Anyone lives near greenbelt/wetland? Have you seen snakes in your backyard?

[moonsky]

The house we consider has greenbelt and wetland next to it. It is a nice house in a nice location/community. My husband and I love the house. I am a snake phobia. So, I am not so sure about the greenbelt and wetland. Any thoughts?

[amldaley]

It depends on what part of the country you are talking about.

In WA state, I had no problem with it, nor in SoCal. But here in NC, I would not do it again.

Not only do we deal with snakes, but the !@#% moquitoes love the wetland/creek run off. I abhor and am terrified of snakes but the mosquitoes make outdoor time in the summer compeletly intolerable.

[kristenk]

Our house backs to a green belt and creek. We had a lot of overgrown groundcover and a hot tub when we moved in. By removing both of those things we really reduced out snake population. I haven't seen a snake in a while, but I remember seeing 5 in the 9 years we've been here. That figure includes 2 small ones that I found in the house. :eek:

My husband no longer tells me about the outside snakes that he kills. He tries to let the non-venomous snakes go about their business, but kill that ones that he thinks might be venomous.

With all that said, we love our location and would buy the house all over again. We have a yearly contract with Terminix for other critters and I'd highly recommend doing something like that if you want to buy near a creek.

[ilfaith]

I live in Florida and I don't think I know anyone who has NOT seen a snake in their backyard. Of course this is what tends to happen when you drain the swamp to build homes. The backyard of my house abuts a lake (retention pond) and golf course. and across the street from the front of my house is a preserve area. We get everything from deer and racoons to frogs, lizards and the occasional alligator (I have referred to my backyard as "Jurassic Park") but the animal that I find most disturbing is definitely the snakes. We do have several varieties of poisonous snakes in my area (water mocs, coral snakes, some type of rattler among them) but honestly the only kind I've seen live in my yard are harmless. Doesn't freak me out any less. I once saw a coral snake (which may have been a king snake, I can never remember the mnemonic about red or yellow on black) squashed in the street in front of my home.

I don't like snakes, but I wouldn't let the chance of encountering them in my yard stop me from buying a home that I loved. Even growing up in a highly built-up New Jersey suburb, we'd find the occasional garden snake in the yard.

Of course you could always move to Ireland.

[buddyleebaby]

Of course you could always move to Ireland.


:rotflmao:

OP, we live directly in front of protected wetlands. We have been here for 4 years, and I have seen one small garden snake (after I lifted the boulder it was hiding under).

[Snow mom]

Are you still in the bay area? No dangerous snakes to speak of there. I've seen garter snakes in the yard in central SF. They are completely harmless and don't want anything to do with you either.

[moonsky]

It depends on what part of the country you are talking about.

In WA state, I had no problem with it, nor in SoCal. But here in NC, I would not do it again.

Not only do we deal with snakes, but the !@#% moquitoes love the wetland/creek run off. I abhor and am terrified of snakes but the mosquitoes make outdoor time in the summer compeletly intolerable.

We are in Northern CA. I heard there were ways to get rid off snakes but I am not sure how effective they are. Did you try some of these?

http://lbtrader.hubpages.com/hub/how-to-get-rid-of-snakes

[kbud]

I live in Florida and I don't think I know anyone who has NOT seen a snake in their backyard. Of course this is what tends to happen when you drain the swamp to build homes. The backyard of my house abuts a lake (retention pond) and golf course. and across the street from the front of my house is a preserve area. We get everything from deer and racoons to frogs, lizards and the occasional alligator (I have referred to my backyard as "Jurassic Park") but the animal that I find most disturbing is definitely the snakes. We do have several varieties of poisonous snakes in my area (water mocs, coral snakes, some type of rattler among them) but honestly the only kind I've seen live in my yard are harmless. Doesn't freak me out any less. I once saw a coral snake (which may have been a king snake, I can never remember the mnemonic about red or yellow on black) squashed in the street in front of my home.

I don't like snakes, but I wouldn't let the chance of encountering them in my yard stop me from buying a home that I loved. Even growing up in a highly built-up New Jersey suburb, we'd find the occasional garden snake in the yard.

Of course you could always move to Ireland.

I'm in FL too and this is so true! Luckily I've only seen one but my neighbors have seen many. I think my kids are just so loud that they scare them away. I know they are there but I just try not to think of it. In the rental house we lived in we had a gator family in the retention pond in our backyard. You do get used to it.

[niccig]

I don't live in a wetland area, but I grew up in Australia and our town's name in the local aboriginal language meant "Black Snake".

If I was living in an area where we could have more snakes, I would make sure DC knew what to do if they saw one. Stop, move slowly away from the snake, call for an adult, watch where the snake goes.

We go over this with DS every time we visit my parents, as chances are the snake will be venomous. In those instances, my Dad gets out his shotgun.

[fortato]

We live next to a stream, our property butts up against conservation land/state park....
So we have all kinds of wildlife near us.

It wasn't until we had lived here for a year that we found out our development was called "Rattlesnake Hill". RATTLESNAKES. IN NH. I had no idea. I've never seen one... and that's the only thing I worry about... not the black bear on my deck, not the coyotes, not the gigantic turkey vultures that circle our neighborhood... not even the nasty ass fisher cat that comes around once in a while... The Rattlesnakes.

If you love the house...buy it.

