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Natural snake repellent for yard


7 Natural Ways to Keep Snakes Away

While most snakes you encounter are harmless, many of us still don’t want to come across one in our yard or home. While our first instinct may be to run, most snakes are actually beneficial to have around – they help keep other pest populations under control (rodents, frogs, etc.).

Snakes will come into your yard in search of 2 things: shelter and food. Snakes will seek out shelter to have a place to rest, breed, and hunt. Common places snakes are found include overgrown grass, dense brush or shrubs, leaf piles, rock piles, compost, or areas with moisture like underneath bird baths, around leaky faucets and hoses, or near ponds or swimming pools. Snakes will also come looking for food. Snakes love to eat rodents, moles, frogs, fish, snails/slugs, and other small insects.

If you prefer not to encounter snakes around your home, here are 7 natural ways you can keep snakes away.

Get Rid of Food Sources

Snakes will come around looking for food so if your home provides them with that, you’ll be more likely to encounter them. Getting rid of these food sources will encourage snakes to move along in search of something to eat. Make sure common pests that snakes like to eat are kept under control. Scheduling routine pest control can help with this.

Get Rid of Water

Snakes are also attracted to areas with a lot of moisture. Eliminate standing water in your yard where possible. Repair leaky faucets and replace leaky hoses. Keep pools, ponds, and other water features maintained. If using sprinklers, make sure they are running in the morning so the water has time to soak in or evaporate before it gets dark. This helps keep soil in your yard from being too wet.

Get Rid of Hiding Spots

Snakes will look for places around your home to hide so they can breed and rest. Get rid of coiled hoses or use hose boxes. Avoid using rock piles in your landscaping, if possible. Store firewood in boxes or elevate it when possible. Keep your grass mowed and dense brush cleared out. Seal off or add fencing to any open areas under sheds or other buildings. If you are using snake-proof fencing, make sure it is made of steel mesh or plastic sheeting, it is at least 3 feet high and 4 feet deep, it is flush with the ground, and it is angled outward.

Use Snake-Repelling Plants

Some plants are known to repel snakes. Try to incorporate these plants into your landscape design where possible. Common snake-repelling plants include marigolds, lemongrass, Mother-in-Law’s tongue, wormwood, onion, and garlic.

Fill In Burrows

Gophers, moles, and voles dig burrows across your yard. Once they’ve been eliminated, these old gopher holes and burrows can remain on your property. Snakes will commonly use them for shelter as they provide a great place for them to hide, rest, and breed. Fill in any of these holes and burrows with dirt or gravel. This will help deter snakes from using them.

Use Natural Predators

Snakes have a few natural predators that can help keep them away. Common snake predators include cats, raccoons, pigs, turkeys, guinea hens, and foxes. Keeping any of these animals around your home will help deter snakes from coming near. You can also buy fox urine and sprinkle it around your property to help deter snakes, as well.

Use Natural Repellents

There are several natural products that are known to repel snakes. These natural snake repellents can be used around the perimeter of your property, around pools, along the edges of ponds, and anywhere else you have noticed snake activity.

Despite our best efforts, snakes can still make their way into our yards and homes. If you have a problem with snakes, contact your local pest control company who specializes in snake removal who can help you properly identify the type of snake you have (venomous vs nonvenomous) and help safely and humanely remove it from your property.

 

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Snakes…. Some of us have a fear of snakes. While others it doesn’t bother so much to even pick one up. The good news is the vast majority of snakes are harmless snakes. That said, it doesn’t mean we want them slithering around. Thankfully, there are some fantastic, natural snake repellents that actually work.

While I don’t like snakes, I don’t care to kill them. They do serve a purpose, and they can also be detrimental (they will eat eggs). But, they also eat mice and rats neither of which I want running around my house or property. So, while I do run the risk of them getting into our coop, we’ve found ways to combat them naturally and they stay in their part of the world and we all stay in ours. They keep the mice away, I keep them out of my chicken coop. It’s a win-win, really. 

The problem with keeping them where they belong and away from our home can be difficult, though. We have children, dogs, and other animals all around our little homestead. And putting something down that could potentially harm me, my family, or my critters really isn’t an option.

