What can you use to get rid of snakes and keep them away from your house? Here are some excellent snake control and extermination options to consider.
It’s no secret that many people have a morbid fear of snakes. The reasons aren’t far-fetched. Snakes are known to be poisonous. But this doesn’t apply to every species.
Nevertheless, people would rather keep their distance than deal with snake problems. Snake eradication is possible, as you’d soon find out.
You get to choose the best methods to get the job done. This is due to the many effective strategies available. Some people use lime, vinegar, and diesel fuels to fight snakes.
Do you prefer to get the job done yourself? Or you’d like an expert to handle the problem? Whatever your preference is, there’s something for everyone. It even includes preventive measures.
Common Types of Snakes
Certain snake types are common in particular regions.
America’s most common snake types include kingsnakes, copperhead snakes, eastern diamondback rattlesnakes, black snakes, garter snakes, and coral snakes.
This doesn’t mean there aren’t other snake types. These are the most common types people have to deal with.
What Do Snakes Eat?
Snakes are strictly carnivorous reptiles.
In other words, they feed strictly on other animals. They are well adapted to their surroundings. Especially the wild. This enables them to lay an ambush for unsuspecting prey.
Snakes can feed on animals much more extensive than their body diameter.
For this to be possible, the mouth is unhinged to enable it to swallow its prey. Finding these reptiles around your home can be dangerous. This is because snakebites may result in death due to their poison.
How to Get Rid of Snakes in the House – Removal Options
Getting rid of snakes, as earlier mentioned, can be done in several ways.
This section will discuss some of the most effective snake extermination methods. You need to only go with what fits your specific needs.
Such needs may require non-toxic and environmentally friendly snake removal methods only. Others may require the job to get done no matter what.
SNAKE EXTERMINATION METHODS
While getting rid of snakes, you are focusing on what attracts them is necessary. Your home may present several favorable conditions for snakes to nest around. These too will be discussed.
We will also suggest ways to make your surroundings uninviting to snakes. Snake Away is a top-rated product used to repel snakes.
-
Cleaning Up Your Yard
The condition of your yard is one of the primary reasons snakes come around. The neater it is, the less inviting it becomes to snakes.
So to get rid of snakes, a thorough cleanup will be needed. Dirt and disorderliness, in this sense, consist of several things. There are fallen trees, leaves, compost heaps, and overgrown shrubs.
Other forms of dirt include garden sheds, rock piles, unattended lawns (overgrown grasses), and scrap piles, among others. Such conditions harbor rodents. And where there are rodents, snakes aren’t far behind.
-
Sealing Up All Entry Points
Snakes find holes, cracks, vents, and any opening ideal for nesting. Therefore, close supervision is of the essence. Such inspection is required to identify all such areas to seal them up.
You also need to pay attention to vents. Consider installing screens around such areas. This helps keep them out. Caulking open spaces will keep snakes away.
It’s best to be proactive. This saves you a lot of stress as well as snake removal costs. Being assertive involves taking a lot of preventive measures. And these have been included here.
After getting rid of your snake problems, never fold your arms and wait for the next time it happens again.
-
Focus on Depleting Their Food Supply
Snakes are carnivorous. Therefore, animals like rodents, slugs, frogs, birds, and insects are targeted. But rodents are the most common targets for snakes.
Such food supplies will need to be targeted to get rid of them. While getting rid of these prey, you’re also achieving double results.
That is, getting rid of snakes as well as rodents.
-
Trimming your Shrubs
Shrub plants are widely used for decoration. But these are also hiding spots for snakes. Especially if left untended.
You can prevent snake infestation by trimming these plants, significantly cutting them from below to get them off the ground. Such shrubs shouldn’t be overgrown too.
Overgrown shrubs will limit sunlight. This presents a shed for snakes to nest.
-
Make Your Surroundings Uncomfortable for Snakes to Slither
How do you get a snake out of the house? Make their crawling efforts much more difficult. This is possible by using pointed or sharp materials for mulching.
