on my 5 acres.. i see 3 to 5 per year..

or the same one each time.. how do i know ...

they eat vermin..

they are a plus ... IF YOU CAN GET OVER IT ...

they are more afraid of you.. than you are of them ... presuming the ID is correct ...

now.. if you ever move south.. i understand they have poisonous snakes..

ken

I look upon the garter snake as a friend and ally. Rodents and other small varmints are their specialty and one finds that the damage caused by the gnawing pests diminish when garter snakes are present. I also look upon them as indicators of a healty environment. My SO and I had a heart to heart about snakes when we married. They are not to be harmed. Garters are very non-aggressive and timid. They have to almost be forced to strike and I've handled them often to move them out of my way. I have one who comes into my g'house every spring and lays on a bench, twined in amid the pots. I work around him.

Is there more than one? Probably, but unless you have been seeing multitudes of them, and house invasions, I doubt you're living on top of a hibernaculum. Yes, cats will attack snakes.

Consider it a blessing. I had quite a few the first year but after the house went up next door and I started cutting my grass, I didn't see them anymore. I ran over a couple and got a couple with the weedwacker. I actually felt bad.

I don't see any frogs or toads by me either.

The only friend I have (his home is in the neighbors yard) is a golpher. He must keep the rabbits away because I've yet to see more than 2 rabbits in 1.5 years now. That is just incredible if you ask me.

That little fatty is incredibly fast too. He outruns my dog practically.

I'm with the posters above. We have one in our back yard, and it it was welcomed by me AND my female counter part. They will do you nothing but good.

Arktrees

The killing of harmless snakes like garters is exactly why cats should not be allowed to roam freely. Like was said above, the presence of snakes in an area is a sign of a healthy environment. Most places, they've been extirpated.

+oM

Thank you all for your responses, advice and information, and for not making light of my fears. It means a lot to me... I never even knew I was scared of snakes, never gave them one second of thought in my entire life, but I was bringing in groceries and it was right there. I have to admit it was cute. Such a cute little green head! When I went to mow the grass last Thursday for the first time this year I said to my husband when I came in, "I could have sworn I saw a snake in the grass, but there's no snakes around here (ha, ignorance is bliss! lol) so it must have been something else".

I must have seen 20-30 frogs while mowing...big ones!. One was gigantic (well, to me) and while I was on the mower I waved for my husband to come over and move what I called a bullfrog but dh said it was a toad (I honestly dont know the difference but I'll google that later) and he moved it out of the way into the neighbor's yard so it wouldn't get run over.

We have billions of earthworms, trillions, Im not kidding here, they are everywhere and slugs too. Not to mention voles and bunnies. Couple all that with an enormous concrete porch with a crack in it and we've got a snake heaven from what I've learned tonight.

Im not going to get snake poison, if there is such a thing or moth balls or anything...but we are going to Great Stuff the crack and concrete over it as soon as it stops raining. I believe in live and let live, but I don't feel an obligation to maintain a snake heaven either. My fear (phobia) is that it is a pregnant female carrying 50 of them inside her and she's going to want to get inside the house come October...

Hey ilovemytrees,
She can have 50 but if there isn't enough for her offspring to eat, their numbers will decline. Call it ecological balance. If they are truly garter snakes they are pretty harmless.
My garage door accidentally killed my ONE black racer last summer and I was saddened for the loss of my only overt vole control. By the way, I wish I had a BILLION earthworms working for me. Can do without the slugs and bunnies (got a billion rabbits), although the hawks around here are happy.
hortster

Going a bit OT, but one of the strangest facts, to me, is that the earthworm known as the 'night crawler' is not a native species, but an Asian import. Strange because of their unbelievable success on this continent.

+oM

Ditto the red wriggler. In fact the majority of earthworms in the U.S. are non-native and have impacted forest floors to the detriment of indigenous native fauna. I live in a two hundred year old farmhouse. There is a blacksnake who holes up somewhere in our old cellar. I have watched it come and go. My husband tried to pick it up, confusing it with a shovel handle. LOL. Found one dangling from the hand-rail of the stairs leading to the second floor, and even found a huge one curled up in a hanging basket on my porch. The weirdest one in the house was a tiny ring-necked snake in my downstairs hallway. The dh doesn't not harm them, but I am the one who has to pick them up (even the six footers) and hoist them out the front door into the safety of the fern beds.

We do have some copperheads here and the very rare timber rattler (I have never had the priveledge to see in this state) and our property has spring and bogs and suitable habitat for copperheads, so I'm not saying there aren't times to be prudent with snakes. I do venture into those spots on occasion, like when I am picking wild berries, but wear logger boots and don't stick my hands (or face) into unseen places. Well, I did one time and came face to rump to a skunk. My face/his rump.

