As snake season begins in Georgia, homeowners should take proactive steps to keep snakes out of their yards. Snakes are typically attracted to food, water, and shelter, so maintaining a tidy yard, eliminating rodent problems, securing fencing with snake-proof barriers, and using natural repellents can significantly reduce the likelihood of encounters. Homeowners should also address standing water, clean up outdoor clutter, and learn to identify common Georgia snakes—both venomous and nonvenomous. When in doubt or dealing with repeated sightings, professional wildlife removal services can offer safe solutions.
Spring and summer aren’t just about warm weather and blooming flowers—these warmer months also signal the start of snake season, especially in Georgia. While snakes play an essential role in our ecosystem, many homeowners prefer to keep them out of their yards and away from their children or pets.
Today, we’re bringing you several tips to reduce the number of snakes in your yard, as well as what to do if you spot any. Let’s dive into your ultimate guide on snake-repellent strategies to keep your yard snake-free.
Why Do Snakes Enter Yards?
To understand how to keep snakes away, it’s important to first understand what draws them to your yard in the first place. When a snake enters your yard, it is likely on the hunt for:
- Food sources, including rodents, frogs, and birds
- Shelter, including rock piles, dense shrubbery, and cluttered areas
- Water sources, including bird baths, garden ponds, and leaking hoses
If your yard offers ample amounts of food, shelter, and water, you’re likely to encounter a snake or two when out and about.
Effective Tips to Keep Snakes Away from Your Yard
To discourage snakes from using your yard as their home and hunting grounds, there are a few things you can do:
1. Maintain Your Lawn and Landscaping
Snakes love tall grass and thick shrubs because they provide decent hiding spots and nesting places. If you have both, regularly mow your lawn, trim bushes, and remove heavy brush or leaf piles to remove these hiding spots and discourage snakes from using your property.
2. Remove Snake Attractants
Snakes eat several small animals, including rats and mice. If you have a rat or mouse problem at your house, it’s critical to address the issue to eliminate these potential food sources. Rats and mice can be attracted to birdseed or pet food, so keep both indoors and securely stored. Call your trusted local pest control company if rodents persist.
3. Secure Your Property Perimeter
It’s possible to keep snakes out of your yard or specific areas in your yard by modifying your fencing with snake-proof solutions or installing new fencing and adding snake-specific barriers to it. Attaching metal mesh, a wire fabric, to your existing fence is a highly effective way to keep snakes out. Whether it’s a grid or lattice pattern, metal mesh has openings that are usually no larger than ¼ inch, allowing it to keep even young baby snakes away. When installing metal mesh, be sure to bury it a few inches into the soil so that snakes cannot dig beneath it, and make sure it is at least three feet in height so they cannot crawl over it.
4. Use Natural Snake Repellents
Planting certain plants or applying certain natural repellents can deter snakes from wanting to enter your yard.
Snake-repellent plants include:
- Holly
- Lavender
- Marigolds
- Lemongrass
- Onions and garlic
Other snake repellents include:
- Cinnamon essential oil
- Clove essential oil
- Cedarwood essential oil
- Sulfur powder
- Vinegar
Plant, spray, or sprinkle these repellents around the perimeter of your yard or the areas of your yard where you don’t want to see snakes.
5. Limit Water Sources
Snakes are often searching for sources of water, especially in the really hot months from June to August. Discourage them from coming into your yard for water by regularly emptying standing water sources such as birdbaths, buckets, or kiddie pools. If you have any leaking outdoor faucets and hoses, fix them promptly to stop the water from attracting snakes.
6. Organize Outdoor Spaces
Snakes love hiding places, and they find them in cluttered and disorganized places. If you have piles of branches, woodpiles, rocks, lawn maintenance tools, or even children’s toys anywhere in your yard, clear them out. Doing so removes sources of shelter and safe places for snakes to nest in your yard.
7. Professional Snake Removal
If you encounter venomous snakes or continue to deal with recurring snake issues, consult with wildlife removal professionals in Georgia who can safely and humanely handle snake removals.
Common Snakes Found in Georgia Yards
When identifying snakes in Georgia, it’s important to know whether the snake is venomous or nonvenomous.
Nonvenomous snakes include:
- Brown snakes
- Common garter snake
- Earth snakes
- Kingsnakes
- Mud snake
- Rat snakes
- Rough green snake
- Watersnakes
Venomous snakes include:
- Copperhead
- Cottonmouth (also called water moccasin)
- Pygmy rattlesnake
- Eastern coral snake
- Eastern diamondback rattlesnake
- Timber rattlesnake
Learn to identify these snakes to know when professional intervention is necessary.
Safety First: Tips to Consider if You Encounter a Snake in Your Yard
If you spot a snake in your yard:
- Keep a safe distance.
- Do not attempt to handle or harm the snake.
- Contact a professional wildlife removal company if you’re unsure about identification or removal.
Being safe but proactive is key to managing snake season effectively. By applying these yard management and safety tips, you can greatly reduce unwanted snake encounters, creating a safer and more enjoyable outdoor living space for yourself, your family, and your visitors.
If you need a snake removed from your property in Winder, Georgia, and the surrounding communities, call Bizzy Bee Exterminators at 1-800-273-4958.
Call us for snake removal and other pest control today: 1-800-273-4958
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