... afraid I am. My question is... Does any of you, my friends, know anything I can buy to repel those horrible animals?

Snakes are actually good. ;-) They serve their purchase in the food chain, but I tend to relocate them when I find them in my yard. I almost stepped on a 6-foot gopher snake a couple of weeks ago. Luckily, I called a neighbor and he took the little guy down the road and let him loose. Thankfully, he did eat the gopher in my backyard I've been battling! lol

You should really try to identify what kind of snake it was. The likelihood of it being poisonous is fairly small but always better to know what you might be dealing with. If the snake was alive you probably never would have seen it. Especially in a yard with children playing. Snakes tend to avoid confrontation unless they're cornered and feel threatened. Most snakes are beneficial in keeping the small rodent population down. Make sure any repellent you use can't harm your children or pets. I have had snakes as pets all my life . Including a 7 1/2 ft. Boa Constrictor when my boys were young. The snake swam in the kiddie pool with them. Just this past winter my DH found a 6 ft blacksnake skin in our basement. Explains why we didn't see any evidence of mice last winter. I understand how frightening they are to some people but if you learn more about them it may help you to not be so terrified. This being said I hope you are fortunate enough to NEVER see one again.

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by letvia 29 Jun 2009

I can not imagine myself living with a snake. I also hope not to see another snake never, never, ever again!!!! Thank you. Flower and XoXo

Letvia I have seen snake repellant sold by the bag at Lowes & at Walmart. It runs $12-13.00 a bag . they r pellets that u scatter around & not suppose to harm other animals. We do have an occasional rattler n this area but I've never seen one except dead n the road. I have chicken snakes & rat snakes around but they r harmless so i do not bother them unless i catch them going after a bird nest. this they will do. *

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by letvia 29 Jun 2009

Thank you Lilian. I went last night to Home Depot but they didn't have anything. I will go today to Walmart or Lowes. Thank you so much. Flower and XoXo

Whew! Lots of good answers; *4all! (We have poisonous snakes also. I personally killed 7, with a hoe, this spring.)
Jacqueline

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by letvia 29 Jun 2009

OMG dear Jacqueline, that is so terrible. Where do you live? You are really brave. With a hoe? I can not imagine. I admire you. Flower and XoXo

Letvia,
I know where you're coming from. I found a snake skin at the front of my driveway a few weeks ago. There was a small hole in the ground and apparently when he went into the hole, he left his skin for the year. You will only have to guess what I did.

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by letvia 29 Jun 2009

I can die if I see a hole in the ground!!!! My heart stops when I think in snakes. I know I have been just ridiculous sometimes but I can not stop my feelings
;-}

Well loads of interesting replies. We do discuss some interesting none related embroidery topics. Letvia I hope you solve your problem

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by letvia 28 Jun 2009

Thank you. I hope it too. Flower and XoXo

Since you live in New Jersey, I doubt you have any poisonous snakes. Snakes in NE/US are timid and would rather slither off and hide. So leave them alone, they are good hunters for the voles that do damage in the garden. I would be more concerned about why it was dead.

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by letvia 28 Jun 2009

I lived in New Jersey before, I live now in Columbus Ohio. I really don't know what killed the snake and I really don't want to know :-P

by debleerl 28 Jun 2009

Still not poisonous snakes there either.

by letvia 29 Jun 2009

Ohhh thank you. It is a relieved for me

Were you terrified because you found a DEAD snake or just any snake? I would worry about what killed the snake in the first place (do you know?).

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by letvia 28 Jun 2009

I really didn't think or worry about what killed the snake. I'm terrified because I found a snake!!!! Flower and XoXo

We have snakes here & when we see them around the house, vegie garden, Fruit Tree garden, & Chichen yard we use a snake stick to pick up the snake & take it back into the bush. The snakes are learning (I hope, not dead) as I have only removed 1 in the last 2 years. 10 ys ago it was 6 to 8 a year.

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by letvia 28 Jun 2009

OMG dear Wendy. I can't even think about take a snake with a stick, not even the dead snake that I had at my backyard I couldn't take it, my husband did it. I saw it like 10 feet behind my husband

by wendymay60 28 Jun 2009

If the snake was alive & saw u it would have curled up laughing and slithered away.

by letvia 28 Jun 2009

Ohhh!!! for sure :-D

Hope these can help!