Not only do I have to worry about the wrong someone or something getting into a harmful chemical, but I also have to worry about what it could potentially be doing to the land. I believe we are meant to care for the land and scattering chemicals all over it doesn’t fulfill that obligation. Since I don’t like snakes, but I think I like chemicals even less, I needed to find natural ways for how to get rid of snakes. Since we live close to the water and a wooded area, they are bound to come around, but we keep them at bay, naturally. 

I’ve found a few effective ways to keep snakes in their side of the woods. While adding a few of these options is your best bet, any one of them will help your problem a little, though adding several options is going to be more effective. 

Do mothballs repel snakes?

Not only are mothballs ineffective at repelling snakes, but it’s also illegal to use them outside. Mothballs are regulated by the EPA which means using them for anything other than their intended use is illegal.

Using mothballs is dangerous, especially outside where other wildlife, pets, and children can come into contact with them and be harmed by them. So, just don’t do it. They don’t work, anyway

The Most Effective Snake Repellents

All of these repellents are natural and will have varying success. That said, they are all-natural or made of natural ingredients because I’m not a fan of harmful chemicals to control anything. I’d rather deal with a snake problem than utilize questionable substances.

All of these repellents can help keep snakes out of things you do not want them in, but it will not kill them… leaving them to eat all the small rodents their slithering selves can consume… which, in my opinion, is a win-win.

A lot of these repellents are based on things that a snake doesn’t enjoy the smell of, so let’s discuss.

West Indian Lemongrass

Lemongrass is a great herb to grow on your homestead. It repels mosquitos, ticks, and also helps repel snakes.

Lemongrass is a great herb to grow on your homestead. Not only is it beautiful and easy to grow, it repels mosquitos, ticks, and also helps repel snakes.

You’ll want to plant lemongrass around the perimeter of the area to keep snakes away. You can pot it and bring it indoors for overwintering if you live in a climate where it’s not a perennial.

We put several pots out around our deck during the summer months when the bugs and serpents are out to help keep them a way. It’s definitely a favorite and I make it a point to grow it every year.

Garlic Spray to Keep Snakes Away

Garlic and onions are thought to be one of the most effective ways to repel snakes because they contain sulfonic acid, the chemical that causes us to cry when we chop onions.

You’ll want to infuse some oil with garlic so the odor is really potent. You can use the spray in any area you want to repel snakes away from.

This spray is perfect for places like doorways, windowsills, crawlspaces or basements, and even around the perimeter of your home. It can also be used around chicken coops and other outbuildings.

Be forewarned, though, it takes a large amount and you will have to reapply it after a heavy rain or every 2-3 weeks to maintain effectiveness.

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Place a bit of water ( a couple tablespoons) in the bottom of a blender. Add the cloves of garlic, blend until you have a paste.
  2. Add the oil and blend up a bit more. Then, pour the liquid into a jar and keep the lid on for at least an hour before using.
  3. Put a couple of drops wherever you want to repel snakes. Doorways, windowsills, crawlspace entrances, around the perimeter of your home, wherever.
  4. You’ll need to reapply the solution if it rains or every 2-3 weeks for it to remain effective.

Mother in Laws Tongue

Mother in laws tongue has sharp leaves that repel a snake’s senses.

The mother in laws tongue is also known as the snake plant. It is a succulent variety that has sharp leaves.

It does not have an odor, unlike garlic and lemongrass, but it repels by affecting the snake’s senses. This succulent plant is very easy to grow and attractive. Simply water it a time or two every week and you’re good.

In cooler zones, this does best as a potted plant that gets set outside in the warmer months. In warmer climates, USDA zone 7 and above, it can be grown outdoors year-round.

Clove and Cinnamon Oil

Several commercially available, natural snake repellent products contain these two potent essential oils.

To use this, you’ll simply mix clove and cinnamon essential oils in equal parts in a spray bottle. You can spray it directly on snakes, but use caution in case they don’t slither in the opposite direction as they should.

