7/4/2017 HowtoKeepSnakesAway:11Steps(withPictures)wikiHow

HowtoKeepSnakesAway
TwoMethods: KeepingSnakesAwayfromYourHome StayingSafeonTrails

Snakesareincrediblybeneficialfortheecosystem.Theycontrolthepopulationofseveralpests,includingmice,rats,
cockroachesandotherinsects.However,manyspeciesarevenomous,andsomeofthesecanbedangerousforhumansand
pets.Assuch,dependingonwhereyoulive,itmightbeimportanttokeepsnakesoutofyouryard.Additionally,youmightbe
concernedaboutkeepingsnakesawaywhilehikingortrekking.

Method
KeepingSnakesAwayfromYourHome
1

1 Keepyouryardfreeofclutter.Snakesareambushpredators,meaningtheyliketoattacktheirpreyfromdark
hidingplaces.[1]Assuch,clutterisessentiallyanopeninvitationtosnakes,givingthemperfecthidingspots.Piles
ofleaves,compostpiles,strawmulch,woodchipmulch,stacksoffirewood,andpilesofcutgrassareallcomfortable
placesthatsnakesliketohidein,sotheseshouldberemovedfromyouryard.[2]
Insteadofwoodmulch,considercrushedstone.Itsnotascomfortableoreffectiveforsnakestohidein.[3]

2 Avoidtallgrowingplants.Justlikeclutter,certainshrubsandotherplantsprovidetheperfecthidingspotfora
neighborhoodsnake.Keepingyourgrassmowedisagoodwaytopreventsnakesfromslitheringaroundyour
yard.Shrubsandpackedgardenswiththickplantswillalsoattractsnakes.
Ifyouareveryconcernedaboutapotentialsnakeproblem,removeorthintheseplantsout.Ifyouwanttokeep
theseplants,however,considertransplantingthemtothefarsideofyouryard,awayfromthefoundationof
yourhouse.[4]

3 Getridofanypossiblesourceoffood.Snakeswillonlyhangaroundyouryardiftheressomethingtherethey
caneat.Dependingonthespecies,thiscouldmeanaproblemwithlargeinsectssuchascockroachesand
grasshoppers,orsmallmammalssuchasmiceandrats.[5]
Trylayingtrapsorsprayingrepellentsdesignedtokeepthesepestsawayfromyourhouse,andthesnakes
shouldstayawayaswell.

4 Patchupanyholes.Ifyouhavespottedsnakesinyouryardandareworriedaboutkeepingthemoutofyour
house,thebestthingyoucandoislocateandrepairanyholesinyourpropertysfoundations,thegarage,or
screendoors.Carefullyinspecttheseareasandifyounoticeanyholes,nomatterhowsmall,patchthemup
immediately.Evenholesassmallasaquarterarelargeenoughforcertaintypesofgartersnakestosqueezethrough.
Beyondallowingaccessintoyourhome,anyholesorcracksinyourbuildingsfoundationsprovidegreathiding
placesforsnakes.[6]

5 Putupsnakeprooffencing.Theeffectivenessofsnakeprooffencingmightdependonthetypeofsnakeyou
haveinyourareaandhowitcommonlytravels,buttherearespecializedtypesoffencingthathaveproved
effectiveagainstmanytypesofsnakes.Snakeprooffencingusuallyfollowsthreebroadtypes:plasticsheeting,steel
meshorcatchnetfencing.Nomattertheconstruction,thesefencesshouldbeflushtothegroundandangled
outwards.Thispreventssnakesfromslitheringunderthefenceorclimbingover.
Itmightnotbepracticaltofenceyourentireyardthisway.Instead,considerfencingspecificareascommonly
frequentedbychildrenandpets.[7]
Youshouldconsiderputtingupsimilarsnakebarriersaroundanybuildingsonyourpropertyelevatedoffthe
ground.Thiswillkeepsnakesfromhidingunderneath.
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6 Createvibrations.[8]Ifyouhavespottedsnakesinyourgardenoryardinthepast,andsuspectthatafewmight
behidinginthereevennow,runthelawnmowerortilleraroundtheareabeforeworkinginit.Youdonotwantto
pushthemowerortillerthroughthearea,becausetheideaisnottokillthesnakesbutsimplytoscarethemoff.The
vibrationsproducedbythesemachinesareusuallyenoughtowarnandfrightenoffmanysnakes,especiallycommon
gartersnakes.
Notethatthiswontkeepsnakesawaypermanently,butifyouneedtoworkinagarden,thiscanscareoff
snakeslongenoughtoletyouwork.

