We have garden snakes. I am so scared of them and have seen so many of them that by now I don't want to be nice anymore and want them killed. We already built a porch in front of the house to avoid them, but this is a sunny area and they like to be around. I got used to them in the garden, but yesterday I found one inside the porch and I am ready to move. Help anyone? I am scared to death.
I am terrified of garter snakes on the island where I live. I can't stand the way they move or look and I am developing serious panic attacks out in my yard while trying to weed whack or pull weeds. I cannot bear to be within 10 feet of them so picking them up is not remotely an option. It does not matter if they won't hurt although I keep reading they can bite. I thought they moved away when you got near but I have mowed right over them by accident in my riding mower and the weed whacker doesn't even get them going. Thus, I am terrified to be on my knees to reach in under a bush for weeding. They're slow and then suddenly they race. Totally disgusting and gag inducing. I am starting to twitch outside in anticipation of coming across one and can't relax. Enough about the phobia--please just don't tell me to pick one up. You people with the duct tape stories have totally freaked me out!
I bought a Liquid Fence product for snake repellent: very pricey in concentrate form. It did not work for a minute but it stinks all around my house now, as I tried another two gallons of it, hoping. It's not the Snake Away product that came with many cancer warnings...supposedly all natural. Has anyone tried both to compare? I sprayed it right over them with a long spray wand and it barely phased them. I have thrown out tons of mothballs and no luck. All I have done is cause a huge stink. Isn't sulfur powder going to be even worse, and isn't there seriously something else? I hate cats and don't want a cat bringing a dead snake up to my doormat as a "gift" so that's out; besides, neighboring cats sit in my back yard and it is obviously doing no good.
Please, I am so desperate. Any other ideas or any comments regarding whether the Liquid Fence is worthless compared to Snake Away? Is it worth buying the other brand?
Hi, I understand your fear because snakes can be startling with their fast movements, and unexpected presence. After your initial fright it is important to think rationally though. Your property will be in worse shape without the snakes than with them. They are there for a reason. They destroy pests that are more harmful such as rats and other rodents. They help in the balance of nature. By all means use deterents such as snake away, but please don't kill them, they mean you no harm and are actually beneficial.
Hello, I live in FL., and we have lots of snakes here. I have a fear of them also so I understand where you're coming from. It doesn't help when people tell you to get over your phobia. Snakes, spiders, fear of the dark, and thunder and lightning are the 4 biggest fears. My Dr. told me so. Anyway, you can buy a product called "snake-a-way". You sprinkle it around the area where you've seen them. For whatever reason they don't like the stuff and will leave. It smells just like mothballs, but it must have something more in it. I tried the mothball thing and walked outside only to find this huge black snake slithering right over the mothballs! Once again, don't let anybody tell you to "get over it". I myself can't wait until I can move from FL. Wherever I go, it's going to be a condo with no yards to take care of.
Mothballs and get a cat. They are good snakes. I have them too and have had them for years. They scare you when you are working in the yard but I work anyway. I have yorkies and they catch them for me.
Rat Terriers love snakes. Get a cat. Move to Ireland..(just kidding). Work on getting over your phobia. Garter snakes are "good" snakes. Good luck! MykalA
Go to your local garden center and ask for some sulphur. Then, spread it by hand (cannot use spreader as it is too sticky) around your porch, and around the perimeter of your yard if it's not too big. At any rate, spread it in a line around anywhere you will be. For some reason, snakes won't cross sulphur. Tried & true! Good luck and God bless you.
This pages has been archived 3 times. You can view older posts and feedback below.
Request: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes (06/23/2009)
We have removed 9 gardener snakes and drove them about 5 miles away and dropped them in a swampy area. One snake had his tail missing, and 2 weeks later, we just caught another gardener snake with his tail missing. Same sized snake as the previous snake removed. With this distance in play, can they find their way back home to our garden area and yard? Thank you for the help.
Login using the form on the top of the page to post feedback (if you are a registered user). If you have not yet registered, click here to do so. It's FREE!.
Archives:
Request: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes
Archived on 06/23/2009
We have removed 9 gardener snakes and drove them about 5 miles away and dropped them in a swampy area. One snake had his tail missing, and 2 weeks later, we just caught another gardener snake with his tail missing. Same sized snake as the previous snake removed. With this distance in play, can they find their way back home to our garden area and yard? Thank you for the help.