You can also use this mixture on any porous surface such as a wood deck of the perimeter around your home. It does not work well on hard surfaces, though. You will need to regularly reapply this spray to see its benefits including after heavy rain or every couple of weeks if you don’t receive any precipitation.

Keep a snakes food sources to a minimum

A snake’s primary food sources are rodents. And where do rodents love to hang out? In places where they can hide like tall grass, overgrown shrubbery, overgrown plants, and garden areas where there is a lot of cover. If the mice love it, and the snakes eat mice, then you’re going to find snakes in these spots.

I know how hard it can be to maintain everything, especially when most of us work as well as homestead. But, the more trimmed and cleaned up the areas around your property are, the more you can curb snake activity.

I try to keep our lawn mowed at least once a week. We moved our hostas into pots and keep them further from the foundation block, and I try really hard to keep the garden weeded. Our garden sits right behind our garage, so I know if I don’t have it weeded, there will be mice in the garage and snakes slithering all around the yard, and close to our coop. Weeding can be a lot of work and time-consuming, but it keeps the snakes (and rodents) away.

Eliminate Hiding Places

Snakes are notorious for hiding in cracks and crevices. We have a woodpile at the very edge of our property for our winter heat and all summer long, while the snakes are active, you can see them peeking their heads out from between the wood.

If you have a woodshed that locks, great. But if you don’t, store your wood away from the main parts of your property until the snakes are either hibernating or going dormant (depending on the climate where you live).

Try to keep all scrap metal, trash, compost piles, leaf piles, and the like to a minimum and keep these things away from the main area of your property.

Check your home for cracks, broken screens, and such to make sure the snakes can’t find a way to slither inside your home. The same goes for coops and other outbuildings. They can slither into a really small space, so make sure you do your best to patch up any holes they can get into.

If you have piles of things near your home, you can lift them up off of the ground and that will help a little bit, too. With the snakes anyway. Keeping the spiders out is another story.

Keep feed tightly enclosed

Again with the rodents. Where you attract rodents, you’ll attract snakes. And leaving food open out here would result in the neighborhood raccoons having a feast anyway right outside the chicken coop. Keep all feed, pet food, chicken, rabbit, horse, goat, whatever you’ve got going on… in a tightly lidded container. We use metal trashcans with tight-fitting lids to store our feed in. 

Just whatever you use, make sure the lid fits well, and try not to sprinkle too much feed all over the ground if your chickens aren’t going to eat it. Though ours like to get in the bowl and scratch it out all over the ground anyway… 

If you keep the rodents out, you won’t have near the problem with snakes. This isn’t to say that they won’t come around, they will, but fewer rodents equal less snake activity. 

Get some chickens, pigs, and/or guinea fowl

A few years ago, we finally added guinea fowl to our flock of chickens and ducks. We had 6, something ate 4 of them while they were young keets and we wound up with a pair.

Forewarning, guinea hens can be very annoying. They’re incredibly noisy. And they’re really not very bright. But, they will most definitely eat snakes. And ticks. Ours actually attacked a fox that was trying to get into the chicken run and chased off a rogue rooster from our neighbors (still don’t know how that rooster got all the way over here).

Pigs are another natural predator of snakes and can be a great addition to your homestead if you have the space. They’ll add a sustainable source of meat, help clear up land and keep the snake population in check.

Chickens can be a great addition to any size homestead. My chickens go crazy over snakes, toads, and mice. If they see one, they’ll get it and fight over who’s going to eat it. They ganged up on a mole once and it didn’t end well for the mole.

Livestock can be incredibly beneficial in several ways. These particular fowl and porcine can help keep the snakes away.

Fox urine

Foxes are predators of snakes. And while I have no desire to invite them onto the property, their urine will do just fine. If you have fox indigenous to your area, go get some urine from the local sporting goods or farm store and spread it wherever you don’t want snakes. This is a great option for a backyard perimeter.

Cedar Oil

Cedar oil has a powerful scent and gives off phenols that repel snakes. You can use cedar oil anywhere you don’t want them to come around.

