How to get rid of snakes in your yard and garden

Key points

• The best way to remove a snake is to hire a wildlife control technician.

• Make your property uninhabitable using natural repellants such as sulfur, and limit water availability.

• Install fencing, regularly trim your lawn and remove potential food sources to prevent snakes.

The best way to get rid of snakes usually comes down to the number of snakes residing in your yard. It’s often best to hire a professional to assist your removal efforts and avoid ongoing problems.

“Getting rid of snakes in a yard or garden depends on how much ‘pressure’ or snake population is being experienced in the environment,” said Daniel Schoenecker, a wildlife control specialist with Clark’s Termite & Pest Control, a pest control company in Raleigh, North Carolina. He added that the process also depends on rodent population, surroundings and more.

A good starting approach is to use natural repellents and make your property as unsuitable for snakes as possible by limiting moisture and water availability. Further, a pest management expert can treat your home for rodents to eliminate the snakes’ food source.

What are the best ways to get rid of snakes in your yard or garden?

There are a few ways to get rid of snakes on your property, which often work best when combined.

Contact a wildlife control company

One of the most efficient ways to eliminate a snake population in your yard, garden or home is to contact a wildlife control company to trap and remove the snakes.

Not only will an experienced technician physically remove the snakes, but most experts will also inspect your property and recommend how to prevent the snakes from returning. They may suggest reducing water sources by replacing hoses and removing birdbaths.

You might also be advised to alter your lawn-watering schedule to reduce the risk of standing water, dismantle stacked rock walls and firewood to eliminate hiding spots, and seal around crawl spaces and basements.

Your professional will likely recommend rodent trapping to remove snakes’ primary food source. “My recommendation is to install exclusion devices on your house,” Woods said. 

“Snakes can find their way into your house around cracks and gaps in the foundation, in utility access points and can even climb into your attic. If a snake is doing that, there’s a good chance rats or mice are in your house. Exclusions will keep both pests out,” he said.

Contacting a wildlife control company is not only a fast and holistic approach to getting rid of snakes on your property, but it’s especially important if you believe the snakes are venomous. Venomous snakes present a serious threat to anyone on your property. It is not advisable to deal with venomous snakes without the help of a professional.

Use snake repellents

Another way to get rid of snakes is to use snake repellents. If you call a pest management company, they take the same approach. Naphthalene, a chemical found in mothballs, is a common option. 

Naphthalene has a strong chemical odor that deters snakes and other pests, but it’s not a natural snake repellent and isn’t entirely safe to use. The Environmental Protection Agency warns that naphthalene inhalation, ingestion or dermal contact is associated with anemia, liver damage and neurological damage. Long-term exposure may also cause cataracts and possibly cancer.

It’s best to try natural repellants, but only as a supplement. “There are safe formulations that use sulfur, cinnamon, cedar [and] clove that can sometimes work,” explained Schoenecker, “but [they] should not be depended on as a method of removal, as keeping snakes controlled is a multiple-step approach.

“I do not recommend mothballs or ‘SnakeAway’ because they are very toxic and mothballs are not labeled for that use,” he continued.

Introduce natural predators

If you have an ongoing issue with snakes on your property, bringing in natural predators is another way to limit the presence of snakes in your yard or garden. Cats are the only natural snake predators you can bring onto your property purposefully.

How do you tell venomous and nonvenomous snakes apart?

Your location can help determine the risk of venomous snakes on your property. 

“The garter snake and rat snake are the most common snakes to find on your property or in your home,” explained Woods. “Depending on your state, [it] can change what types of snakes you find in your yard and home. 

“For example, Texas and Arizona have more rattlesnake species than other states so the chance for a rattlesnake on your property is higher,” he said. “Maine has no venomous snake species.”

The ability to differentiate between venomous and nonvenomous snakes can help you take appropriate action if you find snakes on your property. Enlist the help of a wildlife expert if you have venomous snakes in your yard to prevent a person or pet from getting bitten. Death from a venomous snake bite is rare but possible, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If you can see the snake’s underside, check if it has one or two rows of scales leading toward the tip of the tail. If there’s only one row, the snake is venomous. If there are two, it’s nonvenomous.

