Are all snakes poisonous?
For the most part, snakes are not your enemy! The vast majority of snakes are harmless and most, even those that are poisonous, can be beneficial. Snakes are a key species in the food chain. They eat rodents, such as mice and rats. So if you can stomach it, leave them to do their thing. And keep in mind, they are probably just as afraid of you as you are of them!
Do chemical snake repellents work?
Chemical snake repellents do exist but are not generally recommended. These products (often) contain substances that are potentially harmful to people, pets and the environment and may not be suitable for home use.
If you do choose to use a chemical snake repellent, always follow the directions on the label carefully.
What smell do snakes hate?
Rumor has it that snakes hate the smell of ammonia, and if you soak rags in it, put them in plastic bags, and scatter them outside your house, it will cause snakes to stay away. This is highly unscientific and untested. Again, probably best to just keep your yard neat.
How do you make a DIY snake trap?
Don’t use glue traps. They are cruel and can harm pets. To determine the best trap for your offender, call your local animal wildlife officer or state wildlife agency.
Once you’ve caught and removed the snake, find and seal any cracks in the foundation that are greater than 1/4 inch. Make sure all windows and doors are tight, including screens. Cover vents and drains with a tight galvanized mesh screen.
How you can keep snakes away from your home
No doubt you’ve heard the slogan “a good snake is a dead snake”. But let’s face it, killing a snake is highly illegal, not to mention very dangerous! In summer, most of us fear finding a snake in our homes or back yards. It turns out there are plenty of things you can do to keep the snakes away.
From sprinkling sulphur around your garden to cleaning up any weeds and junk in your yard, here are five ways you can keep snakes away.
1. Use ammonia
Apparently, snakes can’t stand the smell or fumes of ammonia. Try soaking a rag or cloth in ammonia and put it in an unsealed plastic bag. Just put the plastic bag in the area where you might have seen a snake before, or worry about finding a snake. It turns out that the snakes will steer clear of the area around the bag because of the ammonia.
2. Put vinegar around the edge of your pool
If you’ve seen a snake near your pool, or you’re worried about finding a snake during your swim, then there is something you can do to keep snakes away. The old wives tale is that snakes can absorb liquid throw their skin, which makes them highly sensitive to chemicals such as vinegar. Try pouring vinegar around the edge of your pool. Apparently, snakes are unlikely to slither through the vinegar, so they’ll stay away!
3. Get rid of any mice or rats hanging around
Snakes are often attracted by the presence of mice and rats, which are one of their biggest food sources. That’s why it’s important to keep mice and rats away from your home and garden. Try the usual methods of getting rid of rodents – from setting traps to safely baiting them (keeping the bait out of reach of dogs, cats and children). When you’re confident the rodents are gone, clean up the areas they’ve frequented and get rid of any nests, mouse poo or smells. If you can get rid of their food source, you’ll keep the snakes away!
4. Sprinkle some sulphur around your home
Some people swear by using sulphur powder to keep snakes away from their home. Apparently, snakes don’t like the sulphur and neither do the rats and mice they feed on! Try sprinkling some sulphur powder around your house, particularly the areas your most likely to find snakes. One of the downsides to this method is sulphur powder can be toxic if it’s consumed by kids or pets, so it’s best used where pets or the grandkids can’t get to it!
5. Clean up your yard
Snakes love to hide under things in your yard or garden. From bricks and rocks to weeds and leaves, there are so many places that are perfect hidey holes for snakes. Now is the best time to get in and clean up all the places that snakes will be hiding – remove anything that snakes can hide under or around. Move piles of rocks and logs, mow your lawn and tidy up your gardens and get rid of the weeds. If there are less places for snakes to hide around your yard and garden, there’ll be less chance of them hanging around.