Getting Rid of Garter Snakes

RE: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes Post By ryan (Guest Post) (09/30/2008) Ah! I have the same problem. I was in my basement and one just slithered past me. The problem is I am petrified and don't know where it went. I don't know if it's gone or if it's hiding. I called pest control and they want like 200 dollars and the animal rescue people said they don't do snakes unless I know exactly where it is. Anyone have another suggestion. I don't mind killing it but I am scared to do it myself. Any help is appreciated. How can I get it out of hiding if it is or find out if its gone? Report Spam or Abuse RE: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes Post by jess_admin (723) | (09/19/2008) Profile | Blog! | Contact Hi! (submitted via email) Did you every try using the capzican (sp?) to get rid of your snakes and did it work? Also, if you used it (or maybe you might know this anyway), did it also kill the 'good' bug killers like lizards? I happen to like them because they eat bugs, so I don't want to get rid of them or hurt them. I'd love to hear back from you! Smoochie Report Spam or Abuse RE: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes Post By Annie (Guest Post) (09/06/2008) 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 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. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes Post by jess_admin (723) | (09/05/2008) Profile | Blog! | Contact (submitted via email) Hi, I have family in your town, and Aneta... and snakes! OK I am trying moth balls today, and going to try snake away from Lowe's so . . . if that helps. :) I am not afraid of them. I am just tired of being spooked! Jackie Report Spam or Abuse RE: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes Post By SNAKECHARMER :) (Guest Post) (08/17/2008) A nice big shovel takes care of them nicely. Then just toss them in the woods and let the ecosystem take care of them! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes Post By Enter your name Jill (Guest Post) (08/14/2008) My dog caught and killed a gartner snake and he was foaming at the mouth while he was holding the snake in his mouth. Is this from something the snake excretes? It didn't seem to cause any harm to my dog. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes Post By robyn (Guest Post) (08/12/2008) I have them in my basement and now found one in my bathroom. I will kill them if I can, sending hubby out for some sulfur, my goodness they are not human, kill the gross slimming suckers. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes Post By Terrie (Guest Post) (07/21/2008) I have found 2 little bitty gardener snake in my front yard. We live in a small apartment complex with old people and little kids. I have two children of my own they 2 very small about half a foot 2 a foot long. I figure that the mom is around somewhere and not only me but my mom are terrified of snakes in my book a snake is a snake poisonous or not they are still bad. Can somebody help me so I can do something around the apartment complex. Thank you Report Spam or Abuse RE: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes Post By A RICHARDSON (Guest Post) (07/05/2008) Not that I want to hurt the snake, but I don't like those things, and knowing that my kids play back there, makes me uneasy to know that any kind of snake is in my back yard. I'm getting rid of it anyway I can. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes Post By Matt Finzel (Guest Post) (07/03/2008) The Gardner 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 humanly. I suggest putting rotten peppers where you have these snake problems or using the product "snake-a-away". Report Spam or Abuse RE: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes Post by ForestLane (1) | (06/18/2008) Blog! | Contact I wouldn't mind them in the yard since they don't bite and won't bite my dogs but they are eating the fish out of my pond. I really like my fish and don't want my tiny pond that I worked my tail off to dig in this hard rocky ground to be a feeding post for snakes. How can I get them to leave???? I put netting over the pond and it's awful, can't see the fish, the birds can't drink from the pond etc. HELP Report Spam or Abuse RE: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes Post By Sharon (Guest Post) (06/03/2008) Slitters, lives near my pond he's about 4 feet long I love to see him knowing he's protecting me from bugs I don't like. Maybe he's a she? Yea I'm all about keeping him. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes Post by gonecrazyhunting (30) | (05/30/2008) Profile | Contact 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! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes Post By Kathy (Guest Post) (05/30/2008) Have a very tiny back yard that is all pool,concrete and gravel. Found 4 of these snakes in 3 days. I will end up a prisoner in my home if I don't find a way to get rid of them. Help! Report Spam or Abuse Request: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes Post by Laurel_admin (495) | (05/29/2008) Contact 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) By matt Report Spam or Abuse Request: Getting Rid of Garter Snakes Post by Sally_Admin (148) | (05/15/2008) Profile | Contact 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) By mousie RE: Getting Rid of Gardner Snakes 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) By valleyrimgirl RE: Getting Rid of Gardner Snakes 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) By Anonymous RE: Getting Rid of Gardner Snakes 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) By Lily from New York Report Spam or Abuse