As I posted back in September, we are in the Denver area now. We have been in the area since last July, but only in our house since September. I realize now more than when we first moved in that the yard (12,000 sq ft!!!) has been mostly ignored and not landscaped in over twenty years. The previous owner was a divorcee with two daughters who confessed to us that she couldn't stand gardening. She was eager to move into what they call a "patio home" in the area. Such homes are intentionally built with very little yard space. We, with now three children and a young dog, were eager for a yard. Plus, despite my plant-killing proclivities, I was happy to have the chance to grow more food.
Now that we have been on the property for a bit of time, I've come to believe that the previous owner basically never went out into the yard. The lawn was well maintained by a mowing fellow, but the shrubs are quite overgrown along the edges and... most telling... we have an inordinate population of garter and bull snakes on the property. I'm sure the population is so large because the previous owner was never in the yard. Had she seen the amount of snakes, she would have had it addressed. They have basically had 20 years to thrive perfectly undisturbed. Our neighbors are surprised to learn we have snakes -- they haven't seen them on a regular basis like we have. This tells me, again, that this is a problem that can be solved with reclaiming the yard.
The snakes were so populous last fall that my poor husband stepped on one and nearly stepped on another while mowing! Last fall, when it was still warm, we would literally see at least one a day. This is a little freaky with small children running in the yard. Sure, the garter snakes are totally harmless, but a bull snake will strike and bite when pushed. Again, these bites are ultimately not fatal, but hell. I'd rather not have them biting my kids, much less me!
Last autumn, I finally started killing the snakes off as I found them. I felt terrible about it, but after calling a few companies that specialize in snake removal and learning about their methods, I determined that a quick death was preferable. The snake traps are just baited glue traps. The snakes get stuck on them and end up either dying of exposure or waiting until the trap guy comes back to check on them and then kills them. It seemed torturous.
I have never intentionally killed anything greater than an insect, but I was 7 months pregnant at the time and just not about to put up with anything threatening my children. I got my technique down after the first time. Turns out that whole "shovel" thing is overrated. I won't go into gross detail, but if you ever need a sure fire way to kill a snake -- it's harder than you think! -- email me.
This spring we finally gave in and hired the company. They set out two traps that never caught a thing. A few weeks later, they sprayed the perimeter of the yard and house with Liquid Fence. The property stank of garlic (which is weird, because there isn't garlic in the mixture) for days. That was about 3 weeks ago. Today I laid eyes on another huge bull snake working his way through the grass. So much for that....
FORTUNATELY, our wonderful young dog has matured over the winter and has developed into an incredible snake catcher. The first one he caught this spring he killed swiftly. I think that was a fluke. He has since caught five or six more and after letting him play with the second one for a few minutes and realizing he had no idea what to do, I managed to call him off it and put the stunned thing in a box. Our pup, Bishop, and I now have a pretty great partnership. When we spot one, he pops on it. He's very fast and catches them easily. The snakes go into a stun mode where they don't move. I use two long handles from an old hoe and an old shovel to pick the snake up, chop-stick style, and drop it in a big box with a lid. After that, when my husband gets home and can watch the children, I ferry the snake down the road and release it near the creek that is part of an open space. It's win-win-win. The dog has a great job where he shines. The snake gets to live and we reduce our population! We are making great headway. This snake today was the first I'd seen in three weeks, which is much better than a daily occurrence!
I know snakes serve a wonderful purpose in nature, especially with insect control in the garden, but I just can't risk my children getting hurt. So, off they go!
I plan to lay down some more applications of the Liquid Fence over the summer. I think it is effective when it is fresh. Next time, however, I will use the granule stuff, as it is supposed to last longer.
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