Some of the best materials include pine cones, eggshells, and rose bush clippings. These materials create a lot of discomfort for snakes. Therefore, they are unable to move freely.
This makes your home environment less inviting to snakes.
The sulfur acts as an irritant to snakeskin. It would be best if you sprinkled this around your yard. Snakes will have a difficult time slithering around your home.
For best results, consider using this around the perimeter of your home. This makes it impossible for them to get across without slithering over.
-
Repellent Plants
One of the easiest ways to get rid of snakes is going the natural way.
Snake repelling plants can be used to beautify your surroundings too. Snakes detest bitter, foreign, and strong smells. What does “foreign” mean in this context? It simply means snakes are more uncomfortable with smells they’ve never been accustomed to.
In other words, smells that snakes are born into are considered safer. At the same time, those who aren’t taken into are perceived as unwelcoming.
As a result, snakes hatched in your garden won’t be affected by existing plants. You’d have to introduce such strong-smelling and alien plants.
Several plants are known to have snake repelling properties. They include Mother-in-Law’s Tongue, Marigold, Garlic, and & Onions, as well as West Indian Lemongrass.
Others are Witch Hazel, Pink Agapanthus, Lavender, Wormwood, Tobacco, and Burnt leaves of Comfrey, Bay, and Rue.
Several more exist. You only need to get any or a combination of these.
-
Keep Your Farm Animals Safe
Snakes target smaller farm animals like rabbits and chickens (and their eggs).
If you keep any of these in your compound, consider their safety. This will require building an enclosure for them. But making one isn’t safe enough. You’d have to ensure it’s fully secured.
In other words, snakes should be unable to gain access.
-
Fox Urine to Control Snakes
Snakes dread the presence of foxes. As a result, buying and applying these around your property should do the trick.
This is effective because it alerts snakes of possible danger. Snakes will rather keep off than end up getting killed. You can purchase Fox urine from your nearest pest control store.
In addition to keeping snakes at bay, fox urine will scare other pests like rodents. So, it has a considerable advantage as it scares predators and prey.
You’d have to reapply this more often during the rainy season.
-
Introduce Snake Predators for Eradication
Some animals can make getting rid of snakes an easy task. These include birds like guinea fowls or turkeys.
Other snake predators include cats, foxes, and raccoons. But this isn’t for everyone. Some people may consider any or all of these pests. However, consider this method if you can tolerate them.
They go after snakes and help kill them. Snakes will also avoid your property when they notice the presence of such predators.
-
Fence Them Out
Can a fence keep snakes out? Is it possible? Well, it depends on the type of fence.
There are specialized snake fences. These are primarily used in environments with significant snake problems. Such barriers are built in a way that prevents snakes from getting in.
However, snakes from within can move out.
Though this is an effective way to get rid of snakes, the cost may become a hindrance. Installing a snake fence is usually costly compared to other methods. But once installed, you can use it for a long time.
-
De-clutter your Surroundings
Snakes will have a swell time in surroundings with a lot of clutter.
You can prevent this by getting rid of them. Thi,s too, can be classified under cleaning. It not only makes your environment uninviting for snakes alone but also for other pests.
You also have the advantage of making your yard more spacious and attractive.
-
Fumigate Your Yard with Clove and Cinnamon Oil
You need to make a mixture of both clove and cinnamon oils. These are mixed and poured into a spray bottle.
These oils will effectively repel snakes from your yard or garden. It works best when poured directly into the body of snakes. But this can be dangerous. You’d need to use a spray with an extended head to deliver it on snakes.
This helps you avoid snake bites. You should also wear protective boots. It helps you prevent snake bites which are vicious and deadly.
Mothballs aren’t only used on clothes and insects.
They are also effective in repelling snakes. These give out a scent that snakes dislike. To use them effectively, place them indoors and outdoors at various points.
Also, target doors, window areas, and any entry point you suspect snakes might use.
Doing this makes your entire environment unsuitable for snakes. It also helps you keep other animal pest types away. Plus, it’s a cheap way to handle snake removal.