I have been seening many gartner snakes this year. I think its because of the mild winter we had. Anyways, I would not get all upset over it. I would sugest reading/learning about snakes and the less afraid you will be. Knowledge is power, remember that. Body language is key when it comes to snakes. I can easily tell if a snake is upset or calm just by their movements.

I never even knew I was scared of snakes, never gave them one second of thought in my entire life,

====>>>

its not that i am scared.. once i focus.. its the slithery motion at the corner of my eye.. that startles me ... been known to yell like a young girl ... lol .. its not pretty ... or when gathering sticks out of the garden... only to grab one that ends up limp and moving .... that is when i have to go sit down.. and catch my breath ... perhaps change the underwear ...

as to your title.. it is a bit presumptuous.. to assume they are stationary.. and taking up residence.. but i have no clue what their range is ...

you can usually find them in the morning.. sunning themselves to thaw ... as they are reliant on ambient heat ...

just dont discourage them... nor fear them ... as long as you ID them ...

ken

Back in mountainous VA I had to move 3 copperheads from my rock garden (to far away from my house). Also saw a 10' black snake cross the road right above my house as I was leaving in the car -- biggest one by far I ever saw.

Here in MD, water snakes are common in my border stream. They actually hunt on the bottom of the stream, waiting to strike at passing fish.

Funny how 'northerners' react to snakes. Here in North Florida they are everywhere and we have many species. I never worry about them. My kids are glad to see them. Sadly, my cats have reduced the numbers on my 5 acres too (can't keep the cats in though). They aren't able to get the climbers such as rat snakes and black racers though. I also see coral snakes sometimes since they spend most of their time in the duff or under logs where cats don't see them.

Thanks everyone! I haven't seen the snake since Monday, but when I walk outside onto the porch I be sure to look both ways before stepping out. lol

Youtube videos have helped to show that Garter snakes seem to be pretty harmless, and are no match for the house cat.

I had no idea that our earth worms are non-native. Based on how many are in my yard, I'd say they are here to stay...

We love our gopher snakes because they live up to their name. Like ilovemytrees, the first time I saw one it gave me quite a turn (they are about six feet long) but once I got used to the idea I was ok with it. They are completely harmless to humans (or, I suspect, anything much bigger than a gopher). The cats and dogs don't bother them, I guess because of their size. Now in the Eastern part of the County there are rattlers and that's entirely different!

I like to watch the garter snakes hunt in my ponds.
They like to eat small tree frogs. With 12 ponds on ten acres, I have plenty of tree frogs. Some ponds are vernal. They go dry in the summer. I put feeder Goldfish in the ponds that don't go dry to eat the mosquito larvae. Herons and Kingfishers have at em' in the early Fall.
Mike

{{gwi:357174}}

That is enchanting, botann. I read your page, and can relate. We began planting trees twenty five years ago, with the idea of more permanent structure to our land. Feel the same way, if it takes spraying and fussing over, then it shouldn't be planted here. Your land should be the most welcome place on earth to you, and somewhere you'd rather be than anywhere else and therefore invest in it. However, that makes traveling all the more sweet. Thanks for sharing.

I had a black racer a couple years ago, he was trying to climb our spruce for bird eggs and the dog injured him before he got up the tree. I put him in the bushes to escape, hope he's fine. I unwittingly trans ported one from a couple miles away to my yard in some mulch. He freaked out more than I did, when he/she saw me. I won't handle them with my hands though, I am a bit afraid to, I use long handled tools to pick them up to move them. When I get to vacation in Florida I have snakes on my mind when we go to outdoor places that there is any chance they may be.

I'm so glad to hear that many people are leaving these little guys alone. I don't have any myself because my garden is a balcony, so they'd have to be pretty determined to make a home in it. I get flying insects and the occasional gecko.

I've had co-workers who've said, "Yeah, I found this snake in my yard, so I killed it." And I was like...well, what kind was it? And they don't know, of course. Sigh. I had a couple of pet snakes for a while (well, one that died that was replaced by another that also died). They're marvelous creatures. So are spiders, for that matter. It's all good unless it's in your living space and is venomous.

I would love to see one of those in our yard! Don't see any toads or tree frogs either. Very sad. Of course, they would startle me, but once I realize what it is, no worries. Had black snakes when I lived in NC and garters in PA. Feel free to send your little guy to me if you see him again! :)

botann that is a beautiful garden.

I wish my quartz and clay yard looked a tenth that good.

I hope you don't mind that I borrowed it for wallpaper on my computer

If you get animal planet on TV, they have a show called "Swamp wars". It shows the Miami area Venom one team that removes the giant constrictors and Tegu lizards and poisonous snakes etc in the extreme south of Florida. It is interesting to watch. The giant African and Asian pythons are shown at least once each episode, so they must be really invasive, I don't envy anyone living by the everglades.

