The Northwestern Garter Snake: How to Get Rid of It

The Northwestern Garter Snake is a common snake here in the Pacific Northwest. In the winter you never see them, but during the spring and summer, they are everywhere. They especially like dwelling in my yard. Living in a house, I have had frequent encounters with the snake. When ever I met the serpents they were never vicious. In fact they were just as afraid of me as I was afraid of them. Still I do not like snakes, and I cannot stand the sight of them. They give me nightmares.

I wanted to figure out a way of getting rid of the snakes out of my yard without having to hire a snake catcher. So I began to observe the snake and do some research on them in order to figure out a way of getting rid of them.

The Northwestern Garter Snake
The Northwestern Garter Snake mainly dwells in the Puget Sound area of the Northwestern Washington. They can be found in the woods, in grassy areas, near streams, and near wetlands. They eat frogs, slugs, snails, and worms. In appearances the Northwestern Garter Snake in black and slender with yellow strips running along its back.

After researching and studying the snake I was able to come up with ways to free my yard from the snake, and I was very successful. I was so successful I wanted to share them with anyone else who may be having a snake problem.

Lawn
Tall grass is an excellent attraction for the Northwestern Garter Snake . They can freely move around in tall grass where they are concealed from their prey. Their food source of frogs, slugs, and worms tend to dwell in the tall grass. Due to this problem one should keep his or her lawn cut to be no more then two inches high. The grass around the house and outbuildings should be dug up to be at least a foot away from the foundations. The area where the grass was removed should be filled in with small rocks to discourage snakes from approaching the house and out building to nest beneath the foundation. Also remove the grass away from the fences of neighboring yards and put rocks in the places where the grass was taken away. Place tall wood boards securely along the base of the fences to keep snakes from crawling from neighboring yards. The snakes do not like being out in the open. Seeing the short grass will discourage them from approaching the lawn.

Bushes
Bushes are good hiding place for snakes, especially when they are allowed to grow wildly and untrimmed. Snakes can crawl into these bushes and conceal themselves. So cut down and uproot all black berry bushes and all other thickly grown bushes and bushes that grow low to the ground. If one chooses to keep bushes, select bushes that grow high from the ground and keep their lower branches cut to prevent snakes from crawling into the bushes. Keep the ground beneath the bushes bare and free from grass. Picking bushes trimmed and thin discourages snake from hiding in them.

Pest Control
Another good way of running snakes out of your yard and preventing more from coming would be to reduce their source of food. The source of food for the Northwestern Garter Snake are slugs, snails, frogs, and worms.

Slug and snail
Slug and Snail Trap- Slug and snail traps are plastic containers that can be placed in various places of the yard where slugs and snails frequent. The containers have openings where the snails and slugs can enter but cannot get out. A bait solution of water, a food material and dish washing soap is put inside the trap. The slug and snails are attracted to the smell of the bait. Once inside the trap they are over come by the soapy water and cannot get out.

Table Salt- An inexpensive way of getting rid of slugs and snails is to use table salt. Slugs and snail cannot stand salt. When they come into physical contact with it, stings them and can even cause death. So periodically pour salt in generous amounts around edges of yards and gardens and around the house. Sprinkle salt on garden plants and over the lawn. Salt also has the same affect on worms.

Fire Belly Toads
Fire Belly Toads are very numerous in the Pacific Northwest. They are a common food for the Northwestern Garter Snake. They live in bushes and tall grass, and they eat the same bugs as the Northwestern Garter Snake. Where ever there are fire toads there are snakes. So the same methods used to keep away snakes also keeps the frogs away.

Practicing yard control prevents there being food in one's yard for the snakes. Like all living creatures snakes go where the food is.

Seeing a snake in one's yard on a daily basis can be scary and a nuisance. However, through maintenance and yard pest control, one's property can be freed of the serpent.