In areas where poisonous snakes are known to visit gardens, three approaches are commonly adopted by the homeowner. One is to be so frightened of the thought of such creatures lurking in the undergrowth that the outdoor space is paved over instead of being turned into a garden. A second approach, by far the more common, is to be unaware or to ignore the potential danger and to pretend it does not exist. The third and best option is to continue to use the garden without fear and trepidation, but to take one particular step that for all practical purposes, removes all possibility of venomous snakes threatening the safety of those who use the garden.
The legitimate fear of snakes should neither deter one from planting a garden, nor from covering the earth with some form of organic mulch; actions that encourage wildlife to visit the garden and even take up residence there. The garden, in order to function as a healthy, vital and balanced eco-system needs in fact to be a magnet for as many different organisms as possible. The consequence is that some unwanted visitors may turn up uninvited, along with the rest of the guests. Conversely, a garden that is hostile to wildlife, (as a result of the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers) may deter snakes from it, but will pose a threat to the health of the family from many other sources. The challenge therefore, is how to make the garden as environmentally friendly as possible (that means a garden that contains a vast number and variety of organisms) while removing the danger of venomous snakes from it.
Cats in the garden
The most effective way of ensuring that snakes do not raise their heads within the vicinity of your home and garden is to keep a domestic cat or two in the backyard. This may strike some as strange advice to offer, particularly as many people are actually looking for solutions to the problems that cats themselves cause. However, if the drawbacks of a cat are recognized, and the damage reduced to minimal proportions, then in principle, the threat from poisonous snakes can be neutralized with almost no detrimental affect on the garden.
There are two basic problems associated with cats. One is their propensity to dig up a section of a garden bed for toilet purposes. This can easily be overcome by training the cat to use a litter tray, exactly as one would with a house bound pet. In any case, at worst, the damage cats inflict on a garden cannot be remotely compared to the devastation that dogs are liable to inflict.
The second issue is one of quantity. A situation where tens of strays are attracted to the garden, is obviously undesirable, to say the least. It’s vital therefore to neuter the cats, whether male or female, thereby removing the main source of attraction for neighboring cats to use your garden. It should not be forgotten that cats are also territorial by nature, and if provided with small amounts of food on a regular basis, usually claim the area as their own, and manage to keep out all but the most persistent invading stray. That one you might have to shoo away now and again!
