Garder snakes in wood pile. ( Michigan)

[U&A]

Oh I am familiar with the mice, bees chipmunks and squirrels, spiders...

Just never had to worry about snakes before. But obviously this kind of snake is nothing to “worry” about.

LOL. my wife will not even approach the wood pile anymore. Me my wife and my 3 year old made wood gathering a family chore. Now..... its a father son thing. LOL. She’s a “nope, nopity, nope”

 

[gunny100]

.New house.
.New wood stove ( this comming winter will be the first time using it)

Due to the layout of the back yard and such i had to put the stacked wood piles on 60X120 or 48X96 pallets with a pc of 48X96 OSB plywood on it to keep the wood off the ground. We get a bit of standing water in the spring as some of our proporty is swamp but drys up in the summer.

I have 4 cords stacked on the edge of the woods (still in our yard to catch the sun and wind all day) and the garger snakes have seemd to make one ( possibly more) of the stacked piles there home. None of my wood is hollow, so the cant live “in” the wood but they are obviously amongst it. When I approach the wood pile there laying on top soaking up the sun and if I try to scare them off they just hide down inside the wood pile so I know they’re making this their home.

I’m wondering if Michigans cold winters are enough to make them leave the wood pile when the snow starts to fly? Any opinions? I wasn’t sure if I wanted to kill them yet as they will help keep the spiders ticks and mosquitoes out of that area. But the last thing I want us to bring in a pile of wood in the middle of the winter and bring some snakes in with me.

If there’s absolutely any concern that you guys think the snakes may stay in the woodpile during the winter I’m going to start killing them. I guess with my pellet gun or .22 shot shells. Any other gun seems like overkill.... pun intended.

Thanks for your input

i hate snakes you should shoot them with a 12 ga shotgun snakes

 

[U&A]

Says “gunny”. LOL. Is this how you
Handle everything. LOL


Just messin

 

[Bob95065]

When I was a kid growing up in Illinois I used to catch Garder snakes often. They do put off an awful odor when threatened. The only thing I found that would get rid of it was minty toothpaste. I would use it like soap on my hands.

Now that I live on the west coast I haven't seen a Garder snake in years. I have all kinds of lizards in my woodpile that I leave there to eat insects. If you live in California you have termites, that's the way it is. If the reptiles eat them before they go in the wood stove I gave no problem with that.

I haven't seen a rattlesnake on my property but I've seen plenty in the desert on 4x4 trips and even on hikes less than an hour from home. If I had a rattlesnake on my property I would dispatch it immediately. I won't take a risk with boys and a dog at my house.

I would leave the snakes as others have said. Not only are they harmless to you they are helping you by eating destructive pests.

Bob

 

[Blue Oaks]

When I was a kid growing up in Illinois I used to catch Garder snakes often. They do put off an awful odor when threatened. The only thing I found that would get rid of it was minty toothpaste. I would use it like soap on my hands.

Now that I live on the west coast I haven't seen a Garder snake in years. I have all kinds of lizards in my woodpile that I leave there to eat insects. If you live in California you have termites, that's the way it is. If the reptiles eat them before they go in the wood stove I gave no problem with that.

I haven't seen a rattlesnake on my property but I've seen plenty in the desert on 4x4 trips and even on hikes less than an hour from home. If I had a rattlesnake on my property I would dispatch it immediately. I won't take a risk with boys and a dog at my house.

I would leave the snakes as others have said. Not only are they harmless to you they are helping you by eating destructive pests.

Bob

You're lucky. I see a lot of Norther Pacific Rattlers around my house. Dog Smokie got bit in the face a month ago. My brother's dog yanked the snake and the dead squirrel it was about to eat out of a hole in the ground and Smokie HAD to get in on it.

 

[U&A]

We have rattlers in michigan. I have not seen one my entire life but now that i live in a swampy area. I may.

https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-350--32995--,00.html

 

[Bob95065]

You're lucky. I see a lot of Norther Pacific Rattlers around my house. Dog Smokie got bit in the face a month ago. My brother's dog yanked the snake and the dead squirrel it was about to eat out of a hole in the ground and Smokie HAD to get in on it.

I hope Smokie is better, that sounds rough. I used to see rattlers up at Rancho San Antonio years ago when I was doing a lot of trail running. I moved here in a Felton and haven't seen any. We have plenty of lizards and banana slugs though.

