Leigh, You have an ideal situation; I used to have one similar to yours with similar animals, but living in a town that's close to 150 years old and has been deprived of quite a bit of natural space means we have to do the best we can. Illahe Rare Bulbs (Mark Akimoff) is surrounded by houses and what not so long ago used to be country really isn't any more. That goes for a good share of us. I doubt very many people use most or any of the pesticides and herbicides found in such variety in stores. For one thing, they're ever more expensive and I've found nearly all the gardeners I know are wary of using a lot of them as they recognize the danger they create for our children, pets and other wildlife, not to mention themselves. Even Clorox bleach for disinfecting is something I no longer use, although if directions are followed to the letter, it's more or less safe. I might use one application of herbicide a year but if I have "bugs", I isolate the infected plants and use soap or similar natural spray. That said, the public is bombarded by too many claims of this or that danger from something and when you start digging into the facts behind the claims, you find a single small study, not well run, with the manufacturer or producer or other self-interested party paying for or otherwise involved. Unfortunately not many people take the time to verify the drivel often published as "latest break through" in media. All we can do is try to continue educating ourselves. I know from personal observation that snakes like warm, cozy places, under plywood out in the sun or some such structure. They certainly like being able to crawl around my nursery as there are so many places where they can sun themselves and eat enough slugs to be too fat to crawl through the front door. But they sure don't like being surprised when the water hits - good for them I don't water any more than I have to. My mother used to complain about not seeing snakes anymore. She ignored me when I explained that Dad out there mowing the hillside took away their habitat. Kathleen's comments on snake habitat (and lizard and skink) are very welcome. I'd like to hear more about making sure we provide some room for the little animals, even if all we have is a small city lot, especially if slugs are great dessert! Robin Hansen Cooler and .1 inch rain - bring it on! _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… Unsubscribe: <mailto:pbs-unsubscribe@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> PBS Forum https://…