Brett and Stacy
Feedback:
RE: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes
Hubby said, yes, they will come back to their home ground. He said he only knows of 2 ways to get rid of them: kill them or buy some Flowers of Sulfur (powder that comes in a plastic bottle that you can get at a drugstore or pharmacy) and sprinkle it around. He said the snakes don't like sulfur and will leave, but that they are good about killing any bugs you have around. Your choice. Good luck! (05/30/2008)
The gardener snake is a harmless reptile small, but when grown large these animals have a nasty bite. Though they are not poisonous, do not touch these creatures because they tend to slither around in poison oak and sumac. If you wish to get rid of them, please do it humanely. I suggest putting rotten peppers where you have these snake problems or using the product "snake-a-away". (07/03/2008)
By Matt Finzel
RE: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes
(submitted via email)
Hi, I have family in your town, and Aneta, and snakes! Okay I am trying moth balls today, and going to try snake away from Lowe's, so hope that helps. I am not afraid of them. I am just tired of being spooked!
I just found a baby garden snake in the wall of my basement. I used duct tape to tape the area it was trying to escape and the next day it was stuck to the duct tape still alive. Duct tape - Ace True Value, but if there is one is there more, and a Mom?
I am beyond phobia and trying not to have a heart attack since finding. Help. Any suggestions? Don't want to kill, just remove permanently. (09/06/2008)
By Annie
RE: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes
(Submitted via email)
Every summer the same problem with snakes in my backyard. Have a solution for me?
Thank you, Guy (04/05/2009)
How do I get rid of gardener snakes in my basement?
Christina M. from Sioux Falls, SD
Answers:
RE: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes
God Bless you, my friend. I know how you feel. I've had garter snakes nesting between the sidewalk and foundation of my house for several years. They come inside the house too on the lower level. There is nothing quite like watching tv and noticing a snake on the floor beside you. I am deathly afraid of snakes of all types.
Anyway, I learned through the internet (actually a fellow from Australia) that snakes don't like anything with a pungent odor. I bought some spray that smelled of the liniment made with Capzasin (hot peppers). Now I put anything I can find that has a really strong smell in that crack to discourage snakes from nesting there.
My cousin's wife pours cold water on the ones that nest under her porch. I think even that helps. You have to make it so they don't like it there. lol
BTW, I heard that garter snakes have live births not the eggs that I envisioned. I'm not sure if this is true or not, but I believe it.
My heart goes out to you. Good luck. (05/16/2008)
By Carol in PA
RE: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes
I also have a huge phobia of snakes. We have many gardens around our house and a pond in the back. The garden snakes just love it here. I found a product at Lowes called "snake away" last spring. I bought five cans of it and put it around my gardens and the pond. I am a big fan of this product. It cut down the snake sightings here by more than half. I would see about 10 snakes in my yard on any given day in the summer, now with this product, I may see one. It smells very strong, but it is worth it if you have a snake problem. (05/26/2008)
By Mark
RE: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes
Garter snakes don't harm anyone. Why would you want to kill them? You may be scared of them but there more scared of you. Just leave them alone and if you see one in your house get a net and move it down the street (don't kill). (05/26/2008)
I have snakes in my basement. I am deathly afraid of snakes. I know they are just garter snakes, but now they have babies. I want to get rid of them, not just repel them, but kill them. I have put down the sticky traps with no results. Do moth balls kill them? Does gravel kill them? Does bleach kill them? I am not able to get around much, I have a heart condition and don't want to end up passed out on the floor in the basement with those creepy crawlers. Any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Thank you, Miss Liddle from Jamestown North Dakota
Answers:
RE: Getting Rid of Gardner Snakes
Hi Miss Liddle...
This probably isn't a solution if you only see them once in a while. I live in SD. The kids in our neighborhood like to hunt for snakes. They take them out to the corn field and let them go.
The snakes should be in hibernation now, so you probably won't see them anymore till spring. The only way I know of to kill them is to hit them over the head. I don't think you'd want to do that when you are afraid of them.
(11/09/2005)
If you put down the mothballs while they are not active, they will be driven out of your basement. For some reason this does not work with poison snakes like rattlers, but does get rid of the non-poison type. My sister-in-law had a similar problem and that worked for her (11/09/2005)
By Maureen
RE: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes
Boy, do I understand how you feel! I had a nest of garter snakes in the crack between the sidewalk and foundation last year. What I learned about it is that snakes are very sensitive to smell. I bought a product from Australia to spray there, but now that I know that I use ammonia, moth balls, bleach... anything with a strong smell. You need to keep putting it where your snakes are living. They wont like it and will leave. This summer I had a copperhead snake in the same place and knew what to do so he went away. BTW, my cousins wife pours cold water on them... lol But because they are in your house I think more drastic measures are required. Good luck. Let us know how you made out. (11/09/2005)
By Carol
RE: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes
I live in Manitoba, Canada. Here we have garter snakes which are not poisonous. Killing them. I wouldn't cause if the snakes can get into your basement then the mice can also get in. Do you have problems with mice? Probably not cause the snakes are eating them. Then again, garter snakes don't bother me. I was the one that picked them up in the summertime and brought them to the house to show my mom.
