RELATED: This Is the No. 1 Sign There’s a Snake in Your House, Experts Say. They may be vital to keeping your flowers blooming and your grass green, but garden hoses may also be attracting snakes into your yard. According to the experts at ThisOldHouse.com, piled hoses can provide the perfect type of shelter that snakes seek out to avoid predators and stay warm. Instead of coiling them onto the ground, consider installing a wall mount or a reel that can keep your watering equipment off the ground and stop it from becoming home to a slithering stranger. Besides becoming a makeshift shelter, hoses can also have a reverse St. Patrick effect by creating pools of standing water that provide an inviting place for snakes to nest. This is especially true if your hose is connected to a remote corner of your house with little foot traffic or activity. Make sure to regularly check your equipment for any holes or small leaks in the hose that might create pools when in use. You should also always turn off the water source from the faucet whenever it’s not in use to avoid any accidental flooding thanks to a leaky nozzle or defective spigot. If you notice that your hose is leaking where it attaches to the faucet, try installing plumber’s tape to create a better seal or replacing the item.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb RELATED: If You Smell This at Home, You May Have a Venomous Snake, Experts Say. Going overboard on the watering may feel relatively harmless as far as gardening mistakes are concerned. But being heavy-handed on the hydration can also end up attracting creatures such as worms, slugs, and frogs, turning your yard into a buffet for hungry snakes looking for their next meal. If you’re having trouble getting your watering levels just right, consider picking up a sprinkler with a simple timer, installing a smart nozzle or sprinkler that can measure the exact amount of water your lawn needs, or using moisture alarms in low-lying areas where water tends to pool or collect. For more helpful home tips sent straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. Despite all the ways hoses might end up drawing in snakes, experts point out that that can also be one of the best ways to keep them away. If you notice an unwanted visitor slithering in your lawn or garden, you should never reach for a weapon such as a shovel—and certainly never for a gun, according to experts at Utah State University. Any firearms discharged towards the ground might result in a dangerous bullet ricochet and lead to serious injury. Instead, use your hose to spray a steady stream of water to gently get the snake to slither away. In most cases, this should be enough for them to move on and find a new place to call home that isn’t so close to where you do your gardening. RELATED: This Is How Many Types of Venomous Snakes Are in Your State.
