Snake lake, grey matter & mossie move

A SERPENT SITUATION

We have been unable to enjoy our waterfront due to a huge number of water snakes under our dock. How can we deter them?

—STACEY WAGLER, SPANISH RIVER, ONT.

We assume that you want the good news first. Your waterfront is so snakealicious because it’s in fantastic shape. “The fact that the snakes are there means that it’s great habitat,” says herpetologist Andrew Lentini. “You have a healthy lake.” Fist bump! Okay, now the bad news: anything you do to make the area undesirable for the snakes—say, blocking their under-dock access with chicken wire or removing logs or rocks where the water snakes might want to hang out—probably requires a permit and, more importantly, also makes it undesirable for fish, frogs, and turtles. “The only way to get rid of the snakes is to get rid of the other creatures,” says Lentini. Is