I have garter snakes in my well. I need to get rid of them because they are shedding their skins in my water. Any type of organic measures out there? I am not afraid of snakes, and have killed at least 20 in the last few days and they are still very populated. I am training the dog to kill the snakes, I know that sounds funny but everytime he kills one I give him a treat. My chickens are not doing the trick either. Is there a plan out there I can plant around the well oepening. (large stone slab approximately 6' x 6') Any help would be appreciated. Has anyone had any luck with wormwood, or Artemisia Absinthium? Thanks for the help. Robin email address robin6316@hotmail.com

-- robin (robin6316@hotmail.com), April 21, 2001

Answers

Response to snakes in my well help

What kind of a well do you have? Does it have a well casing or is it a pit type well? With more information about the well perhaps we can help. (snakes...ugh!!!) Take care, Julie

-- Julie (dabanks@harbornet.net), April 21, 2001.

Response to snakes in my well help

Robin: Garter snakes are really harmless. Now if your mother-in-law comes to live with you full time now thats a problem!!!! Just a funnin!! Good luck on your problem.....Kirk

-- Kirk Davis (kirkay@yahoo.com), April 21, 2001.

Response to snakes in my well help

Forget trying to plant something that will keep the snakes out. You will have to seal off the well with some type of building or cover that they can't get through. Killing all snakes will not really help you seem to have a rodent problem or something that the snakes consider a food source. There are several things that are supposed to run off snakes but as best I can find out they don't really work. Get rid of whatever they are finding for food and the problem will get better fast.

-- David (bluewaterfarm@mindspring.com), April 21, 2001.

Response to snakes in my well help

Robin, If you are overrun with snakes you must be overun with mice! You need to get rid of the mouse problem. The snakes will leave if there is not a food source for them to stay. I suggest a couple of cats. They will eat the mice that the snakes are attracted to. Sincerely, Ernest

-- http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), April 22, 2001.

An earlier thread mentioned crushed moth balls for snake repelent. I plan to try it this summer.

-- michelle (tsjheath@ainop.com), April 22, 2001.

Sounds like a dug well in a cold climate if they're showing up this time of year. The well will have warm pockets in the stones surrounding the top, that and the moisture draws them to the well in winter. So is the case in our old dug well. They won't go below water level, so if you can make some kind of basket of 1/4 inch mesh that fits just inside the diameter of the well, that will catch them from falling into the water. Just pull the basket up and release the snakes. There could also be the problem of mice trying to live in those same pockets around the well, and the snakes are trying to get them.

You're killing one of your good gardening friends. Garter snakes are harmless, and they are very good at cleaning up your area of slugs and other pests.

-- Chelsea (rmbehr@istar.ca), April 22, 2001.

First of all, if there are snakes, there is a high likelihood of contamination from surface water. I'd recommend either a very thorough job of sealing the well, or else DRILLING a well for potable water, and using the existing well for irrigation only.

Garter snakes, at least in my neighborhood, are also very fond of fish. Ours DO swim underwater. I have seen garter snakes with a neck no larger than a fat pencil eating six in long trout! I LIKE garter snakes a lot, but not particularly in my drinking water.

Good luck, be kind to the snakes; they are your friends.

JOJ

-- jumpoff joe (jumpoff@ecoweb.net), April 23, 2001.

I have snakes in my well too. I don't use the well for drinking water but I do use it to water the garden. This past winter I had three snakes in the well. The largest one was about 6 ft. long. They are black snakes that are harmless too. I can see no reason to keep them out of the well because they will eat mice and are more helpful then harmful. If the snakes aren't hurting anything why not leave them there?

Tom S.

-- Tom S. (trdsshepard@yahoo.com), April 26, 2001.