“The most definitive way that I like to tell people (for the native snakes of South Carolina) is to look at the mouth,” Schoenecker explained. “Nonvenomous snakes will have vertical stripes on their lips, while the venomous [ones] generally don’t. The very best way is to study and do your research from reliable official sources on the native snakes in your area and learn to properly identify them.”

Are there DIY solutions to a snake problem in your yard?

If you’re not keen on hiring a professional or using potentially harmful chemicals to repel snakes, these DIY options help reduce the snake population in your yard.

Use essential oils

Instead of using chemicals like naphthalene, you can use essential oils, which sometimes have a strong enough odor to deter snakes. Cinnamon oil, clove oil, cedar oil and eugenol are not appealing to snakes. You can spray these oils and apply them to your home’s perimeter. You might also try sprinkling cedar chips in the area.

While it can’t hurt, this method typically isn’t effective enough as a stand-alone solution.

Install fencing

Snake-proof fencing can be a good way to keep snakes out of your yard or areas that family members and pets frequent. Install a 2-foot-high hardwire mesh with openings no larger than 1/4 inch along the bottom of your fence and bury the mesh 3 to 4 inches under the ground. 

Most snakes will not slither over the fence, so provided you’re diligent not to leave openings or breaks in the wire mesh, this can be an all-natural, DIY solution to prevent a snake infestation.

Keep your grass short

Snakes don’t usually slither in low-cut grass that exposes them, so “one of the best natural ways to keep snakes away is to landscape your yard,” Woods said.

“Unkempt yards are especially inviting for snakes, as they use the cover of the tall grass to sneak up on their prey,” he said. Log and leaf piles, shrubbery and the spaces under sheds and decks also provide the pests with ample protection.

“Making sure there isn’t access to [the area] under your house or into your house is [a good] way to keep snakes away chemical-free,” Woods added.

Homeowners can also keep snakes out of the yard by replacing grass areas close to the home with mulch or gravel to reduce cover even further.

How do you prevent a snake infestation?

Preventing snakes from entering your yard and home in the first place is often easier than dealing with an infestation. You can do a few things to prevent snakes from nesting and breeding in and around your house.

Rodent control

Snakes will reside where they have easy access to food and water, so eliminating the snakes’ food source will usually cause them to search elsewhere for a place to settle in.

If you have a snake infestation, you likely have a rodent problem. Chipmunks and voles are a favorite snack. “Most often, [you’ll see] rat snakes inside homes hunting for rodents,” explained Schoenecker. “If you see a snake inside a home, it’s usually after something. There’s a food source there, whether the customer knows it or not.”

You can naturally reduce the risk of rodents on your property by eliminating their food sources. Keep all food — including seed for bird feeders and pet food — in airtight containers and off the ground. Also, dispose of garbage regularly, keep grass short and eliminate nesting areas, such as piles of firewood and debris.

Limit moisture on your property

Snakes may or may not be attracted to moist areas, depending on the species, but moisture will usually attract their prey, including snails, worms, slugs, frogs and rodents. Check that hoses aren’t leaking, water the lawn in the morning to ensure the sun can dry out the ground before nightfall, and consider covering water features, such as ponds, with mesh.

Reduce snake hiding places

Snakes prefer to nest in secluded areas, and the rodents many snakes eat also prefer to live in cover. One of the best ways to avoid a snake infestation is to eliminate areas where they’ll feel safe enough to nest. There are a few things you can do to get rid of potential nesting areas:

• Remove piles of firewood
• Cut out thick brush
• Trim the bottoms of trees and shrubs to a few inches off the ground
• Avoid stacked stone walls
• Seal entry points in your home’s exterior

What’s next?

Getting rid of snakes often entails eliminating their food sources and nesting areas. However, you may need to call in reinforcements. Contact a pest management specialist to trap and remove rodents. Reduce moisture in your yard that could lure snake prey. 

Cut out brush, keep your lawn short and remove any stacked stone walls or wood piles that snakes could use for nesting.

Your local animal control technician should be able to trap and remove snakes to thin out the population and make personalized recommendations for reducing your risk of reinfestation in the future.

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