Last week, an e-mail landed in my inbox from the president of our community garden association. The subject line read: VERY IMPORTANT NOTICE RE: WILDLIFE AT THE GARDEN.
Wildlife at the garden, eh? My initial reaction was that it must be deer again. A deer probably jumped someone's fence and ate everything in sight. Or maybe rabbits are getting under the fences and sampling everyone's green beans. Or maybe it's rats. Yeah, we have them here and occasionally they'll show up at the garden to look for rotting produce. (Gross, I know, but it happens.)
But no. It's neither deer nor rabbits nor rats. It's SNAKES! We've got snakes! And not just one kind of snake. There have been sightings of three different types: Garter snakes, DeKay's brown snakes, and Copperheads. Eeeek!! Cooperheads! They're poisonous!
I am no fan of snakes, whether they're poisonous or not. For me, they fall into the same category as bats. That would be the I-know-they-are-important-for-the-ecosystem-but-I-don't-really-like-them-anyway category. I certainly don't want to meet one of them when I'm grasping for a handful of weeds.
Needless to say, I have been very skittish about being in the garden lately. I won't be wearing my flip-flops anymore, that's for sure. I am even thinking about getting myself a nice tall pair of Wellies for protection. And with all these lovely choices, there's got to be one that will scare the snakes away.
I'll probably stick with basic black, though, so I don't scare the neighbors, too! LOL!
I'm with you. No snakes, please. I've never run into a snake while gardening, and I hope I don't - ever!
ReplyDeleteI agree completely. And, those boots are a great idea.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I love that top garden hose photo.
You have my sympathy. I deal with snakes in the garden all the time and I don't like it at all. It can be the hottest day on earth and I wear what I call my Snake Boots while weeding--they are my old green Wellies I've had for years and they double as Snake Boots, rain or shine. Sssssss.
ReplyDeletehee, hee!
ReplyDeletemy neighbor took out her pampas grass because of snakes and I have been tip-toeing around ever since convinced they moved to my yard!
no more flip-flops! yep, my daughters spotted one of those garter snake and I switched back to my clogs!
Are they natural snakes to where you live?Not escaped exotic ones. we only have two native species in England the grass snake and adder.I have seen a grass snake once in my life...
ReplyDeletebetter put the wellies on to be safe.Love the winding garden hose, snake like.
Go for the black wellies with the red top - understated!
ReplyDeleteA gentle correction:
ReplyDeleteNo matter what terminology Snakes on a Plane is using, snakes are not typical poisonous.
They can, however, be deadly venomous.
Biting snakes to see if they are poisonous is not recommended.
I have had numerous snakes this summer in my yard, poisiness as well as non poisiness. I even got bit by a copperhead ( a dry bite, thank God), a few weeks ago. Today I was in my yard trying to rake out ivy and underbrush that they can hide in and found three soft snake eggs under the pine straw as well as a possible baby snake( he moved so fast, I really couldn't tell). I am so frustrated and I hate snakes. We have had at least 10 snakes this summer in our yard, in the city, in a nice area of town. HELP!!!!!!!! We killed another copperhaed right out our front door and have had 2 snakes at our back door as well as other close area's of the house, in fact, all have been very close to the house. This is in Montgomery, Al. (sigh)
ReplyDeleteOops, I mispelled poisonous
ReplyDeleteDeryl in peoria ,az. has the same eggs in a huge flower pot at the frount door.12 eggs slightly buried in the dirt.It is no fungus they are white with brown speckles.It sounds as though every one is finding them.Some one must know what they are??Help
ReplyDelete