Garder snakes in wood pile. ( Michigan)

[U&A]

.New house.
.New wood stove ( this comming winter will be the first time using it)

Due to the layout of the back yard and such i had to put the stacked wood piles on 60X120 or 48X96 pallets with a pc of 48X96 OSB plywood on it to keep the wood off the ground. We get a bit of standing water in the spring as some of our proporty is swamp but drys up in the summer.

I have 4 cords stacked on the edge of the woods (still in our yard to catch the sun and wind all day) and the garger snakes have seemd to make one ( possibly more) of the stacked piles there home. None of my wood is hollow, so the cant live “in” the wood but they are obviously amongst it. When I approach the wood pile there laying on top soaking up the sun and if I try to scare them off they just hide down inside the wood pile so I know they’re making this their home.

I’m wondering if Michigans cold winters are enough to make them leave the wood pile when the snow starts to fly? Any opinions? I wasn’t sure if I wanted to kill them yet as they will help keep the spiders ticks and mosquitoes out of that area. But the last thing I want us to bring in a pile of wood in the middle of the winter and bring some snakes in with me.

If there’s absolutely any concern that you guys think the snakes may stay in the woodpile during the winter I’m going to start killing them. I guess with my pellet gun or .22 shot shells. Any other gun seems like overkill.... pun intended.

Thanks for your input

 

[Nick Kent]

They’re not going to hurt anything

 

[U&A]

But if they get in the house in the winter my wife is going to hurt me. LOL. Think they’ll stay there during the winter months ?

 

[U&A]

I really am not a fan of killing things unless it necessary. I hope you understand my point.... the snakes have done nothing to hurt me I. But I don’t want them in my house either

 

[Jhenderson]

Snakes go to underground dens as soon as cool weather hits in the fall. In the mean time they’re doing you a favor by killing vermin.

 

[U&A]

^^^^That’s what i was assuming they would do. Thank you.

 

[maulhead]

.New house.
.New wood stove ( this comming winter will be the first time using it)

Due to the layout of the back yard and such i had to put the stacked wood piles on 60X120 or 48X96 pallets with a pc of 48X96 OSB plywood on it to keep the wood off the ground. We get a bit of standing water in the spring as some of our proporty is swamp but drys up in the summer.

I have 4 cords stacked on the edge of the woods (still in our yard to catch the sun and wind all day) and the garger snakes have seemd to make one ( possibly more) of the stacked piles there home. None of my wood is hollow, so the cant live “in” the wood but they are obviously amongst it. When I approach the wood pile there laying on top soaking up the sun and if I try to scare them off they just hide down inside the wood pile so I know they’re making this their home.

I’m wondering if Michigans cold winters are enough to make them leave the wood pile when the snow starts to fly? Any opinions? I wasn’t sure if I wanted to kill them yet as they will help keep the spiders ticks and mosquitoes out of that area. But the last thing I want us to bring in a pile of wood in the middle of the winter and bring some snacks in with me.

If there’s absolutely any concern that you guys think the snakes may stay in the woodpile during the winter I’m going to start killing them. I guess with my pellet gun or .22 shot shells. Any other gun seems like overkill.... pun intended.

Thanks for your input

Have a snack before you haul wood in, less chance of you getting hungry while carrying wood in....LOL

---

Seriously thou, leave them be. For everyone you see, there's probably 10 more you don't see. They are only there looking for snack's (pun intended) mice, insects, other things considered pests to us, but food for them. Kill the snakes you interrupt natures food chain, and you will have more, mice, and insects, living in your wood pile. Keep your wood stack'd as far from your house as possible, and I doubt the snakes will find a way in your house.

I'm not a snake, but from what I know about them, and/or if I was one, I would not make my home, in a wood pile during the winter months. Garter snakes typically, and some other species of snakes (in large groups) go under ground in the winter to where it's warmer, IE; natural cavities in the ground, old rodent burrows, under rock piles in natural dens in the earth, or in old rotten tree stumps.

