Nov 13, 2020 | Wildlife
The last thing anyone wants to encounter when spending time outdoors is a snake. In Georgia, there are 46 native species of snakes and only 6 of those are venomous (the copperhead, pigmy rattlesnake, timber rattlesnake, cottonmouth, eastern diamondback rattlesnake, and eastern coral snake). Although they can be quite scary when stumbled upon, they are actually quite beneficial to have around. Snakes are top predators, eating rats, mice, and other small mammals. Some even eat other venomous snakes! There are only an average of 8000 snakebites nationwide each year.
Snakes are most commonly found in backyards, parks, and woodlands. Many species will spend most of their time underground, only coming out to hunt and feed. Larger snakes will often shelter in brush piles or stacks of firewood. Water snakes are usually found in areas that border streams, lakes, swamps, and ponds.
Snake season officially begins in the spring, usually around March or April, and runs through late fall and winter. The end of snake season depends on weather patterns and geographic locations. In southern states with warmer climates, snakes will remain active longer than in northern states when it gets colder sooner.
Because snakes are coldblooded, they are less active in cooler months. Where do snakes go in the winter? Many snakes will go into a state of brumation, which is similar to hibernation but doesn’t require the same amount of sleep. In brumation, snakes will wake to forage for food and water, especially during warm snaps when temperatures increase periodically. Because they use less energy, they can go longer between feedings.
If you encounter a snake, whether outdoors or inside your home, there are a few tips you should keep in mind:
- Familiarize yourself with the venomous snake species common in your area and how to recognize them.
- Try to identify the snake without getting too close to it.
- Give the snake space.
- If spending time outdoors, wear closed-toed shoes and long pants.
- Remove any brush, log piles and other attractants for rodents from around your home.
- Seal up any cracks, gaps, and holes that snakes can use to get into.
- Remember that non-venomous snakes are protected by law in Georgia.
Although snake bites are rare, it’s best to leave handling and removal of snakes to the professionals. If you encounter a snake in or near your property, contact a wildlife control company who can safely and quickly remove the offending snake.
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Aug 27, 2020 | Wildlife
Snakes are one of the most feared pests homeowners can find in their yards. The likelihood of snakes coming onto your property depends on several factors like your location, surrounding landscape, nearby water source, available food supply, and your landscaping and maintenance. While the first instinct is usually to either run or get rid of it quickly, snakes can actually be pretty beneficial to have around. Instead of killing snakes, some people prefer to try and repel them to keep them from coming into the yard in the first place, or deter them from staying there if they’ve already taken up residence. There are several snake repellent products on the market, but do any of them really work? Here are some of the most common snake repellents, the reasons why you should avoid them, and some snake prevention tips you can use around your home.
Video Transcript
Seeing a snake in your yard is enough to make your heart skip a beat. But before you panic or try a quick fix, pause.
Most snake repellents you’ve heard about are actually myths. Moth balls, sulfur, sticky traps, even fake eggs don’t drive snakes away.
Worse, many are dangerous for kids, pets, and harmless wildlife. What does work is prevention. First, remove the food source. Snakes follow rodents.
Bring pet food inside. Clean up fallen fruit and be mindful with bird feeders.
No food means no reason to stay. Second, keep your yard trimmed. Tall grass and overgrown shrubs give snakes places to hide. A clean, open lawn makes your yard far less inviting. Finally, check your landscaping. Wood piles, thick mulch, and large rocks are perfect hiding spots. Elevate firewood, and clear out debris. Most snakes are just passing through, and a few smart changes can keep it that way. When you’re ready to call a professional for a peaceful home, feel free to reach out to our team at Northwest Exterminating.
Mothballs
Mothballs are one of the most popular snake repellent products. The active ingredient in mothballs is either naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene. Both of these products are known to be toxic to insects and mammals but are actually not effective on snakes (because they are actually reptiles). In fact, naphthalene has been proven to cause illness in humans (especially children) and pets. Additionally, using mothballs outside the home actually violates their product labels.
