How To Keep Away Garden Snakes

Learn how to keep snakes away from your yard and home, and what to do if one slithers in anyway.

how to keep snakes away, including this black and yellow one! Alexander Gold/Shutterstock

How to Keep Snakes Away

Unless you've chosen to put a snake in a clear 20-gallon terrarium, feed it vermin and let it out to slither around, you probably don't want it in your house. A pet snake is one thing. But there's just something super unsettling about a snake entering your humble abode, much like finding a cockroach hunting for crumbs in your kitchen in the middle of the night. (Speaking of cockroaches, here are the best ways to kill them.)

The reality is, most creatures, including snakes, want nothing to do with humans. It's not about you when they invade your space. It's just that they're wild and curious, and usually hungry. Most North American species of snakes are harmless. While your desire to keep them out of your sight is warranted, it's best to remain calm and rely on non-harmful tactics.

What Will Keep Snakes Away

If you have snakes slithering into your yard (and sometimes your house), your first instinct may be to buy chemical repellent. Typically, though, that isn't the safest method, since these repellents can be harmful to pets, people and the environment.

It's best to stick to repellents designed specifically for snakes. Even with snake repellents, be sure to follow the directions exactly! A good one to try is Ortho Snake B Gon. Sprinkle it around your property every 30 days to keep snakes out of your yard and house. It's made from essential oils and marketed as an ecologically-friendly option that will not harm humans, pets or plants.

Get Ortho Snake Be Gon on Amazon.

It's also important to determine why snakes are attracted to your home in the first place. Because they're on the lookout for food and shelter, the best way to keep them at bay is to remove rodents and other food sources. Don't keep pet food out in the open.

Here's what you need to know about eliminating other pests to keep snakes away.

To keep snakes out of your basement or crawl space, seal those damp, cool entry points! Here's what you need to know about using door sweeps and weather stripping to seal off gaps under your doors.

snake Gabbie Berry/Shutterstock

How to Keep a Snake Out of Your Yard

In short, keep your yard tidy. Snakes like to slither beneath scrap metal, wood piles and trash, and within tall grass. Remove any construction debris, stay on top of your landscaping maintenance and DIY projects, and make sure outdoor games and toys are cleaned up. Here are some helpful hints for clearing the clutter from your yard.

How to Get a Snake Out of Your House: Call Animal Control

Despite your efforts to keep snakes away, you may still find the random, sneaky snake staring at you while you watch TV on the couch. Don't fret! Call animal control to help you identify and remove it. If it's determined to be safe, grab some gloves, pick it up and relocate it to its natural habitat. Or use a broom to sweep it out of the house.

You can also use glue-based traps, which are a humane way to get rid of snakes in your home.