Does having a dog keep snakes away?It’s likely that most snakes won’t choose to go near dogs. They’re bigger, noisier, and more of a hassle than a good snack. Simply by having your dog around, you will likely help to keep snakes away.
What is the best animal to keep snakes away?Cats, foxes, raccoons, turkeys, pigs, and guinea hens are natural predators of snakes. Having these animals on or around your property is an effective natural way to keep snakes at bay. You can also purchase store-bought fox urine to use as a natural snake repellent.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
Protect your pets from snakes this season!
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.
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
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.
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.