Snake under the deck!

We have a nice big deck and on top of it sits a beautiful lotus bell tent! The deck has about 3 feet underneath! And we are wondering what is best to grow or do to prevent snake from going under there? Right now there are gravel and some weeds that are just hard to get rid off, unless we send our toddlers to go under and deweed with the toy hoe, but no way we take that risk! Any ideas?

Used metal roofing is a favorite fencing/exclusionoption of mine. It is often available for free, requires no maintenence, and if dug down a foot or so will prevent any critter from burrowing under or climbing up and over it.

Just trench it in, screw to existing support posts and you are done. Of course, if you are fussy about color you could buy new or paint it. But I'm too cheap for that, plus I love that I am re-using potential landfill material.

Keep in mind most snakes are harmless! Is there a concern about harmful (venomous) snakes? If so, small screen or hardware cloth will keep them out of most spaces. Keep paths clear and covered with light-colored material such as gravel to make snakes easy to see. Don't allow small children to play without supervision in probable snake areas!

Great idea thanks! We are in California rattle country, lots of them are coming out just about two weeks ago!

When I found a rattler in my asparagus bed I immediately ordered a yard of pea gravel and cleared all the paths around the house and laid gravel on them so we could see the snakes. Since then we have never seen another rattler, but we have seen other snakes clearly on this gravel. Our most prevalent venomous snake is the Texas Coral Snake, which is much larger than your average Coral Snake. These are dangerous for children because they are attractively beautiful. but we don't have children. Families with small children should, I think, be careful to keep paths well cleared, and make sure any play areas do not have dense vegetation, rock piles or brush piles nearby, as these attract snakes. If there's serious concern about venomous snakes, don't leave small children unattended outside, even in cleared play areas.

Get rid of the mice and other food sources under the deck. Snakes are there for shelter and/or food.