what do garden snakes eat?

Answer 1

Actually, they're called garter snakes, and they have a varied diet.

They will eat small fish like minnows, as well as small insects like slugs or worms, and leeches. They will also eat small rodents (smaller snakes might raid a mouse den, for example, and a large garter might manage to eat an actual snake). They don't hunt rodents too much (though they will) but they will prey upon rodents that have already died. They will also eat small frogs and toads, waxworms, mealworms, etc.

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Answer 2

Compared to most snakes they eat just about anything. Nightcrawlers, Fish, Small Rodents, Lizards, Snakes, Frogs, Salamanders, and Insects. Just about anything they can overpower and swallow. This is just in general, individuals may vary from one to another.

Edit: There are many snake species whose diets include insects, copperheads, some flatheads and blackheads, racers, groundsnakes, and rough green snakes to name a few in my area. Not to say insects should ever be a complete diet for most species, just insects are preyed upon by snakes in the wild.

Edit: sigh... I HAVE heard of garters eating other snakes.

Answer 3

Garden Snakes

To have a snake or two in the garden is good. Non-poisonous snakes, such as the common garter snakes, are beneficial creatures because they eat pest insects, mosquito larvae, slugs, snails, crickets, rats, mice, voles and even other snakes which may be poisonous.

But if you really don't want snakes in your yard and garden here are a few tips to eliminate them without hurting or killing them.

Keep the lawn neatly cut and clean. Be careful using weed eaters because the sting from the fast moving string can kill them.

Snakes need cover for protection. Don't leave wood or brush piles sit in one spot for more than a month.

Keep leaves and other debris picked up.

Don't keep piles of rocks.

Stack firewood on a rack 12" off the ground.

Remove old lumber or junk piles.

Remove their source of food. Keep the insect and rodent population under control.

Place garbage bags in sealed trash cans away from the house.

Repair cracks along the foundation and fill holes around pipes. Snakes only need about a ¼ inch crack to get inside.

Sprinkle moth balls around the perimeter of your yard or garden. But beware that these can be dangerous to pets and children.

Sulfur from a garden center is said to keep snakes away.

Don't plant bushes and other plants too close to the foundation of the house.

Use mulch in the garden beds but not too thickly.

Trim the lowest limbs on shrubs and bushes so they are at least 12 inches from the ground.

Construct a fence around your garden with heavy galvanized screening. Make it three feet wide with quarter-inch mesh.
Be sure to bury the bottom of it six inches below the soil surface.

For more help on controlling snakes:

http://www.apluswriting.net/garden/snakecontrol.htm

Answer 4

Leafy greens and sweet corn...just kidding...small insects and pests to include (if the snake is big enough) moles and mice. As a pet, these snake can be fed feeder food based on length or head size. As a yard inhabitant, be careful of using a lot of fertilizer without lots of water to soak it in. Also, the guy with the weedeater comment has a good answer. Ditto his info. Lastly, if you have kids, teach them to leave non-pet snakes alone. They may find a snake with more of a bite or even poison and that's not good if they are used to playing with wild snakes. Good luck.

Answer 5

Garter snakes will eat pretty much any type of worm, small fish, small toads, small mouse etc. They're not big insect eaters & I've NEVER heard of a garter snake eating another snake & I've raised snakes (including garter snakes) for over 40 years.

Answer 6

ok not to be rude but this drives me crazy it's garter. NO snake eats insects. NO snake eats bugs they are strictly carnivorous they eat earthworms which you can cut if needed feeder fish and pinkie mice to small mice which you can also cut up. I own albino checkered garter snakes so thats how i know.

Answer 7

Hardly will an insect of any size ever feed a snake. I would say they would much rather be fed rodents along with any small vertebrate so as to keep their diet habits even.

Answer 8

Small fish, small rodents (I emphizize the small part), it really depends on the snake and its size. Go to a pet store, and ask what types of food it will eat. oh also, sometimes crickets.

Answer 9

Garden salids from Arby's.

Answer 10

you mean garder snakes? well mostly earth worms and slugs bu they also eat small fish and small frogs too depending on what ntype of food souce thaey have around.