.  They keep the prairie rattlers away, or dead.  They always got pretty comfortable around us and the kids named them.
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Offline obumazombie

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Re: Garter snakes
« Reply #24 on: April 26, 2012, 06:13:56 PM »
Quote from: Rebel on April 26, 2012, 02:59:48 PM
Gotta watch out for those camel toads.
Where did you get that ?
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