Snake Control: How To Get Rid of Snakes

This page is a general Snake control guide. Using the products and methods suggested you will lessen the likelihood of Snakes in your property. Follow this guide and use the recommended products and we guarantee a great reduction in your Snake population.

If you think that the snake you're dealing with might be venomous, you should call an animal control specialist without hesitation. Even if you think it might not be venomous, it’s always preferable to call for professional help. Animal control will easily trap and remove the snake from your premises. 

Snakes are among the most startling discoveries to encounter in your home or place of business. They are especially a problem when the snake is aggressive and carries venom. 

Snakes are distinctive and very recognizable to people due to their unique traits. They can vary greatly in color from black, to red, green, many other colorful patterns in between. Some species of snakes are extremely dangerous and their bites could prove fatal to humans. In the United States alone there are 4 types of venomous snakes that can cause serious injury or can prove fatal to humans. These snakes are Rattlesnakes, Copperheads, Cottonmouths, and Coral Snakes.

While most species of snake prefer habitats out in the wild, they can venture upon residential areas when looking for food. If your yard has lots of yard debris, logs, rocks, woodpiles, and harborage areas where they can hide, snakes will likely visit your lawn. This is even more likely if you have moisture in your backyard, or parts that don't drain well as this will attract frogs, lizards, birds, and other small animals which snakes can feed on.

If you have found a snake in your home or yard, don't panic! The following DIY guide can help you to safely eliminate the threat of a snake on your property the way a professional would.

Identification

Identification is extremely important to apply control. Before you can treat you need to make sure you're dealing with non-venomous snakes or a possibly venomous snake. Since their appearance is widely known we'll describe the common characteristics of the four types of snakes that are venomous in the United States.

• Rattlesnakes may have different coloring or patterns, but they are easily identifiable by their rattles or tails which they shake when they feel threatened. The peculiar trait of having rattles for tails is what makes these snakes unique.
• Copperhead snakes can vary in color from reddish to golden tan. The can be identified by the patterns on their body which is usually hourglass-shaped. They usually measure from 18 to 36 inches in length.
• The Cottonmouth or Water Moccasin is long nearly 50 to 55 inches long. Their color could vary from dark tan to brown to black. The shapes in their body will often be vague or faded but usually look like crossbands. They are most frequently found on near or inside water.
• Coral snakes are relatively thin and are about 24 inches long (or 2 feet). They are often confused with nonvenomous King Snakes, which have the same coloring or pattern. To tell apart a Coral Snake from a King Snake, look at the patterns. If the red bands are touching the yellow bands, then is it venomous Coral Snake. They are most commonly found underneath leaf piles, logs, rocks, and under the ground.
• There are also a number of black snakes such as the Black Swampsnake, Black Rat Snake, the ring-necked snake, Black Pinesnake, Eastern Indigo Snake and the Southern Black Racer. These snakes vary slightly in appearance but are mainly colored black.

If you're dealing with any of these Snakes we suggest you avoid them and call animal control to get them off your property. However, there are many species of Snakes that are venomous (ranging from slightly to highly venomous) and their appearance will vary greatly and most species can deliver painful bites.

If you believe the snake you're dealing with is venomous contact animal control immediately. They will easily trap and remove the snake from your premises. However, if want to handle it on your own continue on with this guide.

Inspection

After you have identified the snake on your property, you can move on with an inspection to find out exactly where the Snakes are visiting your property or where they harboring. During the inspection, you will focus your search on finding these problem areas around your home.

Where To Inspect

Most snakes will be found outdoors so begin your inspection there. Search around your yard or property in yard debris, leaf litter, woodpiles, logs, rocks, in burrows (or holes in the ground), near dense vegetation, in flower beds, near trees. If they have ventured indoors, they may have come up from the plumbing or toilet. They also might hide inside cracks and crevices, behind furniture, in appliances, or any room in the home.

What To Look For

In the yard, you're looking for harborage areas and the Snakes themselves. All the places mentioned above in your yard will provide adequate shelter. Indoors, search in the places mentioned above, but if there's a snake indoors they will make their presence know. Once you have confirmed Snake activity, you're ready to apply treatment.

Treatment

Once you have confirmed Snake activity it is time to begin treatment. Remember to read all product labels and follow the application instructions on these labels and stay safe by wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).

If you personally encounter a snake, do not try to take matters into your own hands and kill the snake because you may get bitten by the snake during your attempt. If you do not see the snake but know they are around, they can be deterred from your yard with the help of a snake repellent such as Snake Out.