My brother in law was mentioning that he also had snakes in his basement. His solution...find the hole that they were getting in...by a crumbling wall next to a window and seal it tight.
As the other poster mentioned, they are probably in hibernation now so you may have to wait until spring before you can find them again in your basement or...do a thorough cleaning of the basement and have a friend who can pick up/get rid of the snakes for you. (11/09/2005)
These are very beneficial snakes and are harmless. I would try and call your local game commission or your local humane society and they may tell you someone that can come and rescue them. Snakes have a bad reputation, that is because the public is not educated on them. They are in hibernation now, but I hope you find an answer, verses killing them. (11/09/2005)
By Malinda
RE: Getting Rid of Gardner Snakes
I wish I could come and get those snakes for you! Plugging up holes, cracks, etc. is probably all it will take added with some sealant. People call these snakes Gardner as well as Garter and I wish you the best in clearing them out of your house :) (11/09/2005)
Make sure the traps are near warm areas like the hot water heater the dryer or the crack of the door, any window sills or places they would bask in sunlight. Near pipes or places with water are also good places for the glue traps, my mom is having the same problem and you can take them out with a shovel once they get their heads stuck. (11/12/2005)
By Sereta
RE: Getting Rid of Gardner Snakes
I had a snake problem and was so scared so I understand fully. The house I purchased was left empty for a couple years. Moth balls, bleach, hot pepper flakes, soap flake, bowl of antifreeze, and boiled tobacco didn't work. Spraying them with a hose didn't because they just came right back. I had black snakes which are like north eastern garter snakes but bigger. Close up any and all holes. spring time eggs will be hatching so get yourself a couple cats to get rid of any babies. (I borrowed neighbors cats) big ones I used a outdoor/indoor vacuum cleaner. I could suck them, then run - my daughter could empty it in a trash bag but couldn't suck them. Together we got the job done. We had to put them in a trash bag because at first we put them outside but they would be all around the house trying to get back in and when I had one in the engine of my car, any mercy from me left. To keep them out, I purchased bricks of this rat poison I purchased at a feed store. More powerful than dept store rat posion. soon I found dead rats outside. I had no idea the house had rats in it. These darn snakes didn't even run from me. They thought they owned this place, but I showed them. (12/02/2005)
By Debbie
RE: Getting Rid of Gardner Snakes
I agree with mousie. Let the kids in the neighborhood come in a get them for you, or get a cat to take care of them. I hope they will leave you alone (04/06/2006)
By donjr107
RE: Getting Rid of Gardner Snakes
Today I was mowing my lawn and I noticed they were climbing out of my siding into a hole under in the sidewalk! I killed two and my neighbor came and fetched them out, but I seen like 4 more. How do I get rid of em?
(05/13/2006)
By Maria
RE: Getting Rid of Gardner Snakes
Please do not kill these snakes. They are an important part of our ecosystem. It's understandable that you do not want snakes in your house but instead of killing them find alternative methods to remove them from your home, one I suggest is: if you have a national/state park near you, call and see about a naturalist coming to your home and removing them. These people are in a field that cares for all animals and their importance; I'm sure they would be happy to help you out. (06/29/2006)
By Katie
RE: Getting Rid of Gardener Snakes
I rarely see snakes but I when I was running I found one all ripped apart in a field and I freaked! The next day a huge brown and white striped one was slithering through our stone wall and it scared me! It looked too big to be a gardener and it was odd colors. (07/26/2006)
By Scuba Steve
RE: Getting Rid of Gardner Snakes
Go to the hardware store and ask for sulfur to put around the outside of the house or yard. It works on all kinds of snakes (10/20/2006)
By joe
RE: Getting Rid of Gardner Snakes
Call the local animal police or pest control and they will get rid of them without killing them. :) (03/17/2007)
By someone helpful
RE: Getting Rid of Gardner Snakes
Thanks for the info
I've got an old dead tree that I need in my yard to keep neighbors from driving on my grass
It is full of garden snakes
I understand the eco system, but there are enough of these snakes to take care of the state
Is there anything that can be sprayed on them
to rid (RIP) them all at once.
