How to Get Rid of Garden Snakes and Gophers
Getting rid of garden snakes and gophers can be a daunting task, but it is not impossible. Gophers especially are difficult to get rid of because they can stay below ground in their tunneled burrows. Snakes can sometimes help rid your garden of other vermin, but many people prefer not to deal with snakes. There are several different options for getting rid of garden snakes and gophers. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Lawn mower
- Hedge clippers
- Snake repellent
- Shovel
- Chicken Wire
- Water hose
- Rodenticide
Instructions
-
-
1
A snake hides in the grass. Cut your grass to a low enough level to see any snakes in the grass.
-
2
Trim your bushes. Cut back bushes and shrubs so they are not overwhelming any area you would like to rid of snakes.
-
-
3
Move snake hiding places. Move compost piles, mulch heaps or any other kind of piles away from the area so snakes do not have a place to hide.
-
4
Snakes can be deterred with repellent. Line the area with snake repellent if other options fail. Snake repellents can be found in garden supply stores. You can also make homemade snake repellent with equal amounts of mothballs and cat litter. Spread the mixture on the ground in the area you want to rid of snakes.
-
5
Use chicken wire to discourage gopher digging. Dig a two-foot-deep ditch around your garden and line it with chicken wire to keep out gophers.
-
6
Flush out the gopher. Feed a water hose into the gopher hole until you reach the gopher's tunnel. Turn on the water and flush out the gopher. This process could take as long as 20 minutes because a gopher's tunnel system stretches several feet in different directions.
-
7
Poison is an option if necessary. Use rodenticide to repel gophers by putting pellets into the gopher tunnel.
-
8
If all else fails to get rid of snakes and gophers, contact your local extension agent to see what the suggested animal-removal process is in your area.
-
1
References
- Photo Credit garden view image by Sheila Button from Fotolia.com snake image by buddelchen from Fotolia.com Bushes in the Sun image by Tasha from Fotolia.com wood pile image by Carol Wingert from Fotolia.com Schlange image by vintsik from Fotolia.com wire mesh image by jimcox40 from Fotolia.com water or garden hose image by Katrina Miller from Fotolia.com poison symbol image by patrimonio designs from Fotolia.com
