How can i avoid disturbing grass snakes?

[eckley]

I have a very large muck heap that i need to remove soon,the problem is that grass snakes used it last year to lay eggs in & i hope they done so again this year.When would you think it would be safe to move it without causing any harm?.Do grass snakes come back to the same place to lay eggs year after year?If they do this isn't a problem as we have several horses so there is always a muck heap near by.

[healfdan]

If this muck heap has to be moved then try and postpone it until late September. The young snakes should be independent by then and if by chance they are disturbed it should not be difficult to relocate them. If you can keep a watchful eye on the site as clearance nears the bottom of the heap, this will improve the chances of identifying any signs or movement.
Good luck.
Healfdan

[Mark_b]

Good advice, I would even leave it until late October, just in case. Due to our rather wintery spring there may be some grass snakes depositing later than normal.

Grass snakes may be using your much heap year round, I would assume it depends on how many other good ones are about and how long its been there for.

[ViperaBerus]

Personally, I would start moving it in the first week of October if it is still warmish then, or late September if it is starting to turn cold. Young snakes may also use the site as a hibernaculum, so you need to move it so they have plenty of time to find another area/site. It's a small window between the last two weeks of Sept to the first week in Oct, depending, as I said, on the weather.

[eckley]

Thanks for the advice,i will keep a look out for young snakes.Its no problem waiting untill october.and there is another newer,larger(warmer)heap several yards away so hopefully i wont cause too much disturbance.