What is your experience with garter and bull snakes. I presume that both
eat koi, but I also assume that there is some point at where a koi is
too big for a garter snake to kill. What about Bull snakes? Are
they a threat to big koi?

doug

"Doug Quarnstrom" wrote in message
...

What is your experience with garter and bull snakes. I presume that both
eat koi,

* The only snakes we haven't seen eat our fish (before netting the ponds)
were those small green garden snakes.

but I also assume that there is some point at where a koi is
too big for a garter snake to kill.

* We have snakes here as long as 6' and can eat quite large fish, or kill
the fish trying since they eat them head first.

What about Bull snakes? Are
they a threat to big koi?

* Any snake you see in your ponds and just about any snake that will enter a
pond or water will eat fish - or so a wildlife agent told me some time ago.
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
Do not feed the trolls.
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

Ok, that is good information. Did nets on the pond help with snakes?

I am assuming I am going to have to net the pond to stop herons, so if
that will help with snakes as well, that is good.

doug
Reel Mckoi ) wrote:

: "Doug Quarnstrom" wrote in message
: ...
:
: What is your experience with garter and bull snakes. I presume that both
: eat koi,

: * The only snakes we haven't seen eat our fish (before netting the ponds)
: were those small green garden snakes.

: but I also assume that there is some point at where a koi is
: too big for a garter snake to kill.

: * We have snakes here as long as 6' and can eat quite large fish, or kill
: the fish trying since they eat them head first.

: What about Bull snakes? Are
: they a threat to big koi?

: * Any snake you see in your ponds and just about any snake that will enter a
: pond or water will eat fish - or so a wildlife agent told me some time ago.
: --
: McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
: EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
: before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
: Do not feed the trolls.
: ~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

A snake can squeeze thro9ugh some darn small openings, and I find it
hard to belicve netting alone is going to restrict a snake fropm
getting in a typical pond.......contrary to what McKoi
says..........its just not gonna happen, unless you use window screen
perhaps........and have it sealed down to a footer. It only takes a
very small opening anywhere and a snake will find it to enter. Don;t
waste your money on netting to keep snakes out.........



On Thu, 23 Jun 2005 19:04:49 +0000 (UTC),
(Doug Quarnstrom) wrote:

===
===Ok, that is good information. Did nets on the pond help with snakes?
===
===I am assuming I am going to have to net the pond to stop herons, so if
===that will help with snakes as well, that is good.
===
===doug
===Reel Mckoi ) wrote:
===
===: "Doug Quarnstrom" wrote in message
===: ...
===:
===: What is your experience with garter and bull snakes. I presume that both
===: eat koi,
===
===: * The only snakes we haven't seen eat our fish (before netting the ponds)
===: were those small green garden snakes.
===
===: but I also assume that there is some point at where a koi is
===: too big for a garter snake to kill.
===
===: * We have snakes here as long as 6' and can eat quite large fish, or kill
===: the fish trying since they eat them head first.
===
===: What about Bull snakes? Are
===: they a threat to big koi?
===
===: * Any snake you see in your ponds and just about any snake that will enter a
===: pond or water will eat fish - or so a wildlife agent told me some time ago.
===: --
===: McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
===: EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
===: before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
===: Do not feed the trolls.
===: ~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o


==============================================
Put some color in your cheeks...garden naked!
"The original frugal ponder"
~~~~ }((((o ~~~~~~ }{{{{o ~~~~~~~ }(((((o

A snake can squeeze thro9ugh some darn small openings, and I find it
hard to belicve netting alone is going to restrict a snake fropm
getting in a typical pond.......contrary to what McKoi
says..........

I suspect you are correct. I used to catch and keep snakes. My first
attempts involved making a simple box, getting some screen, and stapling
the screen to the inside of the box hole. The snakes always escaped,
until I learned to completely pin all edges of the screen with a wood
perimeter on both sides.

C//

"Courageous" wrote in message
...

A snake can squeeze thro9ugh some darn small openings, and I find it
hard to belicve netting alone is going to restrict a snake fropm
getting in a typical pond.......contrary to what McKoi
says..........

I suspect you are correct.

## Then Roy needs to tell that to the snakes where I live. :-) So far
we've had to remove one live (had to kill it first) and several dead snakes
from the net. They'd get their heads through but their bodies, being
thicker, were snagged. They would then try to escape by going in a circle,
or so it appeared.... and be so tangled they were impossible to remove
(alive.) Maybe he used a net with larger spacing. We never lost another
koi to snakes nor ever saw another snake in the ponds after netting them.
With the number of water snakes were I live if the nets didn't work I
wouldn't have one fish left.

I used to catch and keep snakes. My first
attempts involved making a simple box, getting some screen, and stapling
the screen to the inside of the box hole. The snakes always escaped,
until I learned to completely pin all edges of the screen with a wood
perimeter on both sides.

C//

--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
Do not feed the trolls.
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

"Doug Quarnstrom" wrote in message
...

Ok, that is good information. Did nets on the pond help with snakes?

## YES! It keeps them out except for the teeny tiny ones too small to eat
anything but a baby fish. In fact the snakes sometimes snag and kill
themselves in the net. Before the nets keeping fish was becoming impossible
and very expensive.

I am assuming I am going to have to net the pond to stop herons, so if
that will help with snakes as well, that is good.

## The net will keep out not only herons but Kingfishers, snapper turtles
and bullfrogs - all fish eaters. Just make sure you check the net for holes
regularly.
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
Do not feed the trolls.
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

In , on 06/23/05
at 06:19 PM, (Doug Quarnstrom) said:


What is your experience with garter and bull snakes. I presume that both
eat koi, but I also assume that there is some point at where a koi is too
big for a garter snake to kill. What about Bull snakes? Are they a
threat to big koi?

Bull snakes don't eat fish. Garter snakes might, but they generally stay
on land and eat things like slugs and worms. Ribbon snakes (related to
garters, and look similar - they're thinner, and swim better) are more
likely to enter the water and eat fish.

Do a web search on the different species you're concerned about - the
reptile sites will have more info than me.


Alan

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