--Previous Message--
:
: I am sorry for posting this under the
: fear of snakes area. Didn't mean to
: break the rules.
:
: I was mowing around Timothy's tree and
: as I was mowing I pulled back the mower
: and saw what I thought was a snake. I
: sort of paniced but I didn't run to the
: house. I left the mower and walked
: quickly to my hubby. I started to cry
: and he said, "Now, what's
: wrong?"
: Thru my tears I blurted out, "I
: think I killed Timothy."
: He started to grin. "You're
: terrified of the snakes but now you are
: crying because you think you killed
: one."
: When he investigated it was just a
: large snake skin. One step forward One
: and half steps back.
:
: Next question, I want to level my
: flower bed right at the back door and
: concrete it in. I am hoping this will
: make the snakes find new area to live
: (like further out in my neighbor's corn
: fields) but:
: 1) how deep do their burrows go, and
: 2) can the snake get out if I cover its
: hole? I don't want to sufficate and
: hurt it. If I have a 6 to 8 inch high
: solid boarder around the area will the
: snakes go up and over?
:
:
Well, most snake experts say that if you clean up the area and make it less hospitable to snakes, they will find somewhere else to live. Only a few species live in burrows, and most of them take over an abandoned burrow. When people see a hole and say "that's a snake hole", it most likely is a hole made by a Vole or Chipmunk; if there is a snake living there, it is not the critter that dug it. Few snakes (except for Hognose) are any good at digging.
So, move loose rocks, boards, brush, even loose mulch, and they will not have a place to stay. If you plug a burrow and a snake is living there, it will have no way to get out, whereas if it is a Chipmunk or Vole, chances are that they can dig out.
Hope this all helps.