How to Banish Snakes

Snakes are present in many parts of the earth, and if you have a large yard with lots of plants and insects, chances are that you will encounter snakes from time to time. The presence of snakes indicates a healthy ecosystem, but they can be intimidating and even dangerous if they are venomous. With non-venomous snakes entering your home, you can usually leave them alone to find their way out. If you want to be more proactive, use a broom to drive the snake towards the open door.

Table of Contents

Handling snakes in the house

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Call animal control if you are concerned that the snake is venomous. If you’re afraid to handle the snake yourself – even if you think it’s not venomous – there’s no reason you should deal with it. Call animal control to trap and remove the snake. Venomous snakes should always be handled by professionals such as animal control officers or wildlife trappers. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Try to keep the snake in a room. If you see a snake in the laundry room, for example, close the door and tuck a towel under the door slit to prevent it from escaping.
Keep children and pets away from snake areas until animal control officials have caught it.

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Let the snake find its way out. Usually the snake will leave the house on its own if you give it time and a chance. If the snake is in the garage or in a room with an exit, close the doors inside the house and open the door to the outside so the snake can crawl out. ^{[2] X Research Source}

The snake will leave your house pretty quickly. This is a simpler and surer way than using drastic measures that can scare the snake into hiding in hard-to-reach places in the house.

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Toss the non-venomous snake in a large trash can. If you don’t mind dealing with snakes, try this common-sense approach: first, lay the trash can on its side in the room where the snake is, then use a broom to push it into the trash. Once the snake is in the trash, raise the trash can and close the lid. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Once the snake is in the trash, you can take it to the woods or another area away from home to release. Lay down the trash can, gently open the lid and wait for the snake to crawl out.
Ask a friend, relative, or neighbor to help if you can. The job will be faster and smoother if you have more people to lend a hand.

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Catch snakes with traps placed in the house. If you suspect snakes in your attic, garage, basement, or elsewhere in your home, place traps along the walls in those areas. Snakes will crawl over or get into the trap and get trapped. You or an animal control officer can then safely remove the trap and take it outside. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

If it is a non-venomous snake, put the trap in a bucket and carry it outside or to the place where you want to release the snake. Pour vegetable oil over the snake so that it leaves the trap and crawls away.
Check the trap daily to see if the snake has caught the trap. If you wait too long, the snake will die of hunger.

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Catch the snake and take it outside if you are sure it is a non-venomous snake. Wear thick gardening gloves for extra protection. Thread a stick under the snake’s head and use the other hand to lift the back half of the snake’s body. You can also catch a snake by grabbing it by the back of its head. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Make sure the snake is not venomous before you catch it. If in doubt, do not touch the snake.
Remember that the closer you get to the snake, the more likely you are to get injured.

Handling snakes outdoors

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Let the snake go away on its own. For non-venomous snakes, the simplest treatment is to just let the snake out of your yard on its own. Snakes that appear outside the home usually do not cause serious problems and will go away at some point. However, you need to prevent small children and pets from getting close to the snake. Even non-venomous snakes can bite very painfully. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

If you see snakes frequently near your home, perhaps what you need to do is to take precautions rather than deal with individual snakes.

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Use a hose to spray the snake. If you see a snake loitering near your house and want to chase it away, sometimes you just need to create a reason for the snake to leave soon. Use a garden hose to lightly spray the snake with water until it crawls away from the house and out of the yard. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Striped snakes and other non-dangerous snakes are suitable subjects for you to apply this method.

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Remove the snake from the water with a pool racket. If you see a snake in the pool, you can safely remove it with a litter racket or another type of racket. ^{[8] X Research Source} You can also shovel small non-venomous snakes from your yard or lawn with a pool racket. Try not to grip the snake too tightly so as not to injure its ribs.

Take the snake to the back of the yard or to a nearby wooded area to release.

