SNAKE REPELLENTS 1
Home Remedies to Keep Snakes Away
Snakes – scaly, legless creatures that slither into your yard and sometimes even your home. While your first instinct may be to run the other way, there are several benefits to keeping them around. Snakes keep rodent populations under control, with a single snake able to eat 3 to 4 mice at one time. They also eat moles, voles, insects, and even fish.
When Do Snakes Come Out?
Snakes are more commonly encountered when temperatures average between 80 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit; usually during the spring and throughout the summer. They are most active in early morning and late afternoon, as summer temperatures are often too hot for them to be out in during the hottest times of day. Snake activity will pick back up again in late summer and early fall before they go into hibernation or brumation. Brumation is more common in southern states where the climate is warmer and snow is less likely. Snakes don’t actually sleep in brumation but rather their bodies adjust to the lower temperatures, slowing down their metabolism, and making them less active. On warm winter days, brumating snakes will sometimes come out to bask in the sunshine, often surprising unsuspecting people with their presence.
While calling a professional pest control company is a guaranteed and safe way to tackle a snake problem, there are also some home remedies you can try to repel snakes. Home remedies to keep snakes away offer several benefits including:
- Availability: Most home remedies to keep snakes away contain ingredients or methods that are readily available and easy to obtain. The guidelines for their use are also easily found on the internet.
- Affordability: Most home remedies to keep snakes away are significantly cheaper compared to the cost of professional products and services on the market.
- Ease of Use: Most home remedies to keep snakes away are easy to make or implement.
- Safety: Most home remedies to keep snakes away are non-toxic to humans and pets compared to professional products on the market.
Home Remedies to Keep Snakes Away:
Eliminate Food Supplies
Snakes are often found in areas where rodents are present as this is one of their primary food sources. Snakes are also known to eat frogs, birds, moles, voles, insects, and even fish. If you have a problem with any of these animals, consider getting rid of that pest issue first. Once the source of food has been eliminated, snakes will move on in search of another source of food.
Eliminate Hiding Places
Snakes prefer dark, damp places and are known to live and hide in cracks, crevices, and holes. Eliminating these hiding places can help deter snakes from taking up residence on your property. Carefully inspect the exterior of your home and your property and repair any cracks or holes you find. Repair any damaged gutters, piping, and ventilation ducts. Repair or replace any damaged screens on windows and doors. Snakes will also hide in wood piles and compost heaps. If possible, store firewood in sealed, lockable wood boxes. Try to get rid of any piles of wood chip mulch, straw mulch, leaves, etc. that may be collecting on your property.
Change Up Your Landscaping
If your yard or garden is prone to snakes, consider making changes that will deter these pests from coming in. Garden regularly to remove any snake attractants like debris, holes, and overgrowth. Keep the grass cut short to eliminate hiding places for snakes. Consider installing snake-proof fencing made of steel mesh, plastic sheeting, or catch net. If you do install fencing, make sure it is flush with the ground and angled outward and that it is at least 3 feet high and 4 feet deep. You can also use materials that make it difficult for snakes to slither over like holly leaves, pine cones, egg shells, and gravel. You can also consider planting snake repellent plants that provide a natural deterrent. Some common examples include marigolds, lemongrass, and wormwood.
Use Natural Predators
Foxes and raccoons are common predators of snakes. Guinea hens, turkeys, pigs, and cats will also help keep snakes away. If foxes are indigenous to your area, fox urine is a very good natural repellent for snakes when spread around your property.
Smoke Them Out
Snakes have an elevated sense of smell and are ultra-sensitive to odors and fumes. One smell they particularly dislike is smoke. One remedy is to dig a fire pit and let it smoke for several days – covering the embers with moss and leaves can give you the best effect.
Utilize Natural Products
There are several natural products that work well as snake repellents. Some of the more common ones include:
- Napthalene: Napthalene is a common ingredient found in many commercial snake repellent products. It is one of the most common snake repellents. If you don’t want to spend money on a commercial product, napthalene is also the main ingredient found in moth balls. The smell of napthalene irritates snakes without harming them. Place mothballs in holes, cracks, crevices, or any other areas around your property where snakes may be a problem. One caveat to using moth balls is they can be toxic and fatal to children or pets if they are ingested so use caution or avoid using them if you have pets or children in your home.
- Sulfur: Powdered sulfur is a great option to repel snakes. Place powdered sulfur around your home and property and once snakes slither across it, it irritates their skin so they won’t return. Sulfur does give off a strong odor so consider wearing a mask that covers your nose and mouth when applying it.
- Clove & Cinnamon Oil: Clove and cinnamon oil are effective snake repellents. These should be mixed together in a spray bottle and sprayed directly on snakes for maximum effect. Use caution as snakes will often run in the opposite direction of the spray. This mixture can also be used in a diffuser indoors as a fumigant, as well
- Garlic & Onions: The sulfonic acid in garlic and onions (the same chemical that makes us cry when we chop onions) repels snakes. Mix these with rock salt and sprinkle them around your home and yard for effectiveness. You can also infuse garlic into any essential oil and use to fumigate rafters, basements, and other hard to reach places.
- Ammonia: Snakes dislike the odor of ammonia so one option is to spray it around any affected areas. Another option is to soak a rug in ammonia and place it in an unsealed bag near any areas inhabited by snakes to deter them away.
