Snakes are common animals in many places around the world, and if you have a large yard with lots of plants and lots of insects, chances are you will come across snakes a lot. The presence of snakes signifies a healthy ecosystem. However, the appearance of a snake in your yard can be unsettling and even dangerous if the snake is venomous. For non-venomous snakes in the house, you can leave them alone because these animals will find their way out on their own and leave your house. If you want a more practical method of getting rid of snakes, just use a broom to push the snake out of the house.
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Method 1 of 3: Repel Snakes in the House
Step 1. Call a snake charmer if you are concerned the snake is venomous
If you are reluctant to handle snakes (even if they are not venomous), you should not handle them yourself. Call the snake charmer to catch and retrieve it. Venomous snakes should be handled by a specialist, such as a snake charmer or wildlife control officer.
- Try to lock the snake into one of the rooms. If a snake appears in the laundry room, for example, close the door and place a towel in the gap under the door to prevent the snake from getting out.
- Keep pets and children away from the area until the snake charmer arrives to catch them.
Step 2. Let the snake find its own way out of the house
If given the time and opportunity, most snakes will come out of your house on their own. If there is a snake in the garage or in a room leading out, close the door on the inside and open the door leading out to let the snake out of the room on its own.
The snake will come out quickly. This is an easy and reliable method rather than a more aggressive method. Aggressive methods can scare away snakes and make them hide in hard-to-reach places in your home
Step 3. Use a broom to put the snake into the large trash can
If you want to deal with it yourself, try the snake expulsion method that people are used to. First, place a large trash can with a rolled position in the room the snake entered. Then push the snake with a broom into the trash can. After the snake enters the trash can, stand up and close the trash can tightly.
Once secured in the trash, take the snake to the forest or other area away from home. Roll over the trash can, gently remove the lid, and let the snake crawl out
Step 4. Use traps to catch snakes in the house
If you suspect a snake in the garage, attic, basement, or other place in the house, spread the trap along the walls in the area. The snake will crawl over or inside the trap and get stuck there. Next, you or the snake charmer can safely take the snake out of the house.
- If you catch a non-venomous snake, place the trap in a bucket and then take the snake outside or to an area where you want to release it. Douse the snake with vegetable oil so that the snake escapes the trap and runs away.
- Check the trap daily to see if any snakes are trapped. If you don't check it every day, the snake could starve to death if it gets trapped there.
Method 2 of 3: Repel Snakes Outside the House
Step 1. Let the snake go by itself
If you encounter a non-venomous snake, the easiest way to get rid of it is to let the snake go out on its own from your yard. Snakes that are outside the house are not a serious problem and will leave when the time is right. However, if there are children or pets in your home, keep them away from snakes. Non-venomous snakes can even make a painful bite.
If you often encounter snakes near your home, the important thing you need to do is to take precautions, not to expel them one by one
Step 2. Spray the snake using a water hose
If you find a non-venomous snake hanging around your house and you want to get rid of it somewhere else, all you have to do is spray the snake and direct it where you want it. Use a garden hose to lightly spray the snake until it moves away from your house and yard.
This method is especially suitable for grass snakes (a type of garter snake that lives in Asia) and other snakes that you know are harmless
Step 3. Get rid of snakes that enter the water using a pool scoop
If a snake falls into the pool, you can safely remove it using a pool dip or other tool with a net. Small, non-venomous snakes on patios or grass can also be picked up with a pond scoop. Don't grip the snake too tightly so it doesn't break the bone.
Take the snake to the back of the house or to an area with lots of trees and release it there
Step 4. Set a snake trap for the outdoors
Snake traps for outdoors are usually in the form of a plastic box that is baited with a substance or aroma that can lure snakes into it. The box has a special shape that makes the snake unable to get out once it gets inside. Place the trap in an area where snakes frequently roam.
If the snake is already in the trap, take it to a wooded area and release it there
Method 3 of 3: Preventing Snakes From Coming Back
Step 1. Prune the plants that are in the backyard
Snakes like places where there are lots of bushes and tall grass. So, mow the grass and shrubs regularly so that your yard doesn't attract snakes. Cut the grass in the yard and remove fallen logs, hollow plant stumps, or other places where snakes can live. Take the following steps to keep your yard from becoming infested with snakes:
- Place wood and boards at least half a meter off the ground. Store compost and mulch away from home.
- Get rid of bushes and other dense plants that snakes usually live in.
Step 2. Remove the snake's food source
Snakes prey on crickets, mice, and other insects. If you remove these animals from your home and yard, the snake will look for food elsewhere. Cover the holes made by the rodents using soil and stones so that these animals cannot enter the yard. Keep the yard clear of seeds, small fruits, nuts that fall from trees, and lumps of compost that fall from the pile. All of these are food sources for insects and rodents.
We recommend that you keep insects and rodents out of your home by placing traps or using other methods. For more explanation, check out the wikiHow articles on how to get rid of mice and get rid of crickets
Step 3. Close your house tightly
Prevent snakes from getting into your home by checking the foundation for cracks or holes. Cover all gaps tightly with putty or expanding foam (hard foam that can expand to fill gaps). Make sure you've also tightly closed the doors and windows. Place wire mesh in chimneys, vents, and other places where snakes can get into the house.
The diameter of the hole in the gauze should not be more than 0.5 cm so that the snake cannot penetrate it
Step 4. Spray snake repellent around the house and yard
Snake repellent is usually sold in liquid form, which can be sprayed on the exterior walls of the house. It is also sold in powder form which can be sprinkled all over the yard. Snake repellent is an environmentally friendly material and is harmless to pets or grass.
You can buy a variety of commercial snake repellents at a hardware or gardening supply store. You can also buy it on the internet
Tips
- Most snakes that people encounter in their homes or yards are non-venomous. This animal rarely bites, and if it does bite, the bite does not contain venom.
- If you see a non-venomous snake in your yard, just let it go by itself. Most snakes are harmless and play an important role in the environment in the yard because they can control pest populations, such as crickets and rodents.
- Many gardeners are delighted to see a snake or two roaming the lawn. Snakes will protect flowers and vegetables from attacks by other animals.
Warning
- Do not allow any animals to remain attached to the glue trap. Check the trap often to make sure that the animal is not suffering. It's possible that the animal's face may have stuck to the glue and caused it to suffocate, or that its skin might have torn off when it tried to escape.
- Never touch a snake unless you are sure that it is harmless.
- If you are bitten by a venomous snake, make sure someone knows what type of snake it is. This is very useful to determine the treatment so that the doctor can give the right antivenom to cure the bite.
- A non-venomous snake bite will bleed more than a venomous snake bite. This happens because the saliva of non-venomous snakes contains substances that can prevent the blood clotting process. In addition, this type of snake also often bites many times.
- Be aware that in many countries (besides the US), wildlife control officers only deal with local animals and do not want to deal with snakes. Maybe you should contact a wild animal catcher or snake charmer and pay for it.