7 Laytraps.Ifyoususpectthatyoualreadyhaveasnake,orareworriedaboutanysnakesthatmighthavesnuck
inbeforeyoutookmeasurestorepelthem,youcansetupmechanicaltrapsorgluetrapsinyourbasementor
garage.Beforesettingthesetrapsup,though,youshouldcontactyourlocalanimalcontrolofficerorstatewildlife
agencytomakesurethattheprocedureisdonesafelyandlegally.
Makesurenottousegluetrapsoutside.Thiscouldinhumanelytrapwildlifeotherthansnakes.[9]

Method
StayingSafeonTrails
2

1 Usetrekkingpoleswhenhiking.Thesepoleslookverysimilartoskipoles,excepttheyreusuallyadjustableto
adapttotheterrain.Trekkingpolesallowyoutopushtallgrassandotherbrushoutofyourway,potentially
scaringoffanyhiddensnakes.Asyouhike,yourpolehittingthegroundandbangingagainstrockswillalsodeter
snakes.Theycanfeelthevibrationsintheground,andwillusuallyleavewhentheysenseyourapproach.[10]
Ifyoucantaffordorotherwiseacquireatrekkingpole,askipolewilldofine.

2 Stayoncleared,populartrails.Snakestendtohideunderstones,logsandindensefoliage.Trailsclearedof
clutterarelesslikelytoattractsnakes.Additionally,ifyousticktowelltravelledtrails,thefrequentfoottrafficwill
alreadykeepsnakesaway.Theyhavenodesiretoapproachhumans,andiftheyknowpeoplefrequentaparticular
area,theylltendtostayawayfromit.[11]

3 Watchyourstep.Manysnakes,suchastherattlesnake,arecoloredinawaythatblendsinwiththeir
environment.Keepyoureyesopenwhileonatrailyoumightspotandeffectivelyavoidasnakeencounterbefore
ithappens.Beespeciallycarefulifyouretraversingrocksorfallenlogs.Bothofthesearefavoritehidingspotsof
varioussnakes.Ifyouneedtotraversethesefallenobjects,stepuponthem,thendown,ratherthansimplystepping
over.Thisgivesyouthechancetoscantheareaaroundtheobject,toensurenosnakesarehidingnearby.[12]
Avoidpickingupstonesorwoodwhileonatrail.Thismightdisturbanysnakeshidingunderneathandprovoke
anattack.
Ifyouneedtoleanonsomethingwhilehiking,suchasarockfaceoratree,paycloseattentiontowhereyou
placeyourhands.

4 Choosethetimeofyourhikecarefully.Snakesarecoldblooded,meaningtheycantregulatetheirbody
temperaturethewayhumanscan.Theyhavetoexposethemselvestosunlighttowarmthemselvesup,andhide
awayfromsunlighttocooldown.Consequently,snakestendtobemoreactiveinwarmerweather.Ifyourereally
concernedaboutencounteringasnakeonahike,considerplanningyourhikeforthecoolerweatheroffallandwinter.
[13]

CommunityQ&A

Islimeagoodrepellentforsnakes?

Notreally,andunfortunatelyittakesalottokeepthemaway.Ifthereissomethingtheylikeinyouryard,likefoodand
wikiHowContributor shelter,getridofittomakethemleave.

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NotHelpful 23 Helpful 59

Ispineoilasnakerepellent?

Idon'tknowofanysnakesthatwillavoidpineoil.Afewspecies(includingsomerattlesnakes)willavoidcloveoil,
wikiHowContributor though.
NotHelpful 14 Helpful 37

CanIusesulfurtogetridofsnakes?

