Issue 68

October 2016

Now that it's officially fall, it's time to reap, sow and clean up from the growing season. We've got just the tools you need to get the job done. Like the Kubota BX25 Tractor-Loader-Backhoe; you can tackle multiple tasks with this amazing machine. Get yours today with 0% financing for qualified buyers. See details below.

Snakes. Even the name sends chills up the spine. Whether you live on a sprawling farm or in the suburbs, you're bound to come across one of these slithering suspects sometime. In this month's Chewin' the Cud article, What's Slithering In Your Yard?, we take a look at snakes in Alabama and discuss what you can do to prevent them from taking up residence around your home.

The weather's great! So, take a look at the October Gardening Guide for fall gardening and planting tips then get outside and enjoy the cooler temps.

It's fall festival time. Be sure to check out the October Activities and Events to get the latest on what's going on around the state this month.

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Chewin' the Cud: The Cahaba Tractor Corner

What's Slithering in Your Yard?

In Alabama, snakes-like ants-are a reality. There are more than 40 species of snakes that reside in our state. Six of those are venomous. So, how do you identify the good and bad snakes and how do you protect your family and your home from these slithering invaders? First, let's do some profiling on the good, the bad and the ugly that invade our territory.

Friend or Foe?
Any snake can be frightening and unless you are a lover of squamata (reptilia), it's a good idea to educate yourself and take precautionary measures when confronted with any snake. Good snakes help keep rodent populations under control. Some also kill snakes that are venomous. Bad snakes, though they also are beneficial for rodent control, can cause serious and even fatal injury to you and your pets. Below is a list of the more frequently encountered venomous and non-venomous snakes commonly found in Alabama:

Venomous Snakes
Of the six venomous snakes that call Alabama home, five are pit vipers. They include: Copperhead, Cottonmouth (aka Water Moccasin), Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, Timber Rattlesnake and Pygmy Rattlesnake.

The sixth venomous snake in Alabama is the rarely encountered, but deadly Eastern Coral snake. This snake has a black nose and tail with complete bands of alternating red and black, separated by narrow yellow rings. Do not confuse it with the Scarlet King Snake, a non-venomous beneficial snake that helps control other snakes, including venomous ones. It has red and yellow bands separated by black, so the red and yellow do not touch. It also has a red nose and round eyes. Remember the rhyme to help you identify: Red touching black, safe for Jack. Red touching yellow, kill a fellow.

*For more info and pictures, click Alabama's venomous snakes.

Non-Venomous Snakes
These six non-venomous snakes are more commonly found around homes in Alabama. Some feed only at night, while others may search for food during the day. Like their more dangerous cousins, they reside near sheltered areas, in trees or around water sources. It's important to be able to recognize them since they are vital to removing other invaders, like rodents, from your home. This group includes: Rat (aka Chicken or Oak) Snake, Scarlet King Snake, Black Racer Snake, Ring-Necked Snake, Eastern Garter Snake and DeKay's Brown Snake, which is commonly found around pools and often mistaken for a rattlesnake or cottonmouth. There are many good and bad snakes that resemble each other, so it's always wise to know the type of snake before handling.

*For more info and pictures, click Non-venomous snakes found in Alabama.

Snake Habits
Snakes have basic needs: food, shelter and a place to breed. It's important to understand the habits of snakes, so you can find ways to eliminate or at least deter them from coming near your home. Snakes will make their homes near an abundant food source, such as mice. Yet, they will also eat birds, chipmunks and squirrels and will even climb trees to reach them. As a cold-blooded animal, they also seek warm shelter to live and breed, like an area of low brush and vegetation, a bird's nest or possibly a crawl space in your home.

Prevention
The best way to prevent a snake problem is to remove what attracts them-food, shelter and breeding sites. If you have an abundance of small rodents in your yard, you may end up with a snake problem. So, make your home unappealing to them by closing trash bins, removing debris piles, keeping grass mowed regularly around the perimeter of your home, and sealing up any entrances to your home at ground level and above.