You can also use cedar shavings in places that are prone to snake problems so long as you don’t have livestock in those areas. Simply spread the shavings around and you’ve got yourself an easy snake repellent (that smells pretty good).

Vinegar

Vinegar is effective at keeping snakes out of bodies of water like ponds and swimming pools. So, if you find yourself with a snake problem and they’re getting into these areas on your property, put some vinegar in to help keep them out.

There are several ways to keep snakes out of your yard, but these are the best ways I’ve found. I hope this information can help keep the serpents away from your home or homestead.

If you’re looking for ideas on how to reconnect with your food, nature, and the heritage way of life, you’ve come to the right place.


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How to scare away snakes: effective remedies for snakes. To save your life - everyone should know this! | Wildlife

Summary:

Depending on where in the world you live, you may need to use effective snake repellants to keep snakes away from your home. Many people have tried all kinds of repellents to get rid of snakes, but the results have been mixed. Some snake repellent methods contain chemicals that can harm humans and the environment, while some snake control methods using natural ingredients do not always provide 100% protection against snakes.

Of course, no one wants to live with these creeping reptiles in their home. Even non-venomous snakes are never welcome in anyone's home, let alone spotting a rattlesnake or viper in your garden.

This article looks at various tried and tested methods to keep snakes out of your yard or home. We'll also take a look at what the science says about the effectiveness of natural snake repellants and whether the use of chemicals to repel snakes is ever justified.

Are natural snake repellants effective?

Keeping snakes away from home is a difficult task because it is difficult to find effective remedies for snakes. Many people have tried to make their own anti-snake decoctions to scare away these slippery creatures. After all, there are effective natural ant repellents and natural products like diatomaceous earth that are great for killing cockroaches. But do natural snake repellents really work?

Over the years, people have been offering various home remedies to repel snakes. These include fox urine, skunk odor, smoke, and mixtures containing ingredients such as garlic, onion, and cayenne pepper. However, according to Professor Emeritus of Wildlife Resources Dr. Gary Sun Julian, none of these snake control methods have proven effective. 1

Essential oils as a safe snake repellant

The journal Pest Management Science has reported that some essential oils may be useful repellants against certain types of common snakes. Researchers have looked at the essential oils of cinnamon, cedarwood, sage, rosemary, juniper berries, and lavender as natural snake repellents. They found that 10 grams of essential oil per liter of water quickly repelled brown tree snakes when sprayed directly on them. 2

The researchers also tried another natural snake repellent with ginger oil and water. It also caused the snakes to get away when the repellant was sprayed on the brown tree snake.

However, fish and wildlife expert Professor Jim Parkhurst reported that the blend of essential oils as a safe natural snake repellant has not been shown to be effective in killing snakes over large areas. Natural repellent is only effective when sprayed directly on the snake. However, an essential oil snake repellent will not deter snakes from your yard if you spray it on grass, leaves, and flower beds. 3

Professor Parkhurst says the most effective way to keep snakes away from your home is to prevent them from entering your home in the first place. This means studying snake behavior, eliminating things that attract snakes, and blocking access points through which snakes can enter the home.

Natural Commercial Snake Repellents

Some websites offer natural snake repellents that they claim can help reduce or eliminate snakes in your home or backyard. They use a combination of organic material to keep crawling reptiles away from treated areas.

However, there is no scientific evidence that these non-toxic repellents work against all types of snakes. Therefore, if you are interested in buying organic snake repellants, you should read online reviews of what users are saying about their effectiveness.

Snake Repelling Plants

Some websites offer various plants to repel snakes from your garden because the specific smell of these plants is believed to repel snakes. However, there is no scientific evidence of their effectiveness.

Effectiveness of chemical snake repellants

Even when it comes to repelling snakes with chemicals, scientists and experts cannot agree on the effectiveness of these repellents on venomous or non-venomous snakes. Some of the most popular ways to keep snakes away from your home are mothballs and products containing sulfur.

Do mothballs work as a snake repellant?