Sulfur
Sulfur is another common snake repellent ingredient and is often seen in many commercial snake repellent products on the market. Sulfur has been proven to not be effective against snakes, however, much the same as mothballs.
Fake Eggs
When snakes are terrorizing a chicken coop, many people will use ceramic or wooden eggs or even golf balls to trick snakes into eating them instead of real chicken eggs. The problem, however, is that when snakes eat these fake eggs they die a long, slow, painful death over the course of many weeks. Once they’re gone, another snake will often show up and take its place, defeating the purpose of eliminating the original snake. If you are using ceramic eggs to encourage your hens to lay, make sure to glue them down so snakes can’t eat them accidentally.
Releasing Other Snakes
Many people will catch and release predatory snakes like king snakes and racers onto their property to hunt and kill the problematic snakes they have. This practice is usually unsuccessful and in some places is even against the law. The same goes for capturing the problematic snakes on your property and releasing them elsewhere.
Sticky Traps
Some people will lay out sticky traps in hopes of catching the nuisance snake so they can kill it or relocate it. The problem with this method is that the sticky traps will often catch non-targeted animals instead of the snake, resulting in a slow, agonizing death for the animal.
Weapons
Many people employ guns or shovels to kill snakes that come onto their property. This puts people at great risk for injury either from the snake going on the defensive and biting its attacker or from the homeowner or innocent bystanders being injured by ricocheting bullets, etc. Once the snake is killed, it is often replaced by another snake that takes its place. A better deterrent for snakes is to spray them with a blast from the water hose. This encourages them to find a new location without harming them or anyone else.
Prevention
Instead of using ineffective snake repellent products and methods, consider going to the source of the problem to help get rid of it. Snakes will come into your yard because they are attracted to something there – whether it is a water source, food source, or a place to shelter. Eliminating what attracts them will help keep them out and encourage them to find a different location to live in. Here are some snake prevention tips you can utilize to help make your yard less inviting to them.
- Feed your pets inside. Rodents are attracted to pet food and snakes are attracted to rodents. By feeding and watering pets inside or bringing their food and water bowls inside when not in use is a good way to help prevent rodents which, in turn, helps prevent snakes.
- Clean up debris. Debris and leaf piles in your yard are a huge attractant to rodents which will then attract snakes. These piles also provide excellent sources of shelter for snakes to hide. Clean up any debris piles (sticks, brush, tree limbs, etc) and piles of leaves or mulch them to get rid of them.
- Cut the grass. Tall grass provides ideal cover for snakes to hide in. Keeping the grass cut shorter gives them less coverage and also makes them much easier to spot in your yard.
- Avoid birdhouses. Snakes will eat small birds, as well as rodents who feed on spilled birdseed. Some snakes are also excellent climbers and will use this to their advantage to feast on birds feeding on the feeders. If you do use a birdhouse, make sure it is placed on a metal pole or a wood post that is wrapped in metal sheeting. You can also try to avoid using the bird feeder until the colder months when snakes are less active and less likely to frequent the area.
- Use up firewood. Woodpiles make an excellent spot for snakes to hide in, especially over winter. Try to use up all of your firewood before the weather warms up and snakes become more active. If you don’t use it all up, try to keep it stored at least 1 foot off the ground.
- Clean up fallen fruit. Fallen fruit from trees and plants will attract a variety of pests including rodents. Snakes will then follow these rodents as a food source. Make sure to pick up and dispose of any fallen fruit on a regular basis.
- Get rid of mulch. Mulch and pine straw home to several invertebrates that are a prime food source for snakes. Snakes will also use this groundcover as shelter for themselves. Consider using an alternative to mulch or pine straw in your landscape design. The same goes for using large rocks in your landscaping. Snakes like to get under these large rocks to breed and overwinter during the colder months.
- Avoid garden ponds. Garden ponds are another landscaping feature that draw snakes in. It is a readily available source of water. It also attracts frogs and other animals that snakes will gravitate to as a food source.
