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Talkback: Snakes in the grass

Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
in Talkback
We had a pond excavated last year with a large waterfall and today we saw a snake basking in the sun on one of the rocks. It slithered off into the hole where the pond pump is situated and I was rather alarmed at first as i have been bitten twice by an adder in our grounds but after looking up adders on the internet realised it was in fact a grass snake, so we are one of the 25 people who have a grass snake near their pond, aren't we lucky!!
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  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    Last year I was bitten on my foot whilst dead heading a climbing rose. My feet were underneath a clump of day lilies. I felt the stabing pain, stepped back onto the path and rubbed my foot and could see two puncture marks side by side about a centimetre apart. I wasn;t sure if a spider had bitten me but a friend who keeps pet snakes asured me it was a snake bite. I didn't see anything and although it was near our pond I haven't seen anything since.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    Ugh! Snakes! I hate them! We have a half-barrel pond with four fish in which is sat on our patio. It's only a small pond.
    Can anyone tell me are we likely to get a grass snake in there? If so my partner can feed the fish in future!!
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    Saw a grass snake in our small pond last week. He was only about as thick as my finger and about 14" long. He was in and out for a few days (probably eating the tadpoles), but I haven't seen him lately. I felt quite priviledged !!!
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    We have a very small pond that for several years has teemed with frogs until a couple of years ago when we spotted a very large grass snake sunning himself beside the pond - there are now no frogs to eat the slugs and we have not seen the grass snake again either!
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    We found a beautiful 20" long grass snake this week caught in a piece of plastic netting which was over our strawberries. A neighbour worked for 15 minutes to carefully cut it free and it slithered away towards our 4 compost heaps where it is probably living. I have a pond but lost all my goldfish, someone said it could have been the grass snake, could that be true?
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    You are quite welcome to the grass snakes! Since we had grass snakes appear in our very small pond, all our frogs have either been eaten or done a runner. I prefer the frogs!!
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    I found a 5-6 ft long grass snake going along one of my 8 by 4ft compost bins and into a hole in the next one. My local wildlife trust told me it was a full size grass snake and it may have laid eggs in the compost.I did not empty the compost bin for the next 3 months incase it had young in it. I do have a largish pond but have never seen a grass snake near it and the pond is full of frogs and toads.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    we have a couple of grass snakes that are seen frequently swimming around in our ponds and moat, great to watch, albeit wife and son keep well away!!!
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    I have had a grass snake in my garden for the last 2/3 years, no pond, but a very soggy border, but that's not where it hangs out! Under a tub in the drier part of the garden is where it prefers to be. Unfortunately a local cat killed one 2 years ago, by biting off its' head.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    Had a large grass snake basking half in half out of my smallish pond a couple of years back - didn't attempt the larger pond which we keep netted. He was a frequent visitor and became George the grass snake.
    Unfortunately we lost a lot of frogs so he had to go. This was easily achieved by clearing the undergrowth from the area around the pond and holding a Garden Party for 30 plus people. Snakes like cover and do not like noise!
    George went as silently as he arrived.

    Reminder to self - must clear area around pond.
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