Trying to catch some sun

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LLigetfa

Minister of Fire
Nov 9, 2008
7,360
NW Ontario
Got a pic of this little garter snake sunning on my woodpile. It's just a young'n. For comparison, my splits are 20" long.
 

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I could use a few of those around here right now. It seems I have an explosion of mole tunnels and toads. :snake:
 
I hate snakes! What kind a wood is that, looks like Ironwood?
 
AFAIK toads are beneficial in controlling insects. I don't have moles. I'll kill garters to save the toads but I let this guy live for today. Small garters eat mostly slugs and worms but they don't stay small for long. I wouldn't mind if they just left the toads alone and restricted their diet to mice when they get bigger.
 
I've been seeing them around my piles for a while now, I finally caught one yesterday. He was stuck between piles and had no where to go! :) Not sure why I needed to catch him since I let him go within seconds of catching him. I had another one today I could have caught but the "fun" was gone.
 
There is probably a food source that is attracted to the woodpile. The snakes also like to use the woodpile to molt as I find a lot of molted skins. There is a squirrel in my woodpile too driving the dog crazy. I always find nesting material when I remove the wood and my cat spends a lot of time sniffing the firewood when I bring it in the house.
 
My cats pretty much spend a good portion of their days outside perched on top of or next to the wood pile . . . and then leave me the dead mouse carcass on the back stoop as a "gift."
 
firefighterjake said:
My cats pretty much spend a good portion of their days outside perched on top of or next to the wood pile . . . and then leave me the dead mouse carcass on the back stoop as a "gift."

+1
I just have one but she does the same
 
My woodpile cat brings me snakes for presents.
 
I have a garter like that in the strawberry bed.
It is stubborn and will attack the stick you're trying to push it away from the strawberries so you can pick them.
Been there for the last three Summers. Maybe not the same one, but sure looks like it.


The black racers sun on top of stacks and bushes. They're at least twice the size and slither away quite fast if you disturb them.
 
The whole family was out sunning today on the same woodpile. They slithered away between the splits pretty quick when they saw me coming. Earlier in the day I watched one disappear under a pallet.
 
We took a mini vacation up in the Blue Ridge Mountains this weekend and saw 2 copperheads too close for comfort. One I saw after I stuck my foot into a raspberry patch to reach for some berries. Glad I didn't step on him as we were quite aways from the closest ER. :gulp:
 
Todd said:
I hate snakes! What kind a wood is that, looks like Ironwood?
Garter snakes are good. Wish I had more of them around here.

White oak?
 
Todd said:
What kind a wood is that, looks like Ironwood?
Sorry, I missed your question. It is Black Ash, the Oak of the North.

It's been raining on my woodpiles for 3 days. No sun to catch but I might have to watch out for water snakes now.
 
I took a walk over to one of my stacks the other day. Picked up a piece on top to inspect and directly under it was a garter...and I hate snakes! I got at least 4 more in my pile of rounds that need split. As for mice control, we have a couple BIG black snakes. I've seen them a couple times but they're so damn fast I never had the chance to take a picture of one. When I say big, I mean almost the length of the width of the driveway. :bug: I know they're supposed to be good, but I'm still hate em.
 
I was thinking white oak also.
I hate snakes too but I believe in live and let live unless it is harming something of mine.
 
had me a few snakes in my wood pile the other day and they were not as lucky as your snake. oh course they were not garter snakes they were copperheads 6 of them all of them were small (@ a foot or so long) except for one that was about 30" long and about 2 - 2.5" across it was one of the biggest copperheads I have seen.

got copperheads out the butt. I Hate Snakes
 
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