Mothballs are usually recommended to keep snakes out of living spaces. However, mothballs contain a toxic chemical called naphthalene that can harm both humans and pets. According to the Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Agency, naphthalene can cause you to have too few red blood cells, causing anemia, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, and yellowing of the skin. 4

Professor Gary Sun Julian of North Carolina State University says mothballs are ineffective snake repellents that do not prevent snakes from entering premises. 1

Sulfur

Sulfur mixed with other compounds is also marketed as an effective snake repellant. Usually, these repellents also contain naphthalene and cause a strong odor. However, their effectiveness is limited. For example, Dr. Rex Marsh of the University of California found that snake repellant chemicals containing sulfur and naphthalene were not effective snake repellents. 5

Ineffective snake repellents

There are a number of other types of snake repellents that are either not scientifically proven to be effective or are not effective in preventing snakes from entering your home.

For example, Professor Gary Sun Julian (mentioned earlier) said that a mixture of garlic, onion and cayenne pepper is not effective in killing reptiles in an area. 1

You should also remember that ultrasonic snake repellents are not effective at repelling crawling creatures. Virginia Tech and State University say that snakes are not hearing and do not gather information through sounds. 3

While sulfur and naphthalene pellets have had some success, many people are reluctant to use these drugs as a snake repellent because they are toxic and can harm the environment.

How to keep snakes out of your backyard and home

Most experts agree that the best natural snake repellent to keep snakes out of your home is not to attract them. Professor Gary Sun Julian says that since most repellents are ineffective at getting rid of snakes, the best way to get rid of them is to reduce their habitat. 1

How to keep snakes away from home

Snakes tend to enter homes and properties in search of food (such as mice or rats) or in search of shelter. Therefore, effective methods for eliminating snakes in your home should prevent crawling reptiles from entering your home.

Researchers at Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia recommend 3 steps to get rid of snakes in your home. 3

Eliminate all food sources. If you have a problem with snakes entering your living area, make sure your home is free of rodents. Also, don't leave food containers open and don't leave pet food out overnight.

Close all openings through which snakes can enter. Be sure to cover or seal any large cracks or openings through which snakes or rodents can enter your home. So, check the places where the cables enter the house or where you have ventilation holes. Either plug large holes or cover the hole with wire mesh. Also, cover all areas under doors or around windows where mice, rats, other crawling bugs, or snakes can get in.

Remove bushes or plants from the foundation of the house. Snakes love to hide in bushes and undergrowth. You can help prevent these reptiles from entering your property by discouraging them from living or nesting right next to your home.

How to keep snakes out of your yard

To protect your family and pets from snakes, you should also take steps to eradicate them from the areas around your home. The ideal habitat for snakes includes food, water, and shelter. Therefore, the more you disturb or eliminate their habitat around your home, the less likely snakes are to appear in your home.

Iowa State University recommends several ways to keep snakes away from your property. 6

Keep your lawn short. Do not let tall grass grow around or near your property. This is because snakes love to hide there and take refuge. Do not overgrow vegetation or bushes.

Keep your landscaping simple. Try to reduce the number of gaps in the landscape where the snakes could take cover and hide. Be aware that ponds can attract frogs, which can be food for snakes. You can also try using pine cones, crushed stone, or rose bush cuttings around your garden to make those places uncomfortable for snakes to crawl.

Do not stack firewood. The stacked wood also serves as a shelter for snakes from aerial predators such as hawks. The gaps between piles of wood are warm spots for snakes and can attract them by helping to control their body temperature. If you need to stack firewood on your property, researchers at Pennsylvania State University recommend that you start stacking the stack at least 12 inches off the ground. 7

What to do if you encounter a snake in your home

However, although you do your best to keep snakes out of your home and out of your backyard, you can still encounter a snake in your home.

Virginia Tech and State University say that if the snake is not venomous, you can try to lure it into the large box on the side. Or you can dig out the snake with a large bladed shovel or broom handle. However, if you are not sure what kind of snake it is and do not know whether it is poisonous or not, you should not try to catch it.

Effective snake traps

You can also use humane adhesive snake traps to catch snakes that roam your home. They work by sticking to the snake as it slides over the glue trap and then immobilizing it. The snake can then be carefully removed from the house and released from the trap by dousing it with vegetable oil.

