You need a kitten. I have an extra one.....

Thanks, Brenda, but cats are not an option. Allergies and two dogs would make it a nightmare situation!

At some point I intend to build small mounds of twigs and branches that wind in and around the woods that surround my garden. My idea is that with the shelter the brush pile will provide I might increase the snake population in my yard. I have a huge monster brush pile that seems to attract all sorts of wildlife (including snakes) - so I think smaller piles might attract smaller, lower to the ground creatures.

I don't even care if they ARE poisonous, I bring home every snake I find and set them free. So far the voles have not killed anything major but I sure have a lot of vole holes in and around the garden. They gotta go!

Hi Triangle John,
I have a large dark gray rattlesnake living under my shed and/or front portch, but I don't want him to.
you can have him! (smile)
Jean

John, water will grow frogs and toads and you will have snakes! Any vessel big enough to keep goldfish alive (to eat mosquito larvae) will do. Sink it in the ground, fill it, and stand back. (Don't waste your money on koi - the blue herons - yes they show up and love fishing in a small pool- prefer koi to cheap goldfish.) Throw some plants like colocasia in and you'll get salamanders and lizards too - they like the cover.

Brenda - you may recall years ago I yammerd on and on about a massive triple trunk oak that needed to be cut down. Well it happened (last year) and the stump finally got ground. This is the site for my future garden pond. The only problem is the trees roots are still there! I am gonna be digging for an eternity and chainsawing those blasted roots.

I know what you mean about small amounts of water. A friend gave me his old/neglected water lilies when he moved. Having no pond I bought some large tubs and filled them with water. The frogs have sure found them and make good use of them = lots of tadpoles.

The yard does have a sizeable creek as its western boundary. I imagine the snakes stay down there. Hopefully when I get the pond finished they will wander between the two, passing through the vole filled garden on the way.

jnhidden - just slap a mailing label on the snake and I'd double the postage just to be safe. In order to keep the snake calm before you drop it in the mail - place it in the veggie bin of your refrigerator to cool it down. Don't bother feeding or watering him before you send him, the post office will take care of all that. - thanks