Snakes!

It's the 3rd I see and "hear" about this week and now the kid that cuts my grass just showed Chris a HUGE garter snake he just wacked (I wasn't sad about the death...lol) Anyway seems my backyard is the breeding ground for them and I'm PETRIFIED! And I have to go in my backyard my son loves to play out there and the last thing I want to do is show him to be afraid of snakes, but CRAP I lose my mind when I see one...lol Just looking at pictures makes me squirm, does anyone know how do get rid of them?
