Control Snakes In The Garden
By Marilyn Pokorney, Fri Dec 9th REQUIREMENTS FOR REPRINT: You have permission to publish thisarticle free of charge in your e-zine, newsletter, ebook, printpublication or on your website ONLY if it remains unchanged andyou include the copyright and author information (Resource Box)at the end. You may not use this article in any unsolicitedcommercial email (spam). You may retrieve this article by: Autoresponder: snakecontrol@getresponse.com Website:http://www.apluswriting.net/articles/snakecontrol.txt
Words: 322 Copyright: 2005 Marilyn Pokorney Please leave the resource box intact with an active link, andsend a courtesy copy of the publication in which the articleappears to: marilynp@nctc.net---------------------------------------------- To have a snake or two in the garden is good. Non-poisonoussnakes, such as the common garter snakes, are beneficialcreatures because they eat pest insects, mosquito larvae, slugs,snails, crickets, rats, mice, voles and even other whichmay be poisonous. But if you really don't want in your yard and garden hereare a few tips to eliminate them without hurting or killing them. Keep the lawn neatly cut and clean. Be careful using weed eatersbecause the sting from the fast moving string can kill them. Snakes need cover for
protection. Don’t leave wood or brushpiles sit in one spot for more than a month.Keep leaves and other debris picked up. Don't keep piles of rocks. Stack firewood on a rack 12" off the ground. Remove old lumber or junk piles. Remove their source of food. Keep the insect and rodentpopulation under control. Place garbage bags in sealed trash cans away from the house. Repair cracks along the foundation and fill holes around pipes.Snakes only need about a ¼ inch crack to get inside. Sprinkle moth balls around the perimeter of your yard or garden.But beware that these can be dangerous to pets and children. Sulfur from a garden center is said to keep away. Don't plant bushes and other plants too close to the foundationof the house. Use mulch in the garden beds but not too thickly. Trim the lowest limbs on shrubs and bushes so they are at least12 inches from the ground. Construct a fence around your garden with heavy galvanizedscreening. Make it three feet wide with quarter-inch mesh. Besure to bury the bottom of it six inches below the soil surface. For more help on controlling snakes: http://www.apluswriting.net/garden/snakecontrol.htm About the author:Marilyn Pokorney Freelance writer of science, nature, animalsand the environment. Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.Website: http://www.apluswriting.net |