- Trim trees and shrubs. Overgrown trees and shrubs provide cover and shelter for snakes. Keep tree branches and shrubs trimmed back so they are not touching the house or garage. Branches should also be trimmed so they are off the ground, ideally with a 24″ to 36″ space underneath. This not only helps eliminate places for snakes to take cover but also helps make them easier to spot if they do get under them.
- Install a perch pole. Natural predators to snakes, such as hawks and owls, will be attracted to a perch pole. This is a good way to utilize natural resources for snake prevention. Place the perch pole in an open area of your yard so the birds will have a good view of the entire area.
- Install fencing. If all else fails, consider installing fencing to keep snakes out. Fencing should be buried a few inches into the ground and should be made up of 1/4″ or smaller rigid mesh. The fencing should also have a bend at the top to keep snakes from being able to climb over it. Some companies even make wildlife specific fencing options.
The large majority of snakes you will encounter in your yard are harmless to humans. All snakes (even venomous snakes) are beneficial and play an important role in the ecosystem. Many snakes eat garden pests like slugs and snails, helping protect your plants and flowers. Some snakes eat rodents, helping control their populations and keeping them from spreading diseases to you, your family, your pets, and your livestock. There are even studies showing where rattlesnakes help keep Lyme disease in check. If you’ve tried the tips above and you still have an issue with snakes or any other pests, contact your local pest control company for a comprehensive evaluation and treatment plan.
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Mar 13, 2020 | DIY, DIY Wildlife Prevention, Wildlife
If you live in an area where snakes are common, chances are you may stumble across one at some point. Snakes, like any other pest, are usually in search of three things: food, water, and shelter. Oftentimes the area around our homes provides all of these things that attract snakes.
The likelihood of a snake on your property depends on several factors, including location (north vs south), landscape (urban vs rural), a nearby water source (pond, lake, river), how well your lawn is landscaped and maintained, and how readily a food supply is available.
When dealing with snakes, it is important to identify the type of snake you are dealing with: venomous snakes should be left to a professional to eliminate while non-venomous snakes can often be deterred with natural snake repellent techniques. Here are 4 ways to keep snakes out of your yard:
1. Scare Them Off
One of the easiest ways to scare off a snake from your yard is to use your garden hose. Spray the snake with a steady stream from the hose until he slithers off. Consider installing a perch pole for hawks, owls, and other natural snake predators to alight on. Be sure to place it in an open area so the birds have a good view of your yard and the surrounding area.
2. Repel Them Away
There are some natural products and at-home techniques you can use for snake prevention. Ammonia is a common snake repellent. Snakes hate the smell of ammonia and won’t come near it. Soak rags in ammonia and place them in unsealed plastic bags. Leave the bags where you usually see snakes to keep them away.
You can also use vinegar to keep snakes and other pests out of your swimming pool. Pour white vinegar around the perimeter of the pool. Snakes can absorb the vinegar through their skin, so they will avoid slithering over it once it’s poured on the ground. Snakes also try to avoid humans at all costs. Save hair from your hairbrush and scatter it around the perimeter of your property to help keep snakes away.
3. Don’t Invite Them In
Snakes will come into your yard in search of food, water, and shelter. Eliminating these three basic necessities will make them much less likely to pay you a visit. Mow your grass often and keep it cut short. Shorter grass means more exposure to predators like hawks and coyotes and also makes them much easier for you to spot.
Avoid overwatering your lawn, as this can attract snake food sources like frogs, worms, and slugs. Keep trees, shrubs, and branches trimmed away from the sides of your house, the roof, and the ground. Try to keep a 24 to 36-inch space cleared under trees and shrubs, as this reduces the chance of snakes using them for cover and makes them easier to spot. Move bird feeders away from the house or get rid of them altogether.
Birds often leave seeds scattered underneath which attracts rodents that, in turn, attract snakes. Keep bird seed and pet food stored in metal cans with tight-fitting lids.