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Set up snake traps outdoors. Outdoor snake traps are usually plastic containers with bait of substances or scents used to lure snakes inside. Once the snakes have entered the trap, they will not be able to get out because of the shape of the box. Set traps around the yard where you see snakes. ^{[9] X Research Source}

When you catch a snake, take the trap to a forest and release the snake.
Avoid using poisonous traps to catch snakes in your yard. Snakes are an important part of the ecosystem and should be handled safely instead of being killed.

Prevent snakes from coming back

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Prune trees in the garden. Snakes’ typical habitat is tall grass and bushes, so regularly mowing and trimming bushes will make your yard less attractive to snakes. You should mow the lawn and remove fallen tree trunks, hollow stumps, or places where snakes can hide. ^{[10] X Research Source} Take the following measures to make sure your yard is free of snakes:

Load lumber and firewood piles at least 0.6 m above the ground, and keep compost and mulch piles away from the house.
Consider removing shrubs and tall trees that appear to harbor snakes.

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Eliminate the snake’s food source. Snakes often eat mice, crickets and other insects. If you keep the numbers of these animals low, the snakes will find food elsewhere. You should also fill in any holes that have been dug by rodents in your yard. ^{[11] X Research Resources} Clean up things like bird food seeds, berries and nuts that have fallen from trees, and food scraps that have fallen from the compost pile. These are all food sources for rats and insects.

Consider getting rid of mice and insects in your yard by setting traps or using other methods. Read “How to get rid of mice” and “How to get rid of crickets” for more suggestions.

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Seal the house. Prevent snakes from entering your home by inspecting the floor for cracks and holes, then sealing it with sealant or foam. You also need to seal both doors and windows. Attach nets to chimneys, vents, and other places where snakes can crawl. ^{[12] X Research Source}

The screen mesh should not be larger than 0.6 cm to effectively block all snakes.

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Use snake repellent around the house and yard. Snake repellents usually come in the form of a solution that you can spray on exterior walls or as a powder to sprinkle throughout the yard. These substances are environmentally friendly and do not harm pets and lawns. ^{[13] X Research Source}

There are many types of snake repellent products available at home stores or gardening centers. You can also find them online from major retailers.

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Make your own snake repellent. Mix one part rock salt with one part crushed garlic in equal proportions and sprinkle it around your entryway, yard, or anywhere you don’t want snakes. In case of severe infestation, you can mix a mixture of sulfur and mothballs in equal proportions for a stronger effect. ^{[14] X Research Source}

Advice

Most snakes that people encounter in homes and yards are non-venomous snakes. They rarely bite, and if they do, they won’t inject venom into your body.
Find out about the most common snakes in your area. You need to know how to identify them, and at the same time distinguish poisonous snakes and non-venomous snakes.
If you see a non-venomous snake in your yard, you might consider leaving it untouched. Most snakes are harmless, and they benefit the environment in your yard by controlling populations of other pests like crickets and rodents.
Many gardeners are delighted to have a snake or two circling the yard. They help protect flowers and vegetables from other animals.

Warning

Never touch a snake, unless you are sure it is not dangerous.
Never leave any animals in the glue trap. You need to check the trap regularly to make sure the animal is not harmed. Their faces can get stuck in the glue and suffocate or tear their skin as they struggle to get free.
Non-venomous snake bites often cause more bleeding than venomous snake bites because their saliva contains anticoagulants, and they often bite many times.
If you are bitten by a venomous snake, remember to let others know what the snake is like. If you are not sure, look for three identifying characteristics such as size (length and width), color, and shape of the snake’s head. This will greatly help with the treatment, as the doctor can use the right anti-poison serum.
Note: in many countries outside the US, animal control only handles pets and will not help you handle snakes. You may have to hire a wildlife trap or pest control service and pay for it. ^{[15] X Research Source}

Steps

Handling snakes in the house

Handling snakes outdoors

Prevent snakes from coming back

Advice

Warning

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