\nWhen the kids were younger, I spent more time out in the yard, because they played out there. Perhaps for that reason, I used to see snakes in the yard more often. I don’t think I saw one this summer or last. However, one crossed the driveway yesterday, which reassured me.<\/p>\n
I’ve heard that snakes and frogs are good indicators of a healthy ecosystem, so having them around is a good sign. Seeing the handsome tan garter snake cross the driveway yesterday, I wondered what, in particular, attracts garter snakes to a yard.<\/p>\n
Tonight I decided to look up the issue and discovered this very entertaining video from Southern Living<\/em> on YouTube<\/a>. Being hilarious, it brings up some very useful ideas, not only about snakes, in a delightfully ironic way.<\/p>\n One interesting point the video makes is that pet food – in particular, dog or cat food that’s left outside – is a key resource for rodents. If there are rats in a given yard but the owner doesn’t know why, very often it’s because they are eating pet food from a neighbouring yard.<\/p>\n The video is very useful for explaining to homeowners how they may be attracting snakes unknowingly. At the same time, it’s very entertaining.<\/p>\nJack of Oracle Tutoring by Jack and Diane,<\/a> Campbell River, BC.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Self-tutoring about yard management and snakes: the tutor mentions a great find. When the kids were younger, I spent more time out in the yard, because they played out there. Perhaps for that reason, I used to see snakes in …<\/p>\n