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by letvia 28 Jun 2009

Thank you so much. Really useful the articles. I definitely will plant marigolds. They are pretties and repel snakes!!!!

by vixentlc 29 Jun 2009

I'm glad these could help you. I also have small children and get very uncomfortable when there is poisons (regardless of form or shape) thrown into their play area. The stakes are just to high to take such risks. Happy gardening Levia.

Moth balls or sulfur powder. Sprinkle them around and they stay away

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by letvia 28 Jun 2009

Thank you. I will try both. Flower and XoXo

I know we have very few poisonous snakes here. BUT you could have copperheads in your area. Get a book or go on line to be sure you know what one looks like. We had several one year, and an old man from SC told me to put lime around our fence line. We did, and saw no more snakes in our yard. Don't think the lime will hurt your children. I guess you can get it at Home Depot or somewhere like that in the garden section. Worth a try. Also, as hard as it is to so, don't kill the black snakes. They eat baby copperheads. Of course, they could kill ME as I'd die of a heart attack if one came toward me! HOpefully you won't have anymore around, but just keep an open eye.

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by brendaburgess 28 Jun 2009

Lime works great, but if the snakes are in your yard they want leave(will not cross over the lime to leave).

by letvia 28 Jun 2009

Thank you. I will try lime also. I don't want any snake around me or my kids. Flower and XoXo

I grew up in Mississippi and everytime i saw a snake i ran and told my dad...the snake killer also we lived near the wood had lots of fields on each side so lots of things snakes like to eat like rats...luckily they didnt eat children lol cause there were six of us running around
old wives tale put out some fake owls to scare them away as they are one of there predators
Also we kept lots of cats they would chase them away and who is scared of a cat?
Other things we were taught wear boots to the creek or in the blackberry patch, alway take a dog with you and stay out of the ditches and tall weeds.....I guess it all worked cause we never got a snake bite
I work in Pediatric intensive care and see at least one snake bite a year and usually the child was in a field chasing a ball or catching fireflies or other summer country fun
so just be wise and teach you kidos to be wise and pass it on
have a good day

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by letvia 28 Jun 2009

Thank you so much. I did. I told them to b careful and if they see one they have to tell us, but you know, kids are curious and frequently they don't listen but they are never alone in the backyard but you never know.
Flower and XoXo

well sis not sure what kind of snake it was here where i am in tennessee we have coperheads bad here by me rat snakes gardener snakes water moccasins well just name it we have it lol i just keep a shovel at my side and keep kids close by now my 6 year old boy did i get her good i caught a gardener snake and chassed her all over the yard with it she freaked so my kids are pretty scared of snakes

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by letvia 28 Jun 2009

It was really small and I'm pretty sure it wasn't poisonous but to be honest with you, I looked at it really far, my husband had to take it and he put it far, far away from me, I just freaked out!!! You are so funny. I can not believe it. You chased your kids with a snake? OMG I could die if you do that to me...
Thank you sis. Flower and XoXo

I'm not sure if this is an old wives tale or not but in the country we use this near the chicken coops and berry patches. We line the area with moth balls and it seems to keep them away. It won't hurt them but they don't like em. Also plant marigolds to keep deer away from your garden :-)

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by letvia 28 Jun 2009

Thank you so much. Flower and XoXo

Moth Balls! How old are the children? The moth balls are dangerous if the children get them in their mouth. It could be dangerous if they handle them and then put their hands in their mouths. I lived in front of a pond for years and when it would get dry the snakes would come up in the yard where I kept a small children's pool for my dogs to play in. Thay could smell the water and then I would find them in the yard and under the carport on the cool cement. I threw out moth balls but I had to keep the Pekes on a leash and watch them very carefully. The moth balls could have killed them also! That is the only thing I have ever heard anything about keeping snakes from coming in close to the house. Linda