 

[sb47]

Looked out my window this morning and saw what looked like a stick that fell from a tree and was hanging on my chain link fence. After a moment I realized it was a huge snake. Grabbed the .22 and threw in a short and walked out there to take him out. I put the muzzle about 1 inch from his head. And "POP" He gently slid down the fence into a lump on the ground. He measured out at exactly 5 foot. I think they call them chicken snakes, though harmless, he was steeling eggs and I don't want to find him in a wood pile later and give me a heart attack. Thats number 6 this year and they all have been chicken snakes.

 

[Marine5068]

You really shouldn't kill any wild animal, especially snakes and such.
They eat tons of mice and rats and keep all the infected mice, and other fast-breeding, tick carrying rodents and keep us free from disease and pestilence.
Just leave them be and don't pick up any that you're not 100% sure of the species.

 

[sb47]

You really shouldn't kill any wild animal, especially snakes and such.
They eat tons of mice and rats and keep all the infected mice, and other fast-breeding, tick carrying rodents and keep us free from disease and pestilence.
Just leave them be and don't pick up any that you're not 100% sure of the species.

There steeling chicken eggs and keeping my hens from sitting on there nest. That makes them trespassers and thieves. I also don't want to be ambushed when I dig through a wood pile.

 

[Marine5068]

There steeling chicken eggs and keeping my hens from sitting on there nest. That makes them trespassers and thieves. I also don't want to be ambushed when I dig through a wood pile.

Part of doing business in their territory I guess.
Stronger, better built chicken coops are in order.
Can't blame them when we go and put chickens in their face.
They are just looking for food like all other of God's creatures.
I don't kill mice for nesting in my lawn tractor battery area, I just modified it and closed it in better with metal.

 

[panolo]

I let the snakes slide but I ain't met a mouse or a red squirrel I won't help get to heaven.

 

[Tin-knocker]

I hope Smokie is better, that sounds rough. I used to see rattlers up at Rancho San Antonio years ago when I was doing a lot of trail running. I moved here in a Felton and haven't seen any. We have plenty of lizards and banana slugs though.

I own a house in Felton (well actually closer to the Lompico area) I could imagine seeing a rattler up high where it's a little more dry but lots of Felton stays wet and shady. Now I did find a few scorpions when I was living in that house. Surprised the hell out of me.

 

[Bob95065]

I own a house in Felton (well actually closer to the Lompico area) I could imagine seeing a rattler up high where it's a little more dry but lots of Felton stays wet and shady. Now I did find a few scorpions when I was living in that house. Surprised the hell out of me.

Do you live in Felton or Swanton? We have visited the Swanton railroad many times.

 

[Tin-knocker]

Do you live in Felton or Swanton? We have visited the Swanton railroad many times.

I live in Swanton. But own a house in Felton. Right near Loch Lomond. Actually in the process of getting new tenants in that place right now. The railroad's great when it's running. Didn't last new year and it doesn't look like they are working all that much to get it running for this year.

 

[Bob95065]

I heard they are struggling with getting permits to rebuild. I fought with the county to build a reataing wall for 2 years. Very painful and expensive.

 

[bear1998]

Found my lost buddy today when I was doin my 2 nd stage of my 2nd wood rack......I had 2 little ring neck snakes also...I had one in my hand n forgot pics....

 

[Tin-knocker]

I heard they are struggling with getting permits to rebuild. I fought with the county to build a reataing wall for 2 years. Very painful and expensive.

Yeah Santa Cruz county is brutal with building permits. They want me to pay them $500 to "let" me work on my own damn roof. Unbelievable

 

[Bob95065]

Yeah Santa Cruz county is brutal with building permits. They want me to pay them $500 to "let" me work on my own damn roof. Unbelievable

I am at the end of a 2 year battle to get a permit for a retaining wall. They told me I had to replant displaced vegetation. I told them all that was fine there was poison oak and blackberries. They told me to replant the poison oak. Unbelievable.

 

[U&A]

I am at the end of a 2 year battle to get a permit for a retaining wall. They told me I had to replant displaced vegetation. I told them all that was fine there was poison oak and blackberries. They told me to replant the poison oak. Unbelievable.

Re-plant it and use round up as water. Once the retaining walls up and you have “Replanted” The poison oak what are they going to do if it dies?