How to Get Rid of Snakes Fast Using Home Remedies

Having snakes slither into your yard can be quite a frightening experience if you don’t know whether the snake is poisonous or not. Here are our top suggestions for handling snakes in the yard using natural home remedies.

How to get rid of snakes

1. Get Rid of the Snake’s Food Source

The snakes will disappear on their own if there is nothing in the yard for them to feed on. Copperheads, for example, are one of the most commonly-sighted snakes in the US. They like to eat smaller prey like birds, small rodents, and insects. If there are a lot of these in your yard then you need to find a way to get rid of the food source first.

For example, you may have a few wild mice roaming around the property. Getting rid of these rodents will get the snakes to travel elsewhere for their meals.

2. Get Rid of the Snake’s Shelter

Snakes are also likely to hang about in your yard if there’s a lot of place for them to shelter and hide. Rockeries and log piles, for example, may act as perfect shelter for snakes. You will need to identify these spots in the yard and get rid of them so that the outdoor space is less snake-friendly.

3. Catch Them with Snake Tongs

We only recommend this method if you know what you are doing. Snake tongs are elongated devices that will allow you to catch the snakes from a safe distance. You can then call wildlife service to take the snake away, or if the state laws allow you to do so, release the snakes in a suitable and legal location.

4. Repel the Snakes with Cinnamon Oil

Cinnamon oil and clove oil could be a good repellent for snakes, although how effective such essential oils are will also depend on the type of snake you are dealing with. You could dilute the cinnamon oil then apply the solution along the perimeter of the yard. This remedy, however, will require the solution to be re-applied regularly in order to maintain its effectiveness.

Common Snake FAQ

Are snake repellents safe to use around dogs?

The short answer is no. Most snake repellents that work have several heavy chemicals that can be quite harmful to pets and even humans. Some gardeners report several natural methods to deal with snakes, though none has been proved actually to work in any capacity, making them unreliable and quite dangerous in some cases. But rather than repelling snakes, you can prevent them from moving in by taking care of the area you live in and making it undesirable for them. Keep your lawn trimmed – High grass encourages snakes to move in and around as it camouflages them. It also encourages rodents for the same reason, which are a food source for snakes.

Does peppermint oil repel snakes?

No, Peppermint oil does not repel snakes. You can use peppermint as a natural repellent for various insects and small animals that are snake food, but it does not affect snakes. There are other essential oils such as cinnamon, cedarwood, and clove that may keep snakes away from your compound but with no guarantee. The reason they might work is due to them being active ingredients in many commercially-sold snake repellent products.