How to Get Rid of Snakes
The sight of a snake in your backyard or garden can be really terrifying. When dealing with such a critical situation, it is important to be extremely vigilant of your actions. You don't want to be bitten by a possibly poisonous snake, would you? Here are some useful tips on how to get rid of snakes and also prevent them from returning.
"It was a pleasant Sunday morning. Mrs.Cooper taking a stroll, our neighborhood paperboy was engaged in his usual, Henry was washing his car, the kids were playing outside the house. My neighbor, Annie, was busy removing dried leaves and branches from the plants when all of a sudden, she screamed loudly! Everyone rushed towards her and were dumbfounded to see a black rat snake hissing and moving rapidly! We knew it was nonvenomous, but its sheer presence was enough to stun and frighten everyone around. Finally, after a quick call to the snake wrangler, he got rid of the snake and Annie could breathe a huge sigh of relief. As we spoke later that evening, she realized that if she had removed the garbage and cleaned the garden earlier, the snake would not have even entered the backyard. So much for procrastination."
Has this or any variation of this happened to you as well? Though the very thought of a snake's presence can be quite terrifying, you needn't be. Not all snakes are poisonous. Did you know? Among 3,000 species of snakes in the world, only 600 species are venomous such as the krait, Russell's viper, tiger snake and King Cobra. Snakes generally like to live in cool, shaded areas. They prefer to stay hidden away from the sun and can be most commonly found in bushes, sandy areas, tall grass, compost areas, under logs, junk or trash. A snake will enter homes or gardens if it is in search of shelter or food.
Some people attempt to kill a snake, as soon as they set sight on it. However, most snakes found near the home or backyard are nonvenomous and harmless; rather, we can say they are beneficial to humans. Snakes, like garter snakes and rat snakes, help get rid of harmful rodents lurking around your house. Yet, it is advisable to adopt proper preventive measures to keep them away because if bitten, a snakebite can be prove to be fatal and even life-threatening. Prevention is better than cure and, hence, you must know how to get rid of snakes in case they happen to enter your home or backyard.How to Get Rid of Snakes?
Many homeowners, especially in rural areas, have experienced the problem of snakes turning up on their property at some time or the other. If you notice a snake in your home or backyard, you can physically remove it by either holding it down yourself with the help of a snake hook or snake tongs, or taking the help of a snake wrangler. However, before you proceed to do that, it is best to take the following safety precautions.
- If you want to keep the snakes out of your yard, then make sure that there are no bushes, shrubs or thick foliage around your home, as these are natural habitats of snakes.
- Avoid accumulation of garbage outside the house or in the garden, as an such area is an ideal hiding place for snakes.
- Always keep the garden clean by removing garden debris, like dried leaves and branches of trees. If necessary, make landscaping changes in your garden.
- Generally, snakes prefer to take shelter in tall grasses as they are also home to various rodents and insects including squirrels, mice, grasshoppers and crickets, hence, becoming an easy food source for snakes. So, you need to keep the grass low and mow the lawn in your garden weekly.
- Snakes are always on the lookout for places with a cool temperature to hide. A heap of compost or wood in your garden is likely to attract snakes to your property. Gaps in the heap are perfect places for snakes to hide. So, you need to eliminate these safe spots from your property.
- Another way to prevent snakes from entering your property, is to first get rid of small rodents and insects from your home and garden area and ensure that your surroundings are also free of these.
- Check for wholes, gaps or cracks and seal all the openings in your home around the windows, doors, pipes and electrical outlets to prevent snakes from sliding in to your house.
- Also, you need to put up a protective fencing around the garden.
- Besides these, the use of a snake repellent is another effective method of keeping snakes away from your property. These repellents contain certain components such as sulfur, cedar oil or clove oil that emit a strong odor to repel snakes. The repellents may also have substances that can make snakes uncomfortable to crawl over. Most snake repellents are available in a powdered form which can be sprinkled around your home, garden or backyard. Fortunately, these products are not harmful to your pets or kids, BUT always read the label or confirm with the seller before you buy the product.
- Snakes are more active at night, so you can also use a snake trap which consists of a glue board. As soon as a snake enters this trap, it gets stuck to the glue and is unable to escape. The captured snake can be released safely far away from your home.
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