Does anyone here know that garter snakes are rear fanged, venomous snakes??? The venom, like the eastern/western hognose, is practically useless again humans, but the rear fangs serve dual-purpose for popping expanded toads and frogs they’re trying to eat, which are the #1 preferred diet of these snakes. They will eat other offerings, but amphibians to a garter snake is like a crawfish to a smallmouth bass.
I used to own a collection of snakes and got deep enough into herpetology to do some rescues and even perform veterinary treatments. I’m no expert, but I know a thing or three about snakes.
Now, about that low-threat venom… you don’t know who does or doesn’t carry an allergy to it, like a bee sting, so the idea that they carry zero threat isn’t exactly true. Take that for what it’s worth.
And I’m gonna puff out my chest a little here… WE do NOT invade THEIR homes. Go ahead, be offended. I’m sick and tired of the fluff BS being dolled out these days, demonizing anyone that chooses to remove pests, whether it’s by deterrent or death. WE ALL live on this planet. WE ALL invade each other’s domains. Get over it! If you want to pamper them, I’m fine with that. It’s your choice. But don’t get up on the self-promoting, self-righteous soapbox and devalue a fellow human who has just as much right to his choices as you do yours. All those cities were once wild country too, so save it. Meanwhile, there’s probably more wildlife in those cities than anyone is truly aware of! This man wants to deter them, and he didn’t say “kill them,” but now he’s gotta put up with ideological preaching too, just for searching for a deterrent? If you don’t like people telling you how to run your life, don’t do it to him.
Now that I’ve fully demonstrated how to alienate people and lose friends, the best suggestion in this thread is the guinea hens. Beyond that, hunt down the resources that attract them and address them accordingly. Like all of nature, they’re attracted to food and cover. No food, no predators.
Personally, I have a lot of toads on my property. Every time a new crop of pinky-nail sized toads shows up, the garters show up in droves. Once the toads thin, the garters tend to gravitate more toward the swamp again. The “bull” snakes can be hard on the songbirds, but I like the way they keep mice under control. I use bucket traps all over the place and I’ve noticed a drop in bull snakes since my deployment. I do catch them climbing trees and shrubs as an alternative though, but they have to eat too.
