Guidelines for Snake-Proofing Your Home and Garden
Home
- Seal Cracks and Gaps:
- Inspect the foundation, walls, and roof for cracks and holes.
- Seal gaps around doors, windows, and vents with caulk or weather stripping.
- Install Door Sweeps:
- Use door sweeps on exterior doors to prevent snakes from entering underneath.
- Screen Vents and Chimneys:
- Cover vents, chimney openings, and other potential entry points with fine mesh screens.
- Remove Clutter:
- Clear clutter such as boxes, debris, and piles of clothes inside and around your home that can provide hiding spots for snakes.
- Keep Windows and Doors Closed:
- Ensure that all doors and windows are closed or have secure screens, especially in warm weather.
Garden
- Maintain Landscaping:
- Keep grass cut short and bushes trimmed.
- Remove leaf piles, woodpiles, and other debris where snakes might hide.
- Control Rodents:
- Reduce rodent populations, as they attract snakes.
- Use rodent-proof containers for food storage and eliminate potential nesting areas.
- Install Snake Fencing:
- Erect a fine-mesh fence around your garden, burying the bottom edge 6 inches deep and angling outward.
- Use Natural Repellents:
- Plant snake-repelling plants such as marigolds, lemongrass, and wormwood.
- Consider using commercially available snake repellents or natural options like sulfur or clove oil.
- Eliminate Standing Water:
- Remove sources of standing water, as they attract both snakes and their prey.
General Tips
- Regular Inspections:
- Conduct regular inspections of your home and garden to identify and address potential snake entry points or hiding places.
- Professional Help:
- If you live in an area with a high snake population, consider hiring a professional pest control service for advice and assistance.
- Educate Family Members:
- Teach family members about the types of snakes in your area, their habits, and what to do if they encounter one.
By following these guidelines, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of snakes entering your home and garden, ensuring a safer environment for you and your family.
7 ways to snake-proof your house and garden
Sometimes, especially when unexpected, snakes can be unwelcome visitors to homeowners. If you’re in that position, don’t fret! We’ve researched proven methods of dealing with every sort of unwanted slithery creature to keep your house and garden snake-free.
Removing attractants and sealing holes in the home are just a few methods of ensure that your home remains protected, while maintaining your garden can help ensure that snakes don’t set up shop on your residence.
1. Cover all holes leading to houses and garages
Snakes love crawling into hide-y spots such as roofs, underneath houses, garages etc. Make sure to keep doors closed and install screens on doors and windows.
Block any holes in the ceiling and roof which might accommodate snakes.
2. Maintain a tidy garden
Keep a well-maintained garden and shed.
Keep the lawn low in height and garden beds away from the exterior of the house. Ensure that wood piles are neatly stacked to prevent snakes and rodents from sheltering.
Discard lawn clippings and mulch rather than keeping it in a pile, as the piles provide warmth and security for snakes.
3. Block cavities in wall structures
Snakes love rock walls. They’re a ready source of energy (reptiles sun themselves on rocks to warm up their cold blood and muscles), shelter (when they’ve had enough sun) and food (preying on the rodents and frogs which also shelter in the rocks).
If you have a rock wall or other similar structure, block the holes and other cavities that slithering and scurrying creatures can hide in.
4. Protecting birds
Placing mesh or a similar covering around your chook pens and aviaries will prevent snakes from preying on your birds.
Keeping a tidy pen will also prevent rodents from eating bird seed.
5. Dispose of food scraps
Ensure that all food scraps are disposed of properly in covered bins.
Food scraps encourage rats and mice – and therefore snakes!
6. Minimum shrubbery
Consider the type of shrubbery and trees you have growing in your garden. Low shrubs and leafy bushes will provide the perfect habitat for sheltering snakes.
By growing tall trees and keeping leaf litter to a minimum, you’ll have less garden maintenance to do – and fewer snakes!
7. Employ a professional
If there’s a reoccurrence of snakes on your property and you’re unable to identify whether they’re venomous or not, consult with a professional pest control service or wildlife removal expert that can help relocate the slithery reptiles out of your home.
What’s the best pet to deter snakes?
Sadly, no pet will keep snakes away. Follow the rules above and hopefully, you won’t see any slithery creatures this summer.
What doesn’t work?
Snake repelling oil and snake repeller. Richie Gilbert of Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers the snake repellers and oils sold by some manufacturers do not work to keep snakes from gardens and homes.
The snake repellers actually transmit a vibration every 30 seconds similar to that of a rodent – which snakes love to prey on.
“I’ve been relocating snakes curled up next to them, passing by them and in houses that have been surrounded by them ever since the devices came on the market around 10 years ago. There is no factual evidence that they work but there is truckloads of evidence that they don’t work. It’s a total scam and the companies selling them never back up their product or guarantee it.”