Keeping snakes away

LEMONGRASS is a great herb to grow in your homestead. It repels mosquitoes, ticks and snakes. Plant lemongrass around the compound to keep snakes away. You can also pot it and place it indoors in winter. It is also ideal to place several pots outside, around your deck, in summer, when the bugs and serpents are common.

Garlic spray

Garlic and onions are believed to repel snakes because they contain sulfonic acid. Sulfonic acid is a chemical that causes people to cry when they chop onions. Infuse some oil with garlic and make sure the odour is potent. Use the spray in areas that you want to repel snakes away from, although it is largely perfect for doorways, windowsills, crawl spaces, basements, chicken coops and compounds. However, you need to reapply it after a heavy rain or every fortnight to maintain its effectiveness.

Mother-in-law herb

The herb has sharp leaves that repel a snake’s senses. It is also known as the snake plant. It does not have an odour but repels by affecting the snake’s senses. The plant is easy to grow, as it needs to be watered at least once in a fortnight. In cooler zones, this does better as a potted plant, which is set outside in warmer months.

Clove and cinnamon oil

Most commercially available natural snake repellent products contain these two essential oils. Mix the two and spray with caution directly on snake zones. You can also use this mixture on any porous surface such as a wood deck around your home. Reapply the spray regularly, especially after heavy rains. Note that it does not work well on hard surfaces.

Keep a snake’s food sources minimum

Snakes’ primary food sources are rodents. Rodents love to hang out in places where they can hide, for example, tall grass, overgrown shrubbery, overgrown plants and garden areas where there is a lot of cover. Maintain trimmed and cleaned up spaces around your property to curb snake activity.

Eliminate hiding places

Snakes like hiding in wood piles and crevices. When snakes are active, they are mostly seen peeking their heads out from between the wood. If you have a woodshed that locks, do that. If you do not, store your wood away from the main parts of your property. Keep all scrap metal, trash, compost piles and leaf piles away from the main area of your property. Check your home for cracks and broken screens to ensure snakes cannot find a way in.

Keep feed tightly enclosed

Where you attract rodents, you also attract snakes. Keep all feed and pet food in a tightly closed container. Metal trash cans with tight-fitting lids are also the best option.

Get some chickens, pigs and/or guinea fowl

Having these scavenge in grass around the compound has an advantage. Although they may be noisy, they will most definitely eat snakes and ticks. Pigs are a natural predator of snakes, hence a great addition to your homestead if there is space.

Cedar oil

Cedar oil has a powerful scent and gives off phenols that repel snakes. You can use cedar oil anywhere you do not want snakes to come around. One can also use cedar shavings in places that are prone to snake problems. Simply spread the shavings around the place.

Vinegar

Vinegar is also effective in keeping snakes out of water bodies like ponds and swimming pools. Pour some vinegar into the water and keep snakes at bay. — Wires.