You may not like them, but here's why should like snakes and insects
One morning last week, my neighbor and I watched a momma bird help her fledgling launch in my front yard. They went from oak tree to brick house front to the hedge next door to oak tree and back again. The baby bird was hesitant but pretty brilliant and we were holding our breaths as we watched. It made it to each stopping place successfully. It made me think about the precious wildlife in our area, both prey and predators.
You may have thought that birds were just fun for some people to watch. Or annoying because they think dawn is a great time to sing loudly outside your window. (I am talking about you, Carolina Wren!)
But birds are great for keeping pests in balance in our environment. Baby birds are fed high-protein insects — and they eat a phenomenal amount. Parent birds run a continual food train of caterpillars, spiders, and other insects to and from the nest all day long. Literally hundreds of insects go to feeding the nestlings until they are old enough to fledge.
Bird flu is not a big problem in Florida yet, but it is wise to be smart about it. It does not really change the way we do things, however. Bird feeders should be cleaned regularly. You should wash your hands with soap and water after you handle the bird feeder. And do not touch your eyes or mouth while you are working on the bird feeder. These are all standard clean care procedures, things we should have been doing all along. For them and for us — we are not germ free, either! Wearing gloves is a good way to do the job.
If you find a dead bird or feathers (I sometimes find the leftovers of an owl or hawk meal), do not pick them up with bare hands. Use gloves. Dispose of them in a trash bag or bury them.
According to Cornell, we have lost nearly three billion birds since the 1970s. Whether you are a fan of nature or not, we are part of the tapestry of animals and plants. If we lose pieces of that tapestry, it will unravel, and we will all suffer the consequences. We are part of a complex system and dependent upon the decomposers, the prey, and the predators for our very existence.
We share the world with insects too. Altogether, they outnumber us and outweigh us. Humans do not like them, which is ironic, since only 1-3% have the potential to be harmful to people. Insects help break down plant material to organic material, help control other insect populations, and pollinate flowers including the ones that develop to the fruits and vegetables we eat. For pollination, we need bees (both honeybees and native bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, wasps, and other pollinators). Squash requires 8-12 visits to get complete pollination for fruit formation. Without insects, it is not an exaggeration to say we would be dead. Pesticide use has greatly reduced the number and variety of insects. It has not helped us.
Insects are an important part of the cleanup squad. Earwigs, millipedes, springtails, and isopods are out there decomposing leaves and branches and other organic matter, releasing the nutrients so your plants can absorb them and use them. Give them leaves, feed your plants.
Few people appreciate snakes. We have just six types of venomous snakes in Florida (pigmy, coral, eastern diamondback rattlesnake, timber rattlesnake, copperhead, and the cottonmouth.) And 41 species of non-venomous snakes live here. How many have you actually seen? For the most part, these snakes will move away from you or freeze, hoping you will move away without seeing them. They do not want a confrontation. Few bites occur, and trying to catch or kill a snake is the most likely way to get bitten. Snakes do not try to live inside our houses. Snakes are the best control we have for rodent populations.
Rats and other mammals are comfortable inside with heat and air conditioning and are happy to move in. They can cause fires because they must chew to keep their teeth short. Their teeth grow continuously and the only way to keep them short is to chew on things. Electrical wiring apparently works well for chewing, except for us. With the insulation chewed off, a fire can start in the attic and other hidden places where the rodent is living, then a fire can build up before we are even aware of it.
Snakes are the best rodent control we have. We used to use poisons. Those poisons are not labeled for homeowners anymore. They were deadly to the animals that ate the dying rodent — right up to the owl or hawk. I had one of my dogs pick up a dying rat that was affected by the blood anticoagulant used as a poison. Luckily, he knew and obeyed the “drop” command. He was very puzzled that the rat offered him no resistance.
Learn to identify snakes. We have great resources available to us. Here are some:
You do not have to be grateful for your fellow earth residents. But maybe it helps to be aware of how they are helping you. Stay well!
Becky Wern is a Master Gardener volunteer with the Duval County Extension Service and the University of Florida/IFAS. For gardening questions, call the Duval County Extension Office at (904) 255-7450 from 9 a.m. to noon and 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Monday-Friday and ask for a Master Gardener volunteer.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Are snakes good for pest control? Yes.