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Junior Member
 
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 3/15/2010 12:11:28 PM
Posts: 283,
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| Growing up in ND, I was scared of snakes and all we had were garter snakes. Having spent 35 years in Az, backpacking and sharing shade space with rattlesnakes because both of us were too hot to move or bother each other and finding them on my porch (and once under my dining room table when we were remodeling), I actually like them all. I have a marvelous picture of my sons who had to help me rescue about a 1/2 dozen bull snakes who were mating in my newly planted wildflower garden and got caught in the netting. They each had 3 or 4 drapped around their shoulders. I miss them now that I am back in ND. Mary Ann
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Starting Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 6/7/2011 8:27:53 AM
Posts: 34,
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| We only have a small mowed yard now and the rest is either nursery plants, barns or other items. Since my husband used to be in the lawn business he really hates mowing, so whatever it takes to make less mowing he is all for. We even for entertaining purposes don't have grass we used pavers, so the water still gets in the ground instead of run off, but there is no spraying and NO MOWING....
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Advanced Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 9/23/2010 4:13:39 PM
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Growing up you could tell where the snakes were in the field. There would be these really long rows of perfectly straight rows of hay, then a big dip. The dip was where a snake was seen and the tractor driver mowing the field, saw the snake and would turn making sure the snake went through the conditioner reels of the haybine and thus killing it.
In my family, it is against family law to see a snake and NOT kill it. So far I have seen 3 snakes and have killed 2. A 66% kill ratio is pretty good.
******
Tell a welfare recipient they must work and they call their congressman. Tell a farmer he can no longer work and he commits suicide. No wonder 1/2% of the population feeds the other 99-1/2%!!
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Junior Member
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Last Login: Yesterday @ 4:35:23 AM
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| Around a farm snakes are a double edged sword. They are great for taking care of rodents that inhabit the barns and sheds. Problems arise when you are raising chickens. Snakes love eggs and chicks and are hard to train to eat only rats and not chicks. If you have no chickens then rat snakes, chicken snakes, king snakes and the other non poisonous snakes are ok I guess. If you have livestock then you need to be concerned about rattle snakes, copperheads, and moccasins. Our neighbors lost two dogs last year to canebrake rattlers. I almost grabbed a 3' copperhead that was hiding in my firewood this spring. My neighbor got me into snake hunting when I moved here. He makes a nice sideline capturing and selling them to a local dealer so I geared up for it and have caught my share. You would think we thinned the population but we still see snakes almost everyday here. Ken
Deep in the South Carolina Lowcountry
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Junior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 3/22/2011 10:45:00 AM
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Snake hunting as a sideline??? Cappy what do you do with the snakes? Didn't know there was a market for them - not that we have very many up here, I'm lucky if I see one or two a summer.
Valerie
Know someone in Ontario? They can earn money with solar. You can earn money referring them. Email for details.
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Average Member
Group: Banned Members
Last Login: 11/1/2009 6:18:12 AM
Posts: 586,
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| Some time back a major garden mag published an artical about turning your lawn into a meadow. Long short, all my stone clients who did it, later asked me for a good exterminator. I don't have much "lawn". Our hay fields are all 10 feet from the house..but after 2nd cutting I mow them to keep the grass short. This is to keep the snakes, rats mice, rabbits and FLIES down. Snakes how no value here. I'd rather have bats than snakes.
Don't care if they eat bugs. They never get large enough to eat mice here. So a good snake is a dead one.
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Junior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: Yesterday @ 4:35:23 AM
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| We have a pretty good market here. There are several local internet dealers, a few local shops, and a serpentarium that will buy. One dealer wants all the poisonious snakes we can get. I suspect he sells them to some church but don't know and don't ask. Ken
Deep in the South Carolina Lowcountry
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Average Member
Group: Banned Members
Last Login: 11/1/2009 6:18:12 AM
Posts: 586,
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well I'd never let them just go. that's silly. Those that create habitat are next in line at the feed store saying, "I can't keep the bears out of my lawn".
Why can't you let it grow to hayfield?
Find a tenant, rent it out for a deal his can't refuse and you'll both be happy. He will get affordable hay ground and you can get something rather than paying money for gas. Then hire her out as a lawn care pro and she can get paid to cut other lawns. You sit at home and take 25% off the top. Making money rather than spending it.
That's the kind of green I like.
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Starting Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 1/15/2010 6:03:17 PM
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Well since we are talking about grass & snakes, I have to comment. One of the reasons I haven't been in a hurry to grow a lawn is due to snakes. The other has been the lack of water and the lack of enthusiasm to mow said lawn. I'd like to put some pasture grass down in lieu of a lawn, but would like to find some that does not require a lot of water or work. Not lazy, just limited on resources. We are living on 80 acres completely off grid, no water source except for what we haul in until we get the well drilled. I plan on developing a garden that is basically xeriscape, using only reclaimed/recycled water.
I agree with the initial post, that too much emphasis is given to producing a lawn for purely asthetic and social acceptance. A landscape that is much more the way nature intended is much more impressive to me. That's just my opinion, thanks for asking.
Kate
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Average Member
Group: Banned Members
Last Login: 11/1/2009 6:18:12 AM
Posts: 586,
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| the most maintenance free grasses cost a ton. I'm asked this all the time by folks I build walls for. Buffalo grass comes to mind....but again, it depends on were you live, zone, soil and such. Last night we cleaned up the job site, the client had stuff all over and asked us to collect it. He'd not cut the grass in a month of Sundays. My stone walls haven't had a snake all season. but the stuff he let go was FILLED...it was like one big knot of them. flipping 1 plank we found 6 and moving a tarp scattered more than we could all agree on. All of them a foot long + that's massive for here.
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