Make sure your woodpile is kept away from the home and elevated if possible. When designing your landscaping, try not to use mulch or large rocks, as these create breeding grounds and overwintering habitats for snakes. Instead, try to use smaller, tight-fitting rocks like gravel or river rock. Also, try to avoid using water features and Koi ponds as the water can also attract snakes.
4. Lock Them Out
Snakes can be very persistent pests, and keeping them out can be difficult. Carefully inspect the outside of your home and seal any cracks or crevices you find on the house, sidewalk, and foundations. Consider installing fencing around your yard, garden, or pool.
Fencing should be buried a few inches into the ground and constructed using 1/4″ rigid mesh or solid sheeting. Fencing should also include a bend at the top to prevent snakes from climbing up and over. There are some companies that even make wildlife-specific fencing.
The best way to prevent snakes is to take steps to keep them out in the first place. Dealing with snakes can be dangerous, depending on the type of snake you have. If you have a snake problem, contact animal control or a professional wildlife control company that can help safely trap, relocate, or remove the nuisance snake from your home.
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Apr 26, 2019 | Pest Control, Wildlife
By Anna V., Editorial Lead — Pest Education · Last updated: April 2026
When a snake shows up in your yard or near the foundation, the instinct is almost always the same: go to Google and search for something to make it go away. Mothballs. Garlic. Essential oils. Ultrasonic stakes. At Northwest, we get asked about home remedies to keep snakes away almost every warm-weather day, and here’s the honest version most homeowners don’t hear: the vast majority of DIY snake remedies don’t work, and a few are actually illegal or dangerous. What does work is nearly always free, already in your toolshed, and takes a Saturday morning.
This guide walks through the most common home remedies for keeping snakes away, which ones have any real science behind them, which ones are outright myths, and what’s actually effective in a Georgia or Alabama yard. We’ll also cover where snakes go in cold weather (the question we get every fall) and how to quickly tell a harmless snake from one that needs a pro.
Why Snakes Come Into Residential Properties
Before you can keep snakes away, it helps to know why they showed up. Snakes don’t pick yards at random. They follow food, shelter, and water, in that order.
- Food: Rodents, frogs, lizards, and large insects. If you have a mouse problem in the crawl space or under the deck, you’ll eventually have a snake problem.
- Shelter: Wood piles, rock piles, thick mulch beds, tall grass, debris along the fence line, untrimmed shrubs touching the foundation.
- Water: Standing puddles, dripping outdoor faucets, leaky AC condensate lines, overwatered flower beds, low spots in the lawn.
- Easy access: Gaps around dryer vents, foundation cracks, torn crawl-space screens, missing weatherstripping on garage doors.
Remove those four things and snake activity drops fast, with or without a single bottle of repellent.
Common Home Remedies to Keep Snakes Away: What the Evidence Actually Says
Here’s how the most-searched home remedies stack up in the research and in the field.
Home remedies fall into three buckets: works, doesn’t work, and actively unsafe.
Mothballs
Mothballs are the single most common home remedy we hear about, and the single worst one. Their active ingredients (naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene) are registered pesticides with very specific label instructions that limit use to closed containers indoors for clothing moths. Scattering mothballs outdoors to keep snakes away is against federal label law per the EPA. They’re also toxic to pets, kids, and wildlife, and contaminate soil and groundwater. On top of all that, the research shows they don’t actually repel snakes. This is a “worse than useless” remedy: it creates real health risk while producing no benefit.
Ammonia-Soaked Rags
Ammonia is another scent-based remedy that circulates online. In practice, the vapor dissipates within a day, the first rain washes it out completely, and ammonia kills surrounding grass and plants. Snakes route around treated spots if anything, but don’t avoid the yard. Skip it.
Garlic, Onions, and Cinnamon Oil
These show up in almost every online list of home remedies for snakes. The idea is that strong botanical scents overwhelm a snake’s chemical-sensing system. The science is thin. Snakes navigate primarily via the Jacobson’s organ on the roof of their mouth, which processes airborne chemicals very differently than a mammal’s nose. A snake hunting a mouse isn’t going to be turned back by a border of onions. These remedies can provide a very short-term deterrent effect at best, and only at high concentrations close to the application point.
