Snakes

[Lisak1]

My sister has a small preformed pond in her Colorado yard. She put it in last spring and is having the WORST snake issue. Every time she puts a few goldfish in, the snakes eat them. Does anyone have a suggestion for keeping the snakes from getting to the pond? She has it in a garden bed, so I wondered if she put really sharp stones in the bed around the perimeter of the pond if that would deter the snakes? Or do they just not care?

Personally I told her I would just move. But that's just me - I'm not afraid of snakes, but she sees them daily, three or four at a time! Gah!

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I would suggest putting up a sign that says "No Snakes Allowed".

That should solve the problem, other than a few rebels.

 

[Tula]

Last summer we had snakes in our pond, sunning themselves on lily pads and warm rocks. At first it didn't bother me, until I saw babies - yikes!

I did some research and cut back a lot of vines and plantings I had around the waterfall area . I also read they're not fond of humans, so to visit the pond often and I'd stomp my feet to let them know I was coming! - ha ha!

So far, I haven't seen a snake this year....but I do have a little mouse living in my pond shack...but that's a different matter! BTW, none of the snakes ate any of my fish, thank heavens.

Oh, I forgot to mention I read you can put eggs in a minnow trap, near the pond and they go after the egg, then can't get out of the trap, and you can relocate them.

 

[Mattstark44]

Maybe do some investigating on the internet. I thought that places like Theisens, Menards, Lowes, etc. might carry a powder that she could carefully sprinkle around the pond area. Not sure if they actually work or not.

 

[Lisak1]

I thought that places like Theisens, Menards, Lowes, etc. might carry a powder that she could carefully sprinkle around the pond area.

Thanks! I have thought of suggesting she use SnakeRid or whatever that stuff is called. I think it might work because the lip of her pond is above ground.

 

[Nyboy]

Don't waste your money on repellents most are ground up mothballs very toxic. Bait minnow trap with small frog. There are good videos on youtube how to set up. you can also roll up bird netting ( used to net fruit trees) snakes crawl into netting get stuck, snakes can not back up. I used to have a very big problem with them. You can also put down glue traps but they are kind of cruel.

 

[Nyboy]

 

[Lisak1]

Ah! Awesome - thanks! I am adding this to my advice to "burn the place to the ground"!

 

[Nyboy]

Not sure where she is but if she traps a venomous snake just put trap in freezer for couple of hours

 

[PossumsDad]

Not sure where she is but if she traps a venomous snake just put trap in freezer for couple of hours

I keep a loaded shotgun by the front door for just that purpose.

 

[Mike in Vermont]

Cool video.

 

[popeye46]

Come on folks, really, they have their place in the garden just like the rest of the animals. Scary to think that the main suggestions are to kill them. Just catch them and move them to some neighboring woods or field.

 

[Lisak1]

Just catch them and move them to some neighboring woods or field.

That would be great if only they didn't keep coming. There's no question snakes serve a valuable purpose in the chain, but they can also be pests. And dangerous. And when they move into a suburban yard there really aren't any natural predators, except humans.

 

[herzausstahl]

What kind of snakes?

 

[PossumsDad]

I'm sorry if I offended any one with the shotgun comment. I have a few garter snakes that visit my pond. And I had a Cats Eye snake that visited us. No problem with either.

But when I have a 6 or 7 foot Rattle Snake come visiting then the gun comes into play.