Yes,buttbeawareofthedangers.Ifyouhavekidsorpets,itmightbefataltothem.
wikiHowContributor
NotHelpful 21 Helpful 49

Isitsafetobeinanareathatmighthavesnakes?

Generallyspeaking,yesjustexercisesomenatureknowhow.Keepaneyeoutforsnakesandgivethemtheir
wikiHowContributor space.Ifyoucannotidentifythespecies(orifyousuccessfullyidentifyavenomousone),donottrytocatchthem
yourself.AnimalControlwillremovevenomoussnakesfromprivateproperty,helpingmaintainasafeplacefor
humansandpets.
NotHelpful 13 Helpful 28

What'sthebestwaytogetridofrattlesnakes,copperheadsandcoralsnakes?

Ifcommercialrepellentsareunavailableordonotwork,eliminatetheirfoodsource.Ifallelsefails,callanimalcontrol.
wikiHowContributor
NotHelpful 25 Helpful 44

Doesdieselrepelsnakes?

Sure.Dieselwillkeepawaysnakes.Itwillalsokillallvegetation,preventinggrowthintheaffectedarea,Itwillalso
wikiHowContributor poisonthegroundwaterandbepotentiallyharmfultoeverythingaroundit.Inotherwords,don'tuseit.
NotHelpful 26 Helpful 45

Willthesnakeeventuallydiebysuffocatingorstarvingitself?

Probablyofstarvation,butthiscantakeawhile,assnakescangolongperiodswithoutfood.Also,it'saslowand
Caeiia painfuldeath.
NotHelpful 7 Helpful 15

Isittruethatburningasnakeinafirepitwillkeepothersnakesaway?

No,itisnot.Infact,dependingonitsconstruction,theresidualheatfromanextinguishedfiremayevenattractmore
wikiHowContributor snakes.
NotHelpful 21 Helpful 33

Arethereplantsthatdetersnakes?

Peppermintmaydetermiceandrats(theirfoodsource),buttherearenoknownplantsthatdetersnakesthemselves.
wikiHowContributor
NotHelpful 19 Helpful 30

HowdoIgetridofanoldkoipondthatmightcauseasnakeproblem?

Fillitwithsoil,whichcanbepurchasedatlandscapingstores.Orfillitwithcementandcreateamuralforagarden
wikiHowContributor feature.Iffillingwithcement,drainallwaterandclearawayalldebrisfirst.Ifyouarefillingitwithsoil,youneedmore
soilthanthesizeoftheholeduetothesoilsettling.
NotHelpful 10 Helpful 12

Tips

Whilesnakebehaviorisgenerallythesameacrosstheboard,somepreferredhidingspotsandfoodsourcesdovary
slightlyfromspeciestospecies.Knowingwhichtypesofsnakesareinyourareawillhelpyoutofocusyoursnake
repellingeffortsmoreeffectively.

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Warnings

Ifyouencounterasnakeyouthinkmightbepoisonous,youshouldnttrytocaptureorkillthesnakeyourself.Snakescan
beincrediblyunpredictablewhencornered,andcanattackfrommuchfurtherawaythanyouthink.Contactprofessionals
theycanremovethesnakesafely.
Avoidthetemptationtousechemicalsnakerepellents.Notonlyaretheylargelyineffective,buttheycanbedangerousto
otherwildlifeandchildren.[14]
Donotusemothballstodetersnakes.MothballsarepesticidesregisteredbytheEPA.Assuch,theymustbeusedas
indicatedonthelabel.AnyofflabeluseisaviolationofFederallaw.Notonlyarethefumesemittedbymothballs
potentiallytoxic,theyarecompletelyineffectiveagainstsnakes.[15]

SourcesandCitations

1.http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/adaptations/Ambush_predator
2.http://www.stretcher.com/stories/02/02feb11a.cfm#.UKKktuTLSeB
3.http://www.snakeremoval.com/howtokeepaway.html

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