Essential Oil Sprays
Cedarwood, clove, peppermint, and cinnamon oil sprays are the “natural” version of a commercial snake repellent. At close range and high concentration, they may nudge a snake off a specific path for a few hours. They evaporate fast in summer heat, wash out with the first rain, and do nothing to address the reason the snake came. Use them as a short-term spot treatment if you’re so inclined, but never as a standalone plan.
Sulfur-Based Products
Granular sulfur products marketed as snake repellents have mixed evidence at best. Some studies suggest minor avoidance behavior; most show no meaningful effect. Sulfur can also irritate pets’ paws and contribute to an unpleasant smell around the yard. Not unsafe, but not reliable either.
Ultrasonic and Vibration Stakes
The marketing on these is aggressive, the research is not. Snakes don’t hear airborne sound the way mammals do. They sense low-frequency vibration through the ground. Solar-powered ultrasonic stakes emit sound waves that snakes mostly ignore. Independent testing has not shown a consistent repellent effect.
Fake Owl Decoys, Snake Decoys, and Rope Circles
Plastic owls might fool a few snakes for a week. Decoy king snakes might deter a copperhead momentarily. A rope laid in a circle around your tent (a long-running outdoor myth) does nothing. Snakes adapt fast to anything that doesn’t move. Skip.
What Actually Works to Keep Snakes Away
Almost without exception, the effective ways to keep snakes away are free. They’re not remedies, they’re habits.
- Habitat modification. Short grass, clear fence lines, no wood or rock piles within 20 feet of the house, mulch beds kept thin and tidy.
- Rodent control. Get mice under control and snake activity drops sharply. Snakes follow their food. Professional rodent control is the single highest-impact change most homes can make for long-term snake prevention.
- Exclusion. Seal every gap in the foundation, around utility penetrations, at crawl-space vents, and under garage side doors. Use ¼-inch galvanized hardware cloth. Expanding foam alone won’t hold up.
- Moisture control. Fix leaky faucets, redirect gutter runoff, don’t over-irrigate. Dry yards are less attractive to snakes and the prey they eat.
We covered the detailed seven-method playbook in our Snake Repellent: Natural & Effective Ways to Keep Snakes Away article. This post stays focused on the myth-busting side.
Snakes don’t leave for winter. They shelter in piles, burrows, and crawl spaces and emerge on warm days.
Where Do Snakes Go in Cold Weather?
One of the most common questions we get in October and November is whether snakes “leave for the winter” in Georgia and Alabama. They don’t, not exactly. Snakes are cold-blooded, so when temperatures drop they enter a state called brumation, which is similar to hibernation but not identical. They don’t sleep through winter; they slow way down and shelter in protected, insulated spots.
In the Southeast, those spots are often:
- Rock piles, wood piles, and dense leaf litter
- Abandoned rodent burrows (which is why a mouse problem in October becomes a snake problem in March)
- Crawl spaces and basement crevices, especially homes without sealed vents or where screen is torn
- Gaps under concrete porches, sheds, and slab additions
- Root balls, tree hollows, and stump cavities
Warm winter afternoons in the South will often bring snakes out briefly to bask, even in January. If you see a snake on a 65-degree February day, it hasn’t “woken up early.” It’s just thermoregulating. The bigger story is where it’s spending the rest of the season, because that shelter spot is almost certainly on or under your property.
What Kind of Snake Is That? A Quick Southeast Field Guide
Most snake sightings in Georgia and Alabama yards turn out to be non-venomous species. Knowing what you’re looking at dramatically changes how much action is needed.
- Eastern Rat Snake (Black Rat Snake), non-venomous. Long, black, strong climber. Often found in attics and shrubs hunting rodents. One of the best natural rodent controls you can have on a property.
