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Tips For Discouraging Unwanted Critters In Yard
1) Remove and/or store piles of debris away from your home. Stacks of firewood, old lumber, brush piles, rocks, and general junk like (e.g. old appliances, car parts), make great habitat for snakes and other wildlife.
2) Feed wild birds away from your house, patio, and walkways. Seed spilled on the ground attracts rodents, and rodents attract snakes!
3) Light up pathways, porches, and patios that are used at night. Lighting these areas will help you see better, and discourage snakes. Snakes and other reptiles often bask on warm concrete and paved surfaces.
4) Trim bushes up off the ground (approximately 8 inches or more) that are located near pathways, patios, and other heavily used areas. Trimming the bush allows you to see underneath and removes potential hiding places for the snakes.
5) Make sure your garage door, exterior doors, gates, and window screens leading into indoor living spaces are tight fitting. A good rule of thumb, if you can stick a pencil through a gap, a small or juvenile snake could also get through.
6) Build a solid wall around the outdoor spaces you or your pets typically use. Ideally, a fence that is at least four feet tall and with a slight overhang on the outside of the fence. Trim back any bushes or trees that overhang or touch the wall. A snake could use these plants as a "ladder" to climb over the fence.
If you do find a snake in your yard, most times if you leave it alone, it will go away on its own after a short period of time. If not, or if you feel threatened by its presence, you can contact your local fire department (use the non-emergency line) or call the Arizona Herpetological Society (894-1625) to arrange for a free removal. Also, some pest control operators (check your yellow pages) remove live snakes for a fee.