I'm VERY thankful my residence is not in Guam! See story below. Holy snakes Batman!

"A snake is entwined in the undergrowth. It is about 1m long, mostly dull brown, but with a vivid yellow underbelly.

We are face to face with Guam's "nemesis": the brown tree snake. And the forests here are dripping with them.

The US territory, in the western Pacific, is only 50km (30 miles) long and 10km wide, but it is packed with two million snakes.

This reptile arrived here only 60 years ago but has rapidly become one of the most successful invasive species ever."

*See link for the rest of the story and the video.

Here is a link that might be useful: Battling the brown tree snake in Guam (Video included)

I lovemytrees, to avoid coming up on a snake by surprise, stomp your feet or other vibration causing activities as you approach. They don't have ears but a very refined sense of 'feel '.

I LOVE garter snakes! They get to be very large in the south and are very adept at climbing trees. When I worked for a company with a large greenhouse, there was a garter who followed me around when I was working (in the house) because I was always scaring up little critters with my activities.

I wonder what controls them from overpopulating in Papeu New Gineua, however you spell it. Some of these people wake up with them in bed with them, I wonder if "Mildly venomous" means it doesn't kill people. Still enough to give you a bad case of insomnia.

I have several garter snakes in my yard and see them several times during the course of the year. They come and go as they please and have a modest sized den in the woods that border the back yard. I also have located several dens in nearby yards in our residential area (a tree stump here, a hole there, a rock wall here). I doubt my neighbors even know that the dens are there. Chances are your neighborhood like most neighborhoods has several garter snakes, has always had garter snakes, and will continue to have garter snakes, and you will rarely see them.

Did you know that garter snakes eat slugs?! Bravo!

I just found 4 garter snakes all in the same spot in my backyard. Should I be worried?

Garter snakes winter in numbers

It's nature's way .

C.Meens, is this home you are in a NEW home, or have you been there for a good while? If you've lived there a good while, I wouldn't worry much, BUT, IF you have just moved to your home, they likely have a spot close to your home where they overwinter.

After I lost my past home in a divorce/bankrupcy situation, the guy that bought it (it's close to my present home) said there were Garter snakes living under the siding, they couldn't have been there long, so, he was able to get rid of them, OR they were living there unbeknownst to me when I lived there. BUT, they couldn't have been there for TOO long when I had been there, the double wide wasn't THAT old anyway.

I wouldn't worry unless the house is new to you and keep finding more and more Garter snakes in your yard, There IS a house that was FAMOUS for having a swarm of them living in the walls and everywhere, BUT, I am sure THAT house has been deemed unfit for occupation by humans.

I'd seen it on TV and REALLY IF somebody sold THAT house to anyone KNOWING the situation, they'll get sued big time. IT was MAYBE in Idaho or Iowa some place in the Midwest I THINK.

Sorry, it may be the Vodka talking, but YOUR house is likely fine, I've seen a garter snake here and there, but, NOT this year yet. I've also seen a black racer snake many years ago. I am glad to see the snakes are NOT venomous ones. IF they do hang around you MAY have some rodents around for them to be hanging around your place. Do you have some animal feed that may be attracting mice? I HOPE this helps, I wouldn't worry, maybe they have overwintered in a hole in the ground near your place.

we have one about a foot and a half long and he came right up to iur patio door and raised his head a few days ago. sorry sorry, but i hate em! hubby took him over to the woods and said ’there, he’s gone’. so just now, i was taking my salad out to eat on the patio, and there he is, heading for the patio door again! he is NOT afraid of anything! after i beat on the glass long enough, it crawled under the grill. now im a prisoner in my own home! anybody wanna come get it? i will have nightmares again tinight!

Garter snakes are harmless. My question is, are you sure it's a harmless Garter Snake? Not sure where you live or the snakes in your area. I live in the most densely populated state in the nation (NJ). We only have two poisonous ones; the rattle snake and northern copperhead. Snakes tend to be shy, I know that in NJ they are mostly found where people are few, more rural areas of the northwest and southern Pine Barrens. My friend who frequently hikes in the northern woods sees them all the time on trails sunning themselves among the rocks. Rattlers are more poisonous than northern copperheads, but she says even rattlers tend to not to want to bite, thus they use the rattle to frighten you, copperheads she says, will more likely strike out and bite. Still, she's more concerned about the bears, which is why she always hikes with her dog who always knows when the bears are around, and is probably smart enough to know when the dangerous snake are around. Reptiles don't bother me, I am more worried about spiders, some of which have very nasty bites.