Few years ago during a "January thaw" I dug out three large tree root balls, after I hoisted one of root balls out of it's hole, there was a large group of garter snakes in the hole, no exaggeration there where probably 100-150 of them in there. I dumped in some loose dirt, leaves, and sticks, in the hole so they would stay warm for the rest of winter. Never once thought about killing them.

I'm more concerned in the winter about carrying in flies, and other insects, with the wood, then snack's. (pun intended) In the winter I often peel the bark off the wood before I carry it in, or the bark just falls off, and I find flies and other pests hibernating there, which I brush off and carry on about my day. Nothing worse then 20 flies waking up after a few hours of warmth in your house....

 

[U&A]

LOL.

Got me good!
I “fat finger” my text ALL THE TIME when using my phone

Thank you sir

 

[maulhead]

LOL.

Got me good!
I “fat finger” my text ALL THE TIME when using my phone

Thank you sir

I do the same thing.

Snakes don't bother me much. I've even taught both of my daughters to catch, handle, and release them. They know only to pickup garter snakes thou! They actually go looking for them now, under bark and other things. Play with them a while and let them go.





Few summers ago we were outside splitting wood, they told me there was a big snake over there, and it was not a garter snake. Turned out to be a 4 foot bull snake, they handled it also, after I caught it.

 

[Bobby Kirbos]

N
O
P
E

N
O
P
I
T
Y


N
O
P
E


N
O
P
E

 

[panolo]

My buddy gets a ton of them in his wood pile and they are all gone by burning season. Only thing left in the pile is snake skin from when they shed.

 

[stihl sawing]

garter snakes are good, leave em be, they won't come in your house, I get them and chicken snakes in mine all the time. although they are harmless a 6 foot chicken snake can scare the crap outta you.lol We don't have bull snakes here. I have killed copperheads in the pile before. if they are venomous then they die.

 

[stihl sawing]

If you get these then you better get the gun out.

 

[cumminstinkerer]

Before killing Garder snakes you may want to do some checking, last I knew they were a protected species, at least here in Iowa, not sure who to check with, maybe your local extension office??? they do no harm and are great pest controllers as has been mentioned, they do tend to scare the wify though lol.

 

[Deleted member 117362]

In my youth, friends and I caught 5 garter snakes and released them into Mrs. Haller's house, good thing her son Tom was in on it. If one mother was upset with a neighbors child, a call was all it took. All of us searched for those 5 snakes under the watch of 4 mothers until all could be accounted for. Every mother in that group took each others word over any of their children involved. Looking back I am thankful for that and so are my life long friends and siblings.

 

[sb47]

I killed a chicken snake the other day. It was on the nest trying to swallow an egg. I know it's harmless but I don't want to find it in a wood pile later, as it strikes out of nowhere. Who the hell needs that? I did off set it's untimely death by hauling off a half grown opossum that was trapped in my trash can. Grabbed him by the tail and stuffed him in a feed bag. Took him down the road a bit and let him go. I just didn't feel the snake was worth the time or trouble.

 

[bear1998]

Used to handle garner snakes a lot when I was a kid...they put out an aweful odor when threaten...main line of defense.
As said earlier....don't like seeing these around...but they are....n they are protected in this part of PA.
e

 

[U&A]

Thank you very much for all your input and experiences guys. Im learning that most (not all) of the people on this thread are helpful and respectful. I hope to see that more. I not on here much as i dont have the time really but i enjoy it while i am.

Thanks.

 

[sb47]

My brother calls them a " nope rope"

 

[thor97]

Every fall when I start loading my stacked wood, I find snake skins(by october they are all gone hibernating in the ground/rocks. I also have mouse nests, and hornet nests. So, it's never a dull moment The snakes are good for keeping the mice down, and the hornets are gone after the first hard frost. All part of the business.