How to Keep Snakes Away

Keeping snakes out of your property will usually take several steps. You will need to follow general sanitation and exclusion practices to make your property less favorable to snakes.

Sanitation:

If you are seeing snakes around your home or property on a regular basis, it is because conditions are favorable. Any of the following environmental modifications will aid in snake control by discouraging them from making their home near yours:

• Eliminate tall stands of vegetation.
• Trim shrubs and bushes so that you can see beneath them to eliminate snake hiding areas
• Remove piles of lumber, rocks, or other debris that may harbor smaller pests that snakes like to eat.
• Cover up or fill entrances to rodent burrows that may attract snakes.
• Control of rats, mice, and other rodents will result in greater snake control.
• Snake proof fences constructed around a home or garden will keep most snakes out. If made of fine mesh 24 to 46 inches high and buried several inches in the ground.

Exclusion:

When snakes are found inside the home, there is usually a point of entry that has been overlooked. Snakes are able to constrict themselves to pass through very small openings.

• Search the foundation specifically for any gaps or crevices larger than 1/4 inch and up to three feet in grade.
• Vents in crawl spaces should be guarded by screens with a mesh no larger than 1/4 inch.
• Door sweeps and weather stripping should be replaced if there is a gap present

You can also use snake repellents as part of your snake control program. You should apply snake repellents according to the product label to help keep labeled snake species out of certain areas. Snake repellents should only be used as part of a snake control program.

Do Mothballs Keep Snakes Away?

Many homeowners try using mothballs as a snake repellent. This is not advisable because mothballs are not formulated for outdoor use nor are they labeled for this use.

Pro Tip

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When snakes are often found on a property it is usually indicative of a high rodent population. If you control the rodents on your property, you can limit the snakes as well as they will have to search elsewhere for food. Please review our rat control guide and our mouse control guide to learn how to control these rodents on your property.