Snakes are a fundamental part of our ecosystem. Without the snake in the food chain, rodents and other pests would overrun neighborhoods and other settlements. Snakes are also a good source of food for many animals, like foxes, owls, and other birds of prey. However, that doesn’t mean you want a snake in your yard or house. Likewise, you don’t want to kill the snake, instead, you want to learn what repels snakes naturally. In this article, we look at some of the top options.
Appealing to a Snakes Senses
The first thing to consider when you want to know how to repel a snake naturally is how the snake thinks and behaves. Snakes have evolved over millions of years but their behaviors are very predictable.
Snakes evolved from burrowing lizards that lost their legs, which were useless in the environment. It also meant that they lost ears. Snakes do not have any outer ear, but they do have the same parts of an inner ear that humans and other animals do. This is called a columella. It allows a snake to pick up vibrations through their jawbone which is how they ‘hear’.
But it is not as effective as a listening organ. Snakes have very poor hearing and can only detect a portion of the sounds that humans can. And their hearing can often lead to mistaken identity. For example, they can tell when something large is nearby, but it is doubtful that they can tell whether it is a large predator, a human, or a car.
Snakes hunt via different means. Most will hunt via smell and many have a very acute sense of smell. But instead of their noses, they have smell sensors on their tongues. They taste the air for smells and fragrances.
Some snakes, like pythons, will also use heat pits along their jaw to detect body heat from prey items. This isn’t that effective as you can trick a snake into biting a water balloon if the balloon is filled with water at the right temperature.
Then there are the behaviors to consider. Snakes are secretive creatures. They prefer to stay hidden and come out only to hunt, drink and breed. Most of the time you can walk past a snake and not even know it is there.
What Repels Snakes from Your House?
Numerous things can repel snakes from your house. For instance, you should consider having smells and vibrations that will repel a snake. Vibrations in your home can include a laundry machine or a drier. Smells include house plants that are naturally going to keep snakes away.
One of the most common beliefs is that lime can repel a snake.
What Type of Lime Repels Snakes?
The smell of lime does not affect snakes. It will not deter them as other plants do. And therefore, putting lime juice or peels around your house will do nothing but provide a pleasant smell for you and your family.
However, other options can help to repel snakes. For instance, basil is a great option for an indoor plant to repel snakes naturally. It can also be used in your cooking!
However, if you want to deter snakes, you must deter them from your yard and not wait until they get into your house. A house is a large area, and snakes might hide in a room where they can’t sense the basil or other plants.
What Repels Snakes from Your Yard?
There are so many options when it comes to repelling snakes from your yard. For instance, numerous plants will repel them. Border plants like marigolds are a great option.
Other plants, like garlic, lemongrass, and mother-in-law’s tongue, produce an odor that repels snakes. However, it isn’t because the snakes don’t like the smell. Snakes rely on their sense of smell, and these plants interfere with their hunting capability. Therefore, they will seek an area in which they can hunt better.
Another factor to consider is repelling them through vibrations and regular activities. Snakes will not frequent an area they know is commonly visited by a predator. So if they sense that you are regularly working in an area, they will often stay away from that location.
In addition, they will try to detect vibrations through the ground. Using a natural deterrent like Envirobug helps to maintain a constant vibration in the ground that other animals don’t detect. The snake believes these vibrations are from a large animal, a potential predator, and will try to run away from the area.
Essentially you are using the snake’s poor hearing to trick it. However, it is a natural, non-harmful method to repel the snake from your yard. Envirobugs can be battery or solar-powered and can be used over small and larger areas.
Other ways to repel snakes include ensuring there are no locations for the snake. An open-plan yard can be a good option. If there are no hiding spots for the snake to hide. Therefore, they will seek refuge elsewhere.
Finally, you can use fox urine as a way to deter snakes. You can buy this deterrent from numerous outdoor sports stores, especially in states where there is a big hunting community. Snakes will stay away from areas with large fox populations as this is one of their biggest predators.
What Repels Snakes Naturally?
Snakes are a natural and beneficial part of local and national ecosystems. However, that doesn’t mean that you want them in your yard. Natural deterrents are much more effective than laying traps to kill snakes and more beneficial to the local environment.
By using natural behaviors and knowing how a snake’s senses work, you can put up several discrete and natural repellents that will significantly reduce the number of snakes visiting your property. At the same time, these options can be beneficial for you and your garden.