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By Barbara Elmore,
HCMG
Snakesssss!
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As if back pain,
stinging insects, itchy
plants and heat ailments
were not sufficient
reasons for gardeners to
flee their back yards,
people are reporting
backyard rattlesnake
sightings in San Antonio
and areas closer to the
Kerrville-Bandera-
Fredericksburg-Comfort
areas. |
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Snake catchers Tom
Regner in Austin (www.batspecialist.com)
and Ed Lessard in San
Antonio said that they
are hearing more from
callers now that spring
has arrived. Regner
roots out snakes in
commercial buildings as
part of his
waterproofing business;
Lessard is president of
the South Texas
Herpetology Association
(www.kingsnake.com),
whose members pick up
dangerous snakes in
various parts of San
Antonio and the
surrounding area. |
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Both
men grew up catching
snakes as boys and offer
sensible suggestions for
dealing with snakes that
you meet. Carry a stick,
Regner said, and
remember that a snake
can strike a distance
that is one- third to
one-half its body
length, depending on
what type of snake it
is. Back away from
snakes at a slow pace,
Lessard suggests. Don't
run, because a snake
perceives that as
aggression. |
Here are other
do-it-yourself tips for
dealing with snakes.
• Leave them alone. Texas
has four kinds of
venomous snakes, but
most are not harmful.
The four to avoid are
rattlesnakes,
copperheads, coral
snakes and cottonmouth
water moccasins.
Residents in and around
San Antonio are most
likely to see the coral
snake and the
rattlesnake. Learn to
identify them.
• If leaving them alone
is not possible, call
the non-emergency number
of the police, sheriff
or fire department in
your area to report the
snake. They can tell you
what to do next. Few
pest control companies
deal with dangerous
snakes.
• Stop moving if you hear a
snake. Then back away
slowly from it. An added
warning: Rattlesnakes
are learning not to
rattle. "The ones that
don't get caught are
learning to be quiet,"
Regner
 said.
• To prevent snakes in your
compost pile, surround
the pile with silt
fencing, a black fabric
used for erosion
control. It's available
in 2-foot heights. You
can get it in home
improvement stores.
Snakes do not dig, so
they won't go under it,
Regner said.
• Watch for snakes mainly
on cool mornings,
because if your compost
pile is hot (as it
should be if working
properly), snakes will
crawl on top of it to
get warm.
• Put an electric wire
around the compost pile.
When the snakes touch
it, they will recoil. •
Bury a 10- gallon,
smooth-sided bucket in
the ground. The snake
will go in and can't get
out. Use a stick to
raise the handle and
carry the bucket away.
 •
Use a snake trap. You
can make your own by
putting glue traps into
a cardboard box. Snakes
will crawl in and stick
in the glue. You can
remove the glue traps
and release the snake.
You can also find these
online.
• Get rid of weeds, boards,
and junk, which attract
rats, lizards and frogs.
"Snakes will go where
there is warmth,
shelter, and to look for
animals to eat," Regner
noted. |
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