[brittone2]

We looked at a house in NC that backed up to some swampy wetland stuff, and opted not to put an offer on the house due to the likelihood of crazy numbers of mosquitos. I don't know if that's a concern in your area.

I grew up on 3.5 acres with a creek, and yes, there were snakes. Blacksnakes, copperheads, water moccasins, garter snakes....they were there. We saw a few snakes each year...it wasn't a daily occurrence or anything. I grew up on the east coast.

[amldaley]

We are in Northern CA. I heard there were ways to get rid off snakes but I am not sure how effective they are. Did you try some of these?

http://lbtrader.hubpages.com/hub/how-to-get-rid-of-snakes

Thanks! Some good info there!

We did landscaping changes and we make sure not to create spaces where they would want to hide or live. I might cross reference some of those things like moth balls and see what other pests they are good for. We have some neighbors with outdoor cats I would like to keep out of my beds!

However, most folks around here don't do any of those things on their property except for maybe just right close to the house. The conventional wisdom here is that if you create a barrier which as snake "won't" cross, you are also creating a barrier that snakes already ON your property won't cross to get off, either!

[fortato]

OH! And I'll take snakes over chipmunks any day.

[Raidra]

We live near a huge marshy area. I've seen snakes in the neighbor's incredibly overgrown yard, but only two or three times in the 15+ years we've lived here. I've seen enormous turtles crossing the street, fishers, turkeys, coyotes, and all manner of small 'harmless' wildlife (I hesitate to call the rabbits harmless since they destroy my garden).

The mosquitos really are the biggest problem.

[amldaley]

OH! And I'll take snakes over chipmunks any day.

I know - those Chipmunks get on my nerves with their helium-altered covers of contemporary pop songs. DD is addicted to those movies.

[gatorsmom]

We live near a huge marshy area. I've seen snakes in the neighbor's incredibly overgrown yard, but only two or three times in the 15+ years we've lived here. I've seen enormous turtles crossing the street, fishers, turkeys, coyotes, and all manner of small 'harmless' wildlife (I hesitate to call the rabbits harmless since they destroy my garden).

The mosquitos really are the biggest problem.

:yeahthat: the house we are moving from backed up to a marshy area that was protected by the state (so no more construction there). We had tons of wildlife and we loved it (except for the dam mice). But yes, we had snakes too. In fact, for the first 5 years we had a nest living under our front steps. I've only ever seen grass snakes there and like those so I had no problem with snakes going across our sidewalk like it belonged to them. Visitors didn't really like it though. :D The snakes seemed to go away after I killed one. It was an accident but I left the dead snake right by their nest for a few days because I wanted to show it to DH when he came home from his trip. I noticed a LOT less snakes after that.

[moonsky]

:yeahthat: the house we are moving from backed up to a marshy area that was protected by the state (so no more construction there). We had tons of wildlife and we loved it (except for the dam mice). But yes, we had snakes too. In fact, for the first 5 years we had a nest living under our front steps. I've only ever seen grass snakes there and like those so I had no problem with snakes going across our sidewalk like it belonged to them. Visitors didn't really like it though. :D The snakes seemed to go away after I killed one. It was an accident but I left the dead snake right by their nest for a few days because I wanted to show it to DH when he came home from his trip. I noticed a LOT less snakes after that.

I am thinking about hiring an exterminator to check property/yard to make sure that no snake live there. I am not sure whether they only handle pest though.

[mctlaw]

I am thinking about hiring an exterminator to check property/yard to make sure that no snake live there. I am not sure whether they only handle pest though.

Whoever you might hire will only be able to tell you there is not a snake there at the particular moment in time they inspect your yard. I would not waste your money. Snakes do not have permanent homes.

For several years, I lived on an area in FL surrounded by protected wetlands both behind a wall behind my yard and across the street. In the area there were known to be rattlesnakes and coral snakes. In the 3 years I saw not one snake, but did see raccons, opossum, and huge bird of prey in my yard. And tons of mosquitos. However, by virtue of my profession there, I became aware of a 4 year old boy who tragically died after being left outside by his father to play in the yard. He was bitten by a 4 plus foot rattlesnake had that entered the yard. The neighborhood was not backing against a nature preserve and was just a garden variety suburb.

If there are creatures known to frequent your particular area, the best you can do is not create a hospitable environment for them. Don't leave wood or leaf piles in your yard. Keep your grass short. Don't grow ivy or other greenery that is a good hiding place. Check your yard before your children play out there. But you can't really opt out of the possibility of something like snakes by choosing or not choosing a particular house.

[pb&j]

On the East Coast, extremely close to a nat'l park, our property abuts a nature trail/stream. Yes, we have snakes. It's no biggie, we rarely see them. I haven't ever seen a venomous snake on our property (though we've got rattlesnakes and copperheads in the area, along with the non-venomous but aggressive northern water snake), they've all been black/rat/garter snakes, which are fine by me because they keep the mice out of the garage. ;)

I am far more bothered by the hordes of mosquitoes we have.

[dogmom]

OH! And I'll take snakes over chipmunks any day.

Yes, snakes make me jump, but right afterward I think: "I hope you got some chipmunk today." My coon hound can't keep them all under control. I think they have a 5 day breeding cycle by the population here. I cheer when I see a hawk get one.

[Kymberley]

Just 2 days ago DS and DH removed and relocated 3 snakes from our wood pile outside. We have a creek at the back of our property. As long as they don't surprise me I'm okay with them. Now the giant spiders on the other hand....