Are there any known damages that 'garden' snakes cause to flowers? Are they harmful?

What's the worse that can happen with these snakes? Can they harm my children or my flowers? How to get rid of them without killing/harming them, and that means without paying someone to remove them - it wouldn't stay still even if I did have someone come and remove it!

Are there any known damages that 'garden' snakes cause to flowers? Are they harmful?
Snakes are common to gardens. The most common one that you will encounter is the common Garter snake. Often mistakenly called garden or gardener snakes, there are many different species. Like all snakes, they are carnivorous and will eat anything that they can catch such as slugs, earthworms, insects, amphibians, rodents, birds or fish.





When encountering humans, they usually go the other way. They may bite if cornered, like any animal, but their bite is harmless, mostly like a scratch. Like all of the other living things in your garden, they are part of nature and they exist for a purpose.





In some parts of the country gardeners may encounter poisonous snakes. Gardeners living in these areas should know what poisonous snakes are around and use caution when working in areas where these snakes are known to frequent, such as rock piles.





Like insects, and other animals, some people have an irrational fear of snakes, but garter and other snakes have a natural fear of humans that is stronger which is why their preferred method of defense is to quietly slither away when they sense your presence unless startled.





Check out our website for more gardening ideas at-


http://www.gardening-at-the-crossroads.c...





Good Luck and Happy Gardening from Cathy and Neal!
Reply:They cause damage in my garden because if I see one I jump up and run over the flowers to get away! Hee hee.
Reply:yeah the gardan (garter) snake is harmless. when i was small me and my brother used to pick them up and play with them. they might just nip you though if you be mean to it or chase it. its scared of you. and for flowers, they never did anything bad to mine. they keep mice and moles and other bad things away. just be careful of a copper snake, there small and kinda dangerous.
Reply:I don't want them in my yard !!!!
Reply:I'm no expert, but I've never heard of a "garden snake" harming anything other than what they like to eat. You'll be happy to know their diet consists of neither flowers or children. They prefer to eat less desirable creatures that you don't want hanging around with your kids in the garden. Don't kill them; they're doing you a big favor even though you want to kill them!
Reply:No - garden snakes will not harm your children or your flowers. They help keep away rodents and other creatures that would harm your flowers, however.





Do not make your children deathly afraid of anything. Teach them to identify the the poisonous ones, be it snakes, spiders or plants. Help make them responsible stewards of the earth by helping them understand how the ecosystem works.





I know I am coming off as a sort of tree-hugging freak - but I'm not. Giving children unnecessary fear of nature only harms them in the long run. I strongly suggest you and your kids go to a nature or science museum and learn together about the good things in nature and how they can be helpful.