Once a snake gives birth, the babies leave the nest immediately. If you have not removed the source of food, the babies will continue to hang around and breed. Your small snake problem then becomes a big snake problem. If you already have an issue with snakes, remove all other sources of food, such as bird and squirrel feeders, until you get it under control.

Snake Repellants--Build that Wall!
The market is full of every imaginable snake repellant--from ultrasonic sound emitters to mothballs, snake rope and predator urine. However, ask any professional snake specialist and they will tell you most of those products simply do not work. Prevention is always the best key to keeping them away. Additionally, some of these repellants, natural and man-made, can harm pets and small children. The only solution that is guaranteed to keep snakes out is to build a three-foot solid perimeter snake fence that sits solidly underground at least one foot and slopes outward at a 30 degree angle. However, if you have a large yard or farm, this could get very expensive very quickly.

Another option is to hire a professional to remove them, but if the food and shelter sources have not been corrected, the problem will return. On the other hand, if you have a snake that has made its way inside your home, there is a solution that boasts a high success rate-a snake trap. The trap is constructed similarly to the roach motels where they go in and never come out. These should be used only when a snake is located inside because the trap may attract other beneficial wildlife, too.

Natural Snake Enemies
Dogs are not born with a desire to hunt and eat snakes because it is not a part of their diet. The same goes for cats. And, although your dog or cat may try to catch a snake, it is never a good idea to allow them to do so as they are subject to getting fatally bitten, just like humans.

The only "pet" that is effective against snakes is the mongoose, however it is prohibited to import them due to their habit of destroying entire ecosystems. So, forget about rushing to order one on Amazon. Pigs have a solid reputation of scaring snakes away; however, it is more the other way around. Pigs fear snakes when they get close to their young and will reactively stomp them to death if they feel the babies are at risk for being eaten by a snake. Other natural enemies include: owls, eagles, hawks, honey badgers and foxes, to name a few.

To quote Benjamin Franklin, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." The best way to eliminate a costly problem is to not let it become a problem in the first place. If you don't want snakes, don't invite them in. Remove the for sale signs, pull up the welcome mats and keep them out for good.

For more info on identifying snakes, visit whatsnakeisthat.com.

Fall planting season is in full gear. It's also time to begin cleaning up from the harvest and preparing for colder weather. Keep your equipment in tip top shape with help from our Service and Parts Departments. We've got all the help and equipment you need.

Sincerely,

Cahaba Tractor Co.

2411 Hwy. 31 South

Pelham, AL 35124

(205) 663-1470

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Your

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Hitting the Jackpot

Powerball Interviewer: "Congratulations on winning the $140 million dollar Powerball lottery!"

Farmer: "Thank you."

Interviewer: "Do you have any special plans for spending all of that money?"

Farmer: "Nope. Not really. I'm just gonna keep farming until the lottery money is all gone."

--Anonymous

October
Gardening Guide

Fruits and Nuts:

Planting season for strawberries begins in south Alabama. Clear debris, old fruit and broken limbs in orchard areas.

Vegetable Seed:

Plant turnips, mustard, kale, rape, spinach and onion sets. Follow the AL Vegetable Garden Planting Chart for planting dates.

Vegetable Plants:

Harvest mature green tomatoes, pumpkins and winter squash before first frost.

Annuals and Perennials:

Clean up flower beds right after first frost. As frost browns perennial foliage, prune it to the ground, except for mums, sedum, ornamental grasses and plants with seeds for birds (such as coneflowers and black-eyed susans). When in doubt, leave it alone and prune at the end of winter before new growth appears

Bulbs:

Plant tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, crocuses, Dutch irises, anemones and ranunculuses. Be careful with planting depth. Dig caladiums; clean and store them in a warm place.

Roses:

Continue insect and disease control this month.

Shrubs:

Shrub plantings can be made. Water as needed. Add mulch to shrubs that have none in place.

Lawns:

Continue to mow lawns until no new growth is seen.

Miscellaneous:

*Renew or add mulch around shrubs and rose bushes.

*Loosen mulch that has become packed down.

*Spray shrubs with oils to kill insects and diseases before first frost.

*Clean out all flower beds after first frost.

*Transplant into pots any cuttings taken from the garden.