Snakes Spiders and Bees (yellowjackets)
These animals are most active during the fall. I do not advocate indiscriminately killing insects and animals. I once freed a non venomous black snake that was tangled in strawberry netting covering a pansy bed. The snake did not survive, and the homeowner, who had observed the snake living in their garden for a year, was saddened by it's death.
Keep the ground around your house, outbuildings, fences, and landscaped areas free of leaves and debris.
Snakes and yellowjackets like the cover. Don't allow maintenance people to blow leaves into planting beds or against the house or fences. Ideally, leaves should be shredded or chopped with a lawnmower so they decompose quickly and add compost to the soil.
Be alert and wear protective clothing. When working in tall grass, dense leaves, or ivy I wear long sleeves, boots, even snake guards that strap on the shins. Rose gloves, which are thick and cover the elbows are also useful.
Kill pests when they are around the house. This would apply to joro spiders (the black and yellow spiders with incredibly sticky webs) and yellowjackets. The extension service recommends spot spraying or crushing these spiders without poisoning the area for other insects. Their webs kill pollinator insects. If you knock down the webs, they will rebuild quickly.
Pollinator gardens and wildlife habitats: Plant them away from the house. You don't need a jungle of plants if you want to enjoy a few butterflys and hummingbirds. At our home, one red hibiscus and two lantanas attracted plenty of beautiful pollinators.