(03/23/2007)
By Meme
RE: Getting Rid of Gardner Snakes
Why do you want to get rid of garter snakes. They are not poisonous, they don't have no fangs. (04/24/2007)
By zach
RE: Getting Rid of Gardner Snakes
i have gardener snakes in my basement, and every now and again they make there way upstairs, what can I do to keep them out of my basement?
I do not mind them outside and I am not afraid of them I just would rather keep them out, is there anything I can put in the basement to keep them out, I have tried bleach, sulfur, the sonic plug ins, but nothing seems to make them go away, the pest control people even put stuff on the outside to keep them away and they keep coming back, ANY suggestions would be great. hayesbstsz AT yahoo.com (05/01/2007)
By Shelli
RE: Getting Rid of Gardner Snakes
They do bite though
(05/09/2007)
By Alex Cole
RE: Getting Rid of Gardner Snakes
I live in an old farm house and have found that last year my cats found snakes in the basement and they would bring them upstairs. Well I hate snakes and I know they eat other critters but they are not welcome in my house! Have any suggestions to get rid of them!!(05/31/2007)
By emtoh4u2
RE: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes
The snakes you find won't all be poisonous, some don't even have fangs, so don't kill them if you don't have to. I'm not the biggest fan of them but I think they are pretty cool. (06/08/2007)
By ZACHARY
RE: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes
To get rid of garter snakes if you're not afraid of them, grab them by the neck (07/10/2007)
By austin Lipscomb
RE: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes
Just pick it up by it's neck and remove it from your house if you don;t want it inside. Are you going to tell me you're afraid of tiny bugs too? These creatures are harmless, get over it. (07/23/2007)
By Erik
RE: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes
Ok. No effective poison or deterrent has been found to "ward" off snakes. You will simply be on your own on getting rid of them. Try not to go on a rampage and slaughter the entire population, even though you may hate and/or fear these harmless creatures. You should try to call some pest or animal control center or animal care facility to see if you can get someone to remove them from the area. If you are not afraid, just pick them up, preferably by the neck so you don't get bitten. Also, you should try to remove things that attract them, like tall grasses around the house that harbor insects that they feed on, don't leave firewood, boards, or other shelters for them around the yard, and you should make sure to get rid of any rodent problems you might have (rats?) due to the fact that they could be prey for the snakes. (09/10/2007)
By Josh
RE: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes
They're so cool! How could you possibly not like them!? Don't kill them. If it bothers you that much, call someone to come and remove them. (09/18/2007)
By Julia
RE: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes
Honestly, best way is to get over your fear, grab them up and put them outside away from your home. They really are harmless. Garter Snakes are basically pests where I live, Minnesota. I see my friends kill them all the time. I just last night rescued one from dieing in a half frozen pool! Either pick them up wearing a leather glove or call a pest control to rid them for you. If you want them dead, call the pest control. But please if you do not have to do not kill them, they are most likely eating the bugs in your basement for you! (02/10/2008)
By Corine
RE: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes
This might be totally off the subject, but when do garter snakes come out of hibernation? (04/06/2008)
By fungching98
RE: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes
Ugh. I shudder to think about snakes at all! I went outside today, and there was a snake right along my foundation. I live in an old farmhouse, I expect to see a few, but it turned and went into a crack under my porch! Probably right into the basement! YUCK! Looks like I am getting mothballs, ammonia, sulfur and cats. LOL! and my husband will have to be the one going to the basement for anything! (04/23/2008)
By Amy
RE: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes
I know snakes are harmless, but if I had them in my basement like many who have posted on here, just shoot me now! I think my extreme fear comes from growing up on a farm w/3 brothers who loved to throw snakes at me when they found them. I am absolutely petrified and I know I would pass out cold if I had to touch one. I have been finding them in my flower beds. I'm thinking of removing all flowers and planting shrubs. I would sacrifice my flowers vs. coming face-to-face with a snake. Good luck to those who have them inside their basements. I know I will have nightmares tonight. (04/25/2008)
By Missy
RE: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes
Kill 'em. They are nowhere close to being endangered. They are also good catfish bait, especially the babies. (05/04/2008)
By Jeff
RE: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes
I love to do gardening and I love to see snakes around me totally harmless. If I had them in my basement I would some how catch them, and put them outside. That simple! (05/12/2008)
