Snakes on a Pond?

[TeePee]

Hi,
Anyone got any good ideas about catching & removing a snake (humanely) who has taken up residence in, or at least nearby, my fishpond? Come the summer, he'll be using my pond as his personal baby fish vending machine :-( so I'd really like to avoid that. You do occasionally see him "in person" -- but you have to be both quick (& well prepared) & lucky to catch a snake when that rare opportunity arises.
Thnx!

BTW, on my first encounter, I happened to have my camera to hand; anyone know what sort of snake this is?

 

[HARO]

Garter snake. More likely to be looking for frogs and toads than fish!
John

 

[Mmathis]

If it truly is a garter snake, and if he doesn't pose an obvious problem, I'd keep him, but that's just me. He's part of the ecosystem.

But, no, I have no suggestions on how to get rid of one. Would they crawl into a small live-trap, or would that even work [you'd only have PART of the snake in the trap when it sprung.....]. Guess if you were lucky enough to catch him out on a cool day [his reactions would be slower], you could grab & bag him, then release him somewhere else......

Here's a link for the Eastern Garter Snake: http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/eastern_garter_snake.htm

I had never seen a garter snake that didn't have stripes, but this link does show some that look like what you have in your picture. Nice pic, BTW. Should enter it in the June Photo Contest!

 

[sissy]

never liked snakes and when I see MR one eyed owl get one I love it .I had a hawk here to that seems to swoop down on them .He is small but sure can pick up some big stuff .I thought one eyed only got mice until I see him grab a snake .A small snake but they get bigger .

 

[Dave 54]

Definately a garter snake personally I'd keep him it's stop another moving in and is as has been said after frogs etc personally I think they are cute little critters sadly we ever have the Grass and the Adder here in the UK they are very few and far between so your lucky to have this guy.

rgrds

Dave

 

[taherrmann4]

I have had few over the years and it is just luck that I catch them. The one time I happen to be out by the pond with my net and was able to get him wrapped around it, then ran over into the yard and yelled at my wife to get a box to put him in. Took him down the road and let him go.

 

[Cdsdave]

I'm from jersey as well and had a visit from a garter snake last week. He slipped behind the rocks on my waterfall so I ended up moving them and found him curled up there. Had my gloves on and just grabbed him by the tail put him in a tub and brought him to the nearest retention basin. Like others said though, he's probably good to have around. I don't like snakes but this one was cute. Good luck!