Outdoors question of the week - snakes on the driveway

Q: Snakes occasionally can be spotted sunning themselves on driveways. Should property owners be concerned?

A: The most numerous snake in Minnesota is the common garter snake, which is harmless. The appearance of unwanted snakes is usually due to cracks or holes in concrete structures. These spaces provide warm places for the snake to spend the winter. When spring returns, the snakes reappear outside.

Since snakes cannot regulate their own body temperature, they rely on their surroundings, such as rocks or concrete, to warm their bodies. If the presence of these snakes is a concern for homeowners, a few simple solutions are to fill the holes or cracks in the concrete; make their yards unattractive to snakes by removing yard or other debris piles and keeping shrubs and trees trimmed, and the grass mowed; and eliminate what snakes eat – mice.

-- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources