Help me with Grass Snake

Hi i'm sure i am going to upset some people now, but I have a lovely pond in my garden with several very young fish (as in this years hatchings) and a grass snake, is there any way i can discourage the snake from my pond? Also (and now I sound wimpy) i have such a phobia of snakes (yes i know they are not cold and clammy), that I feel i can no longer enjoy my garden with the snake there, I have 4 young children as well. I know that grass snakes are not dangerous, i have bought up in the country, I don't want to hurt it - just deter it.

Thanks for any help

I know it is silly to have such a phobia (especially when I know the snake is harmless), but it actually makes me feel physically sick to stand in my garden. As for you waiting for your first visit, i know just where there is a snake i'm sure would like your garden much better than mine! I don't have a compost heap and I have short grass, so the draw must be the pond, and unfortunatly i get too much enjoyment from it to fill it in, I suppose this is one way of overcoming my fear, having a visitor for the summer - just roll on hibernation- lol.

Thanks anyway

There are many factors such as proximity of good habitat and local population size that will affect the likelihood of grass snakes being a permanent feature of the garden. The other side to the story is that grass snakes are surprisingly mobile and this individual may just be passing through the area.

It could well be using the waterfall for refuge. If it comes to it you may want to contact one of the local ARG groups to see if someone can come to remove it as Alan has suggested he would be prepared to do in another thread. Contacts can be found at:

http://froglife.hostwith.me.uk/HGBI/ARGs.htm

(If you happen to be in Essex just email me and I'll move it for you)

I have a phobia of house spiders so I do understand how it feels!

Snakes do not feed very often, estimates suggest once in 20 days for an adult grass snake, even less for the females as they are thought to fast or at least reduce intake whilst gravid.

Grass snakes like calm bright sunny weather, they are less sophisticated in their thermoregulation than say adders that can often be seen on overcast and quite windy days.