If your yard is near a water source, you might be concerned that animal or insect pests will appear in your yard.
One of the most common pests in many yards is a turtle, hence the common question, “how to get rid of turtles in my yard?”
Turtles pose no real threat to humans or other animals, so simply killing them won’t solve anything unless you kill the whole species. There are different ways to get rid of turtles in your yard without resorting to violence.
Some turtle species hibernate during cold weather, while others head for warmer climates. If you don’t see any turtles in your yard for a few weeks, there’s every chance they won’t be back. If you can constantly see them, here is how to get rid of titles in your yard.
Contents
- How to Get Rid of Turtles in my Yard
- 1. Get rid of them yourself
- 2. Call animal control
- 3. Get rid of the turtle’s habitat
- 4. Block your yard from the water source
- 5. Build a small pond for the turtles
- 6. Catch them and send them to a rescue
- Caution
- Tips on How to Handle a Snapping Turtle
- FAQs- How to Keep Turtles out of your Yard
- 1. Do turtles bite?
- 2. Why is a turtle digging in my yard?
- Author
How to Get Rid of Turtles in my Yard
1. Get rid of them yourself
If you’re courageous enough, you can get rid of the turtles yourself. But this doesn’t mean you resort to violence and kill the turtles.
The first thing you can try is simply picking up the turtle and throwing it back into the water. If this doesn’t work, try picking up and flipping them over onto their backs. We do not recommend this if you are afraid of them, or they are big enough to hurt you, as it’s easy for a snapping turtle to bite you.
Another thing you can try is putting a container over them and quickly placing them out of your yard before they can get out. This way, you won’t have to touch them at all.
If you resort to getting rid of them yourself, be aware of snapping turtles. These creatures are known to be cranky and can easily bite a person’s hand. They may also try to scratch you with their long claws.
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2. Call animal control
If, however, you’ve tried trapping or moving the turtles, and it hasn’t worked, then that is when you will want to take more aggressive measures.
Never resort to killing the turtles yourself; instead, contact animal control, and they will take care of the problem. Plus, they are professionals and know how to handle the turtles without harming them.
3. Get rid of the turtle’s habitat
If you are still concerned about turtles, then another option to try is to get rid of their habitat. You can do this by simply getting a big enough container and filling it with water.
Turtles will not go into an area where they cannot submerge themselves. If there’s no area for them to go, they’ll move on.
4. Block your yard from the water source
If these methods don’t work, you can also try blocking your yard from the water source. This way, turtles won’t be able to crawl up in your yard by mistake.
They’ll stay wherever they are, and if you’re lucky, they might even leave on their own accord.
You can build a fence or put gigantic stones around the yard to stop the turtles from accessing your yard.
5. Build a small pond for the turtles
Since most turtles are not dangerous, you can be compassionate and build a small pond in a specific place for the turtles to have water and lounge around.
If you are not comfortable with this idea, simply get rid of their habitat or move it to another part of your yard where you feel more comfortable.
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6. Catch them and send them to a rescue
If you are still not comfortable with the idea of turtles being in your yard but are uncomfortable with killing them, or if it’s illegal to kill animals or pets where you live, deliver them to a wildlife rescue center.
They will take the turtle and find it a new home where it won’t bother anyone.
Turtles are fascinating creatures and deserve to be respected. If you’ve tried the above suggestions and still want them gone, you can contact a zoo or nature center to take care of this for you.
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Caution
Don’t use rat poison or other chemicals to get rid of turtles. These types of chemicals can contaminate your yard and even the water that you drink.
Do not drown the turtle either, as the turtle will just come back once it is dry. The above suggestions are all humane ways to get rid of turtles in your yard.
There are plenty of humane ways to get rid of turtles; if you’d like to get rid of them.
Tips on How to Handle a Snapping Turtle
Never pick up a snapping turtle by its tail. It can cause severe injury. The snapping turtle is not likely to bite you, but you can get bitten, of course, if the snapping turtle decides to.
So be careful of how you pick it up and handle it.
You can pick up the turtle, put it on a small mat or towel, fold it over the turtle, and quickly put it in a bucket. Or you can pull it with the mat or towel out of the yard.
Wear protective gloves while picking up the turtles for your safety.
Don’t hold the turtle by the shell because it can damage the shell. Their shells might look hard, but if the turtle struggles to get up, it can be very easy for you to break its plastron.
Always handle a turtle by its carapace that is covering its back. It helps protect you from getting bit and helps it in the long run, too, because you aren’t revealing any part of its body to predators.
FAQs- How to Keep Turtles out of your Yard
1. Do turtles bite?
Yes, turtles bite, especially if they feel threatened and have to protect themselves.
2. Why is a turtle digging in my yard?
Turtles dig holes when they are looking for a place to lay eggs. They dig with their hind legs and enter the hole with their back.
I hope you found this article helpful. Now you know how to get rid of turtles in my yard. Instead of killing turtles, you can catch them and deliver them to a rescue center.
If you cannot catch them yourself, you can call animal control to get them on your behalf. You can also block the water source or build a pond for the turtles.
And don’t use poison to get rid of turtles. It will contaminate your yard.