- Black Racer, non-venomous. Slender, fast, solid jet-black. Harmless. Feeds on insects, lizards, and small rodents.
- Garter Snake, non-venomous. Small, striped, common near gardens, water features, and rock edges.
- Kingsnake, non-venomous. Black with pale bands. Notable because it actually eats venomous snakes. Leave it alone if you can.
- Copperhead, venomous. Tan body, dark hourglass banding. Hides in pine straw and leaf litter, which makes it the cause of most venomous bites in the Southeast. If you see one, back up and call.
- Cottonmouth / Water Moccasin, venomous. Thick-bodied, found in or near water. Will stand its ground rather than retreat. Call a pro.
- Timber Rattlesnake, venomous. Less common in suburban yards, more common in wooded lots, rural properties, and at elevation. Distinctive rattle, heavy body.
When in doubt, the UGA Extension guide to Snakes of Georgia is the best free identification resource for the region.
When Home Remedies Aren’t Enough
DIY approaches top out fast. Here’s when to stop experimenting and call a professional:
- You’ve confirmed or suspect a venomous species on the property.
- A snake has been inside the house, garage, crawl space, or attic. Inside means an entry point that needs finding and sealing, not a remedy.
- You’re seeing snakes repeatedly in the same spot. More than two sightings in the same part of the yard within a season means there’s harborage or a food source you haven’t found.
- There are kids, pets, or people with limited mobility on the property. The cost-benefit of a professional inspection shifts the moment safety tolerance drops.
(Not sure if it’s time to call? Request a free Northwest inspection and we’ll walk the yard with you, identify what you saw, and lay out what’s worth doing.)
Professional Snake Control & Prevention
Northwest’s wildlife team handles the full snake-control workflow: identification, safe and humane removal, sealing the entry points that let snakes in, and treating the underlying rodent or moisture issue that drew them in the first place. Most of what we do isn’t catching snakes. It’s removing the reason snakes keep showing up. That’s the difference between a one-time removal that repeats next season and a long-term solution.
Frequently Asked Questions About Keeping Snakes Away
Do snake repellents really work?
Most commercial and home-remedy snake repellents offer limited, short-term effects at best. The most reliable way to keep snakes away is removing what attracts them in the first place: rodents, hiding places, standing water, and gaps in the home’s perimeter.
What smells keep snakes away?
Snakes show some sensitivity to strong scents like cinnamon, clove, and cedarwood, but these smells don’t stop a snake tracking prey. Treat scent-based remedies as supplemental at best and never as a standalone plan.
Are snakes dangerous to pets?
Most snakes you’ll encounter in a Southeast yard are non-venomous and not a threat to pets. Copperheads, cottonmouths, and rattlesnakes are the three venomous species most likely to injure a dog or cat. If your pet is bitten, assume venomous until proven otherwise and go straight to a vet.
Should I try to remove a snake myself?
No, not if you can’t confidently identify it as non-venomous, and not if it’s inside the home. Non-venomous snakes in the yard can usually be left alone or gently encouraged to move on by turning on a sprinkler. Anything else is a job for a pro.
Do mothballs really keep snakes away?
No. Mothballs are not an effective snake repellent and are illegal to use outdoors for that purpose under federal pesticide law. They’re also toxic to pets, kids, and the environment. Skip them entirely.
When home remedies stop working, it’s time to address the rodent or moisture issue feeding the problem.
Ready to Actually Keep Snakes Away?
If you’ve tried a home remedy or two and the snakes keep coming back, the problem isn’t the remedy. It’s the yard. Northwest has been solving snake problems in Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and South Carolina homes for over 70 years, and we solve them by addressing the cause, not just the sighting.
About the Author
Anna V., Editorial Lead — Pest Education leads pest education content for Northwest Exterminating, working with senior technicians and service center managers across our Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and South Carolina service areas to translate field expertise into homeowner-friendly guides. The focus: accurate, regionally-specific answers to the pest questions Southeast homeowners are actually searching for.