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by letvia 28 Jun 2009

Oh dear Linda, I don't know if here at the United State you use the same expression but in my country we say "se me puso la piel de gallina" (I have chicken skin, or something like that hahaha) when I read your answer. I can not imagine how is to live with snakes that close. I just can't. My kids are 5 years old (tomorrow 29th is his birthday) and 3 years old. My husband told me about Moth Balls but I read at the internet that it doesn't work. Does it really work for you?
Thank you. Flower and XoXo

by lflanders 28 Jun 2009

Moth balls do work. The smell burns them. They back away from the smell. A nosey little puppy could get very sick or it could kill it if it was not seen about. I do not think it would be very healthy for a human either. The smell burns your eyes when you are putting it out so the children would not play with it until it had lost some of the strength!

by letvia 28 Jun 2009

Thank you so much dear Linda. I don't have dog, so is not worry. I will go tomorrow to buy moth balls. Flower and XoXo

I Don't know as I live in Ireland where there is no snakes

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by letvia 28 Jun 2009

Flower and XoXo

by 1ladyb 29 Jun 2009

Oh I wish someone like St.Patty would come and remove all the mosquitos from Arkansas. Besides making it wonderful to be outside it could create another holiday for us to celebrate.

I Don't know as I live in Ireland where there is no snakes

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by letvia 28 Jun 2009

Thank you Ethan. You are lucky as Carla (Iris2006)is and I'm lucky too because I know now that I can move to Holland or Ireland.

I can imagine that you are terrified Letvia, but we don't have snakes in Holland so I cannot help you, mabey someone else passes by and can give you advice.

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by letvia 28 Jun 2009

Lucky you!!! I think I will move to Holland, and I love tulip too so... :-D
Thank you Carla. Flower and XoXo

Letvia, you might want to check with your local game warden, but I don't think you have poisonous snakes in Columbus. If there are rattlesnakes, they would mostly be in rocky or wooded areas, they're not a suburban backyard snake. Most likely what you found was a common garden snake called a "Garter Snake", which is not poisonous, and is not aggressive. They will just slither away if someone comes near. I'd be surprised if the kids could catch one. They are a good snake, eating mice and moles that will destroy your lawn and garden. I don't know of any 'snake repellent', other than not having a woodpile (like for firewood for a fireplace), as garter snakes and others like to live in them. They also like rock piles, or anywhere they can get into hiding at night. If you found the snake already dead, it might have been dropped by a hawk or eagle, because the raptors hunt snakes. Snakes only eat live prey, so make sure you don't have anything around that would attract mice that the snakes prey on. I have a bird feeder, which attracts mice to the grain, and black snakes to the mice. I don't mind, because I'm basically a country girl, and um, I actually like snakes. Good luck, and don't worry too much, snakes are not aggressive, they run from people and don't bother you unless you bother them. Hugs, Marji

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by marymoore 28 Jun 2009

i love catching snakes also myself lol

by letvia 28 Jun 2009

I don't have wood fireplace, mine is gas, I like wood the most but now I'm happy it is gas ;-P
I think the snake came from a construction house next to mine. The developer is finishing three houses and I think the snake moved from any of these lots.
I don't like snakes and let me tell you, in my country we have a lot of snakes, but I just don't like them. I can not think on one, I can not watch one on tv, I change chanel if I do.
I told my kids they have to be careful and if they see one, they have to call their dad ;-P
Flower and XoXo

There is nothing to my knowledge to prevent a snake (reptile) from going anywhere it wants. The best thing to do is teach your children safety. Like telling them "DO NOT PUT YOUR HANDS AND FEET WHERE YOUR EYES CAN NOT SEE". I raised 2 sons in the Desert which had snakes with no incidents. Educate yourself about what kind of snakes are in the area where you live. A person can walk backwards faster than a snake can slither. That is the snakes in the USA. So once again EDUCATE your self about the kind of snakes in your area....

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by letvia 28 Jun 2009

Thank you so much. I know the difference between poisonous snake and not poisonous but anyway I am petrified when I see one of any kind. I just can not be near one. I don't want to see one even in TV. But you're right. I told them that they have to be very, very careful and if they see one, they have to call his dad ;-D
Flower and XoXo

Sorry letvia, no answer for you but sure hope someone can come up with something to help you...hugs x0x0x0x

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by letvia 28 Jun 2009

Thank you so much Glenda. Flower and XoXo

Thank you and XoXo

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