Popping of snakes inside a house or outside in a lawn or yard isn’t a beautiful sight.
The idea of a snake, or snakes, loitering around the property can creep people out, especially if they aren’t professionals or snake persons.
Killing them is too harsh, not to mention not everyone has the heart for it, but not repelling them.
If you already know what things attract snakes, finding ways to repel snakes will become easier. In this article, we’ve shared some of the most practical solutions – not to mention the simplest – that will undoubtedly keep the snakes away from your vicinity.
Follow them to keep the snakes at bay so that you can enjoy peace of mind at all times.
Table of Contents
What Attracts Snakes?
To know what repels snakes, you need to know what attracts them in the first place. Snakes have a strong affinity for several things. And if they’re available to them, these frightening creatures will make themselves at home in that particular place.
Steady Food Supply
Snakes tend to take up permanent residence in an area where they get a steady supply of food. By food, we mean rodents, mice, frogs, insects, birds, moles, fish etc.
If you have an excessive amount of moisture on your property, these snake-food items will be attracted to it. As a consequence, you’ll have regular visits from snakes.
Favorable Landscape
Snakes love a landscape containing tall grass, overgrowths, rockpiles, debris, cracks, crevices, holes, firewood storages as they can easily hide in their presence.
Birdhouses & Chicken Coops
Residents having birdhouses and chicken coops are another favorite of snakes because not only do they like to feed on birds and poultry, the structures provide them with hideouts as well.
What Repels Snakes?
You can get rid of the snake problem by eradicating things that attract them. For instance:
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Eradicate Food Supply
Apply pest control to drive away creatures that snakes love to have in meals. Avoid overwatering your gardens to contain the existence of moles, voles, frogs, birds, and insects. Once you break their food supply, snakes will migrate in search of food.
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Alter Landscape
Remove all the snake attractants from your gardens and mow grass regularly to make the landscape unwelcoming for snakes.
Fix cracks and holes in walls, repair broken sewerage pipelines and gutters, remove openings in windows and doors, avoid the accumulation of debris, mulch and rockpiles to eliminate snake hideouts.
Also, add snake repellant plants, such as lemongrass, wormwood and marigold, to repulse snakes.
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House Natural Predators
Animals like foxes, raccoons, guinea hens, pigs, turkeys and cats have a natural rivalry with snakes. The presence of one or a few of these creatures will not let the snakes dare come near your property.
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Maintenance of Pet Houses
If you have birdhouses and pens around your property, don’t neglect their maintenance. Regularly clean them to avoid rodents, mice, insects and lizards – you know they’re siren calls for snakes. Also, properly cover these pets’ shelters to keep the snakes away.
Natural Remedies to Repulse Snakes:
There are several natural remedies that you can find in your household to repel snakes. Killing them is always an option, but it’s not an option that sits well with everyone. In that case, here is a list of natural products that you can use to drive away snakes.
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Repellent Products
Naphthalene is one of the main components of commercial snake repellents and mothballs. It has a very pungent smell that drives the snakes miles away.
Toss it around areas where snakes like to linger and hide. Be very careful and strategic in its placement, though, because it can be fatal for children and pets.
You can also use ammonia, vinegar, powdered sulfur, lime, garlic and onion. You can make DIY repellents from these or sprinkle any one of them around the perimeter. Their distinct odour aggravates snakes. Resultantly, they flee and dare not return.
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Essential Oils
As we all know, snakes have a heightened sense of smell. Use this elevated smelling sense against them by seeking help from essential oils, e.g. clove, cinnamon and cedarwood oils. They have a sharp and pungent smell that will make the snakes run for the hills.
What To Do If All Else Fails?
What if your home remedies fail to give you desired results? There should always be a plan B and C. You can use non-lethal traps to capture these reptiles and then relocate them.
If that’s also not feasible for you, simply call a wildlife control company to ask them to extract snakes from the surrounding. You can also seek help from a professional exterminator.
Services from professionals are advisable when large and venomous snakes are in the picture.
Conclusion
These were some of the safest, easiest, cheapest and most effective ways that surely will help you rid yourself of snakes. The more you can reduce attractions for snakes from your vicinity, the fewer snake encounters you’ll have. As a result, more peace of mind you’ll enjoy.
