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How to Repel Snakes ~ Keep them Away

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In this article on How to repel snakes we will try to keep the first part of it on natural remedies.

Snakes are reptiles and have been around from the beginning of time. Remember the Garden of Eden?

Snakes are considered reptiles.

Definition of reptile from Websters Dictionary 1863

REP'TILE, noun

1. An animal that moves on its belly, or by means of small short legs, as earth-worms, caterpillars, snakes and the like.

In zoology, the reptiles constitute an order of the class Amphibian, including all such as are furnished with limbs or articulated extremities, as tortoises, lizards and frogs.

These reptiles are something that most people hate and are repulsed by them! They slither around on their bellies and are constantly sticking their tongues out flickering them!

Their tongues are able to sense things around them. 

Many are poisonous in our area and in many parts of the United States. they range from Rattlers of several kinds, Copperheads, Coil Snakes, Moccasins, etc.

If you have these poisonous snakes in your area, you might want to keep them from your yards and gardens. We certainly want to keep them away from our pets and children. 

Snakes play an important part in our Eco system and we don't want to eliminate them just because they look mean.

Now that being said, if one gets in my yard and refused to comply, it will be eliminated. We can't have rebellious snakes around!

How to Keep Snakes out of your Yard

One of the first things we may want to consider to repel snakes away from our homes is to keep our yards mowed low and our shrubs pruned and cut back. 

Keep any brush picked up around the perimeter of your yard, especially if you live near the woods or timber.

Keep the grass cut low near any wooded area as mice and varmints will hide out there and snakes love to lay up in tall grass and ambush these for their meals!

If you homestead and keep stacks or wood, metal, etc. this is an excellent place for snakes to hide out! Always be careful when working with or near these kinds of places.

Try to keep a neat stack and don't let it get too messy. You can see your edges and surroundings better if your stack is neat instead or just piled.  

If you can get cross ties or other pieces of wood to use to stack your pile on, so much the better. 

Snakes love these types of piles and stacks or anything that mice and rats might congregate in.  They hunt their food in these places.

Remember, if ti is a year for Cicadas, the snakes will be out in much more numbers as they love these young cicadas.

The snakes, especially copperheads will come out at nighttime to feed on them. So, be extremely careful during the Cicada emergence!

How to Repel Snakes

Make your yard and outbuildings rodent proof!

Try keeping a lid on all feeds and anything mice and rats could use for food and foraging.

Especially around your home, barns, stables, sheds, etc. Anything mice and rats can use, they will come back again and again for them. This can lead to snakes becoming familiar with these places as a source of food.

Keeping everything closed up and put away can help prevent snakes from staying in these areas.

This does not mean snakes will never come around these areas as they most certainly will. They will just not make them a normal hunting grounds for food if there is no food for them to find there!

How to Repel Snakes

Using Farm Animals to Repel Snakes

If you live where you can, you might want to consider getting some chickens, guinea fowl or even hogs or pigs. Most homesteader already have some of all of these.

I know the guinea fowl are a pretty noisy creature and can be annoying but it is a great deterrent of snakes as they will literally kill them when found!

Hogs are the same way! Snakes don't stand a chance around these two farm animals. 

Chickens will also kill smaller snakes and maybe help prevent you from getting grown ones in time!

Guinea fowl is also one of the best bug catchers ever made! They will also attack predators. they have been known to attack fox, dogs, cats, etc.

If you live in the county or near a city, always check with your county or city ordinances to be sure it is legal to own these pets before purchasing.

Yes, some areas do not allow these kinds of pets. I know, it is what it is!

How to Repel Snakes

How to Repel Snakes Naturally

You might also want to try spreading sulfur or lime around the perimeter of your property or yard.

We have been told by several of our readers on social media that this helps in their yards.

We have not used these personally and if you decide to use them be sure to read any and all directions, instructions and uses for these items before handling as they could possibly have instructions for using gloves, etc.

You should be able to find these at most garden centers farmers supply, or hardware stores.

If none of the above ideas work for you of you cannot implement them where you live, you might want to try some of these more conventional methods below.
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