These Snakes Are Actually Great for Your Garden.
Snakes often get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason—North America has many venomous snakes that are dangerous to pets and people, including diamond-backed rattlesnakes, cottony snakes, and copperheads. However, despite their reputation, there are many types of snakes that are not dangerous at all and can actually help with pest control in your garden. If you live in an area where these snakes thrive, they can be one of your best friends in fighting anything from slugs to mice. In addition to controlling rodents near your vegetables, you can also rely on snakes to help fight Lyme disease-carrying ticks as they help control their animal hosts.
Garter snakes
Garter snakes may be the best known and most prolific of North America’s friendly snakes, eating beetles, slugs and root-destroying rodents. They are harmless to humans and most pets (but keep pet frogs, lizards, and hamsters away from them). They are aquatic, they like to eat frogs, fish and eggs, they can adapt to a wide variety of environments, so they are easy to attract.
gopher snakes
The unsung hero of the snake family is the gopher snake. As their name suggests, they feed on small rodents, including ground squirrels, and can help deter pests that are attracted to barns, garages, or American turf. Finding one of these beautiful reptiles nearby means you get tons of free pest control products. They are easily confused with rattlesnakes, but they do not have light stripes around their tails and are harmless to humans and pets.
king snakes
A beautiful and strong ally of snakes in areas where rattlesnakes live is the king snake. They are among the strongest boas in relation to their body size, and they eat rattlesnakes. They are non-venomous and impervious to the venom of other snakes, making them an excellent deterrent for dangerous snakes. There are five different species of this heroic reptile in North America, and they can range from inconspicuous black to a striking striped pattern. The striped variant of the king snake can often be confused with the venomous coral snake, but the way to tell the difference is to see if the yellow and red stripes are separated by a wide black stripe. If so, you have a king snake; if not, it is a coral snake.
How to (Safely) Attract Snakes
To encourage the presence of these helpful snakes, avoid using pesticides and keep an eye on them before you cut your grass. Create places like rocky areas and taller grass for them to hide. Leaving a few fallen leaves or a few unmowed areas will create a favorable habitat for them. Garter snakes also love water, so if your garden has a water feature, they will be able to feed on a wider range of prey.
Remember that if you see a snake, you should not approach it and you should be careful when planning to attract snakes to your yard. If you live in an area where venomous snakes are common, check with your local fish and wildlife department, the Audubon Society, or your university chapter to ensure you don’t accidentally lure dangerous snakes into your yard.