According to the University of Florida, glued cardboard snake traps are placed along walls to trap snakes. However, in most states it is illegal to kill snakes unless they can pose a danger to you. Therefore, you should check the trap daily for the presence of snakes and prevent them from dying in traps. 8

If it is not possible to catch the snakes, you can usually get them out of the house by opening the outer doors and closing the inner doors in your house to let the snake escape. If you are unsure if a snake is venomous or not, or if you cannot find a snake in your home, you should call in a professional to get rid of it.

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FROM SULFUR TO SMOKE: DIY SIMPLE SNAKE REPELLENTS

Although snakes are found on almost every continent, you don't have to put up with them in your backyard. Luckily for homeowners, snakes can be picky about odors in their chosen habitat. These preferences can be used to create DIY natural snake repellants from products you probably already have.



Cinnamon, spices and anything snakes don't like

Madeleine_Steinbach / Getty Images

Pumpkin spice flavor is a hit every year. Its spicy, nutty scent is sure to make your mouth water, but it's the kind of smell that snakes hate. Diluting 4 to 8 drops of cinnamon and clove essential oils per gallon of water is enough to create an effective snake repellant that can be sprayed into high traffic areas - shake well to mix oil and water. Alternatively, soak cotton balls or strips of cloth in the cinnamon-clove solution and spread them around. Be sure to handle this mixture in a ventilated area; although the terpenoids in oils are not toxic, some people are concerned.



Snakes and sulfur don't mix

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Perhaps a little ironically, snakes are repelled by the smell of sulfur. Despite stories and descriptions to the contrary, fire and brimstone are surefire ways to make these reptiles writhe in the opposite direction. Although sulfur is non-toxic, it is quite volatile, so if you choose this method, use face masks and gloves. To apply, apply a generous amount of powdered sulfur to sensitive areas, paying special attention to cracks and other possible hiding places. Keep in mind that this treatment is only effective until the wax gets wet.

Use ammonia with caution.

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Why stop at cleaning when you can use ammonia to keep snakes away? This household chemical has a solid track record for repelling snakes. All aspects of this common chemical are highly toxic, so be very careful and avoid this method if you have children or pets. Dampen a towel or rug and place it in an unsealed bag so the fumes can escape. Place the snake repellent bag under a foundation, near scrap metal piles, or anywhere else snakes can hide.



Remove garlic

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Like vampires, snakes don't like garlic. You can use this to your advantage and create the perfect snake repellant that will surely repel vampires. This non-toxic blend works because of the sulfonic acid in garlic, the same element that makes your eyes water when you chop onions. Chop individual cloves and put in a bottle of oil. Let the garlic soak in oil for a few weeks before straining and pouring into a spray bottle. Spray the mixture generously and regularly on snake-prone areas.

Lime and chili, hold the alcohol

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Who doesn't love spicy citrus treats or drinks? Snakes, that's who. Create an effective snake repellant using only lime juice and hot pepper extract. Dilute equal parts of the two components in a gallon of water and apply around the perimeter of the property. This non-toxic solution will linger for a while and the snakes will notice. For those few daredevils who try to cross anyway, pepper extract causes discomfort on the scales and discourages further encroachment.

Fight off snakes with vinegar

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White vinegar is a must in the kitchen. Its versatility makes it ideal for a variety of household tasks, including repelling snakes. The acidity irritates the snake's skin and confuses them. To make your own non-toxic snake repellant, take a gallon of vinegar and mix it with a glass of salt and two tablespoons of dish soap. Twist it and transfer it to the sprayer. Apply liberally to areas where snakes like to congregate or hide.



Mothballs for snakes

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The toxic chemical naphthalene is found in most commercial snake repellents. To save a few dollars, buy mothballs instead. With their small and round size, they are perfect for appearing in cracks and small places, and this unmistakable scent is sure to keep everything else out. Warning: Mothballs can be harmful to children and pets if swallowed.

Smoking or non-smoking?

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Smoke has been used as a natural animal deterrent for centuries, thanks to the instinctive reflex of most animals to run away from it.

Learn more