- Vinegar: Vinegar is effective at repelling snakes near bodies of water including swimming pools. Pour white vinegar around the perimeter of any body of water for a natural snake repellent.
- Lime: Create a mixture of snake repellent lime and hot pepper or peppermint and pour it around the perimeter of your home or property. Snakes don’t like the smell of the mixture and the fumes are also itchy on their skin.
If home remedies to keep snakes away aren’t working, consider calling a wildlife control company for snake removal, snake prevention recommendations, and possibly other exterminating services like rodent control that could be contributing to the issue.
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Snakes around your home can be hard to deal with but there are natural snake repellent ideas you can use to get rid of them if you so desire.
I grew up playing with snakes. Garter (Garden) snakes, Black snakes, and later, Indigo snakes. I was never afraid of them unless they startled me.
Here in North Carolina, it’s a different story. We have a lot of Black snakes, but also poisonous Copperheads, Cottonmouths, Timber Rattlesnakes, Pygmy Rattlesnakes, and more. Snakes can be beneficial, but sometimes dangerous.
I make snake repellent because killing them isn’t an option for me, but repelling them is.
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Benefits of Having Snakes Around
It may not seem like snakes would be beneficial, but they can help keep rodent populations down. A single small snake can eat 3-4 mice at a time, and larger ones can go after rats. They also eat moles, voles, insects and some can even go after fish. In other areas of the country, snakes will eat animals like rabbits, nutria, and other rodents that may be destructive to homes and crops.
Natural Snake Repellent Ideas
There are many natural snake repellent ideas that allow you to get rid of snakes without harming them.
Naphthalene
One of the most common snake repellents you’ll find is naphthalene. It is found in products like Snake-A-Way. You can go a much cheaper route and use mothballs, as this is the main component in them. I toss a few under the porch to keep the snakes from hanging out under there. Be aware that the scent of naphthalene is very pungent and can linger for weeks and even months.
Plant Lemongrass
It’s not known exactly how lemongrass repels snakes, but it does. Plant some around the perimeter of your home or garage as a snake repellent. Lemongrass bunches can get really large, so you’ll want to keep an eye on it.
Plant Wormwood
Like lemongrass, wormwood (from the genus Artemisia) can help keep snakes away. Keep an eye on this plant too, as it can spread rapidly.
Keep Chickens
Snakes will sometimes try to get into chicken coops for the eggs. Chickens, as well as guinea hens and turkeys, will attack and kill snakes that get into the coop. Pigs will attack snakes too.
Plant Roses
Snakes will try to get into birdhouses for the eggs too. They seem to like bluebird houses the best, maybe because they’re on a post. I plant rose bushes at the bottom of the post and wind the stems around the post. And they make for a great snake repellent. No more snakes in the bluebird house!
Essential Oils
Cinnamon, clove, and cedarwood essential oils will all repel snakes. (Find them all here.) It’s thought that snakes think the oils will melt the scales, so they stay away from them. True or not, they work to keep snakes at bay.
Plug Holes
Any holes, no matter how small, can be an invitation for a snake into your home. Plug holes using foaming sealant or tiny mesh hardware cloth or screening. Remember, having holes is a snake invitation. Plugging holes is snake repellent!
Clear Debris
Anything near structures, like mulch, shrubs, woodpiles, etc., may harbor snakes or their food sources. Clearing debris from around homes and sheds can help prevent snakes from entering the house or garage.
Garlic
Like many creatures, snakes dislike garlic. Make a spray by chopping garlic cloves and adding to oil. (Any oil will work.) Infuse the garlic in the oil for a few weeks, they strain. Transfer the oil to a spray bottle and spray around areas where snakes are known to hide.
Sulfur
Similar to essential oils, sulfur is offensive to snakes and will discourage them from entering areas where it is used. It is also the other active ingredient in Snake-A-Way.
Sharp Mulch
Using sharp mulch-type items, like coral or eggshells, may help keep snakes away.
Relocate Snakes
When all else fails, you may need to relocate snakes. A few years ago I had some snakes get tangled in some bird netting I used to protect my chickens. It was four black snakes and took a while to get them out without hurting them. Surprisingly, none of them tried to bite us while we worked to free them. We put them into a pillowcase and relocated them to a spot across the river where we lived. We never saw them again. Just make sure that you are careful in the process.
Do you have other ideas for natural snake repellent? If so, what have you done that successfully kept them away?
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About Debra Maslowski
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Well, my 89 years old Grandma { my Mommy’s Mommy } anyway, she told me this :: just keep buying couple boxes of huge Mothballs to Keep all kinds of 🐍🐍 SNAKE-O out of your site every year in early Spring time… so I have been been doing that ever since she died way back in 1998′
MOTHBALLS #1 @ BEST for 🐍🐍 SNAKE-O out !!!
I’m really surprised that moth balls would be recommended for anything at a site that promotes healthier, non toxic solutions since my understanding is that they are very toxic,,,,,and the chemicals don’t seem to ever go away.
We get a lot of rattlesnakes here in SE Arizona. My husband found some fencing that the squares are very small and snakes can’t get through it. He started putting it around our property. He never finished, but it would work great to keep snakes out of your property.