There will be hardly any product as hot selling as a snake repellent. That’s because the fear of snakes make people try anything that even remotely promises to limit human-snake conflict. Unfortunately, research and evidence prove that snake repellents don’t work, at least not as effectively as the marketing claims.
I myself have fallen victim to these false practices more times than I care to count. If you’re another one of the poor souls asking a shop owner whether snake repellents works or not, don’t bother. He will say, yes, it works to make bucks. Honestly speaking, it’s a LIE. No amount of research and sit-ins with experts gave me a snake repellent that could put a stop to the snake problem for me.
They did give me valuable tricks instead. These homecare techniques are less expensive and more effective. Read this article to find out how can you bar snakes from intruding into your land.
Table of Contents
Do Snake Repellents Work?
Sorry to disappoint you, but nope. Advertisements saying “X, Y, Z snake repellents give 100% results against snakes” are just cashing your fear. There are hundreds of reports of people, especially in Arizona, complaining that rattlesnakes were literally lounging under the sacks of snake repellents. Some shared pictures of snakes comfortably sleeping on top of the bags of mothballs, sulfur, naphthalene etc.
The herpetologist Terry Vandeventer (the Living Reptile Museum) himself tested the supposedly No.1 best snake repellent on a cottonmouth, a venomous, semi-aquatic pit viper. The serpent confidently crawled over the substance to reach a mouse.
What does this tell you? It tells you that these commercial snake repellents are nothing but a wastage of money and time. Don’t get tricked by their various forms — chemical substances, sonic emitters, various herbal products and electric fire-hazards. None of them has won the battle in keeping serpents out of your property.
What Practices Keep Snakes Away
This pursuit of getting rid of snakes isn’t a lost cause. According to wildlife biologists, food and shelter are the primary reasons responsible for snake visits. Several factors, such as the location of your residence, surrounding landscape and water source, design of your lawn and its maintenance schedule, provide snakes house and meal on your land.
Eradicate their shelters and meal sources; they will not even look towards your house.
Here are some techniques that can help you minimize their food and shelter opportunities.
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Clean & Well-Maintained Lawn
Regularly mow your lawn and trim greenery. An unkempt lawn is a readymade cover for snakes, whereas a trimmed lawn exposes them to predators like coyotes, hawks and owls.
Also, avoid keeping piles of leaves, debris, stones and other such stuff in the lawn/yard because that way you inadvertently provide them shade.
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Avoid Overwatering
Too much watering of lawn attracts other evils, i.e. worms, slugs, rodents, frogs etc. Resultantly, snakes come to feed on them. The same thing happens when you have standing water sources in the surrounding.
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Relocate Bird Feeders
Birds leave crumbs all over the floor when they eat. This scattered food attracts rodents which can draw snakes to your place. Shift feeders to a location away from your residence.
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Feed Pets Indoors
Rodents love cat and dog food. They don’t miss a chance to feed on uneaten/leftover pet food. Feed your cats and dogs indoors and clean up after them right away. Also, always store pet food in tightly lid cans.
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Move Birdhouses
Keeping a birdhouse in your yard is an open invitation for snakes, especially grey ratsnakes that are trained climbers. Move birdhouses away from your property or place them on tall metal or wooden posts. Make sure they’re wrapped with protective barriers that snakes cannot climb.
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Cover the Cracks
Snakes take advantage of cracks and crevices in sidewalks, foundations, walls, vents, pipes, and drain holes to enter your house, basement, deck or shed. Rodents and other unwanted small creatures might also use these openings to enter your abode. Seal them to prevent the entry of all unwelcomed guests.
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Fencing
Setting up fencing all around the premises is worth your dime and time. It is a costly measure, but fencing will surely keep them on the other side of the border. Don’t go for plastic netting and flexible products because they aren’t durable.
What Else Can You Do to Get Rid of Snakes
The above-mentioned steps work, but they take time to show results. Nothing rids you as faster of unwanted snakes as their physical removal. You can either grab the serpent with equipment like hook and tongs or hire a professional to take care of the problem for you. I prefer wildlife experts because it minimizes the risk of snakebites. Also, they know which habitat will be suitable for relocation, where neither it dies nor disturbs other homeowners.
Moreover, you can also grow snake repellent plants. Not that they will make snakes magically disappear for good, but they’re better than chemical products at repelling snakes.
Conclusion
If you want to banish snakes from your property, seeking help from snake repellents is the wrong way to go about it. These products are usually ineffective against serpents. The guaranteed way to get rid of snakes is to modify your house and lawn to make it ugly-looking for them. Snakes want a place to conceal themselves and food to fill their empty tummies. So, instead of falling for questionable products, follow preventative measures to stay safe from their intrusion.