Step 1 - Remove Food Sources

If snakes are staying on or around your property for an extended period of time, it is likely there are ample food sources nearby. It is crucial for both control and prevention of snake invasions to remove any food source that may attract snakes.

Snakes, such as black snakes, like to eat small rodents, birds, insects and lizards, so first remove all of these food sources to help you to ward off invasive snakes.

To control rodents in your yard, use Eratication Rodent Bait inside tamper-resistant Solutions Rodent Bait Stations. Eratication is a powerful multi-feed rodenticide bait used to control rats and mice. It also is peanut-butter scented to attract rodents to the bait.

Wear gloves when handling bait and stations. Gloves are important both for safety and to keep human scent off the stations, which deters rodents and makes them shy to try bait. Place 2 to 3 Eratication bait blocks into your station. Each bait block has a pre-drilled hole which allows you to easily slide it onto the supplied metal rods in the bait station's interior.

Place your rodent bait stations along perimeter walls or fence rows. These are areas that rats and mice will typically travel. You will want to place each station about 10 to 15 feet apart to ensure thorough coverage of your area. Check the stations frequently to see if there is any rodent activity.

Step 2 - Apply Supreme IT Insecticide

Supreme IT is a broad-spectrum insecticide that is labeled for treating over 70 different labeled insect pests. It also has a long residual effect that continues to kill for up to 90 days after application.

To apply Supreme IT, simply mix water in a hand pump or hose-end sprayer then add Supreme IT at a rate of 1 oz per gallon to cover 1,000 sq. ft. To accomplish uniform control when applying to dense grass foliage, use volumes of up to 10 gallons per 1.000 sq. ft. Measure the square footage of your lawn to determine how much Supreme IT you need to cover the entire area. Shake well and pump your sprayer.

Broadcast the Supreme IT mixture and spray your entire yard and garden as opposed to spot treating. Use a fan spray setting to get nice uniform coverage.

Next, you should spray a perimeter treatment of Supreme around the outside of your home and structure to create a barrier that will keep beetles out. Spray around doors and windows, around the foundation going up 2 or 3 feet then spray any other possible points of entry.

Step 3 - Apply Snake Repellent

Once you have removed all the sources of food in the proximity of your home and garden, the next step is to utilize a snake repellant like the Reptile Stopper Granular Repellent.

This product will not kill the snake, but will instead disturb the snake with its special blend of natural ingredients that irritate the snake's sense of smell to the point where the snake will leave your property.

Apply Reptile Stopper Granular Repellent liberally to dens, tunnels, entry points, and around plants that need protection. When applying near plants or crops for consumption apply this product as a perimeter treatment. 

Reapply Reptile Stopper Granular Repellent as needed every 30 days. 

Prevention

Once you have removed the snake threat on your property, you don't want them coming back. Consider the following preventative measures to ensure you don't experience a snake slithering onto your property again.

• For starters keep your grass short. Frequently mow your grass to reduce the likelihood of snakes hiding in your lawn. Remove and clean general clutter and yard debris inside your property. This includes leaf litter, woodpiles, logs, rocks, and tree stumps.
• Keep trees and bushes well-groomed by trimming them often and cut them short and away from your property. Get rid of bird feeders, which oftentimes provides them feed when the seeds are spilled.
• Seal cracks and crevices not only in the foundation of your structure but also fix and repair holes in your fence if you have one (if you do not have one, adding a fence can also greatly reduce the likelihood of encountering snakes).
• Use caulking, copper mesh, or pest control foam to seal holes and openings in your foundation to lessen the entry points where they can enter your structure.

Key Takeaways

What are Snakes?

• Snakes are small to medium-sized reptiles that are known to venture onto residential properties when they are hunting for food.
• There are various species of snakes that can be venomous if you're unsure if your snake is venomous contact animal control to get them off your property.

How To Get Rid of Snakes From Your Property

• Snakes trespassing on your property is usually an indicator that you have a rodent problem. Removing them with rodenticides and insecticides like Supreme IT Insecticide will take away a snake's food supply.
• Always exercise extreme caution when dealing with snakes, keep your distance at all times, and never handle without a broom or stick.
• Use a snake repellent such as Snake Out around your yard and perimeter to ward off snakes and deter them from the area.

Preventing Snake Reinfestation

• An important part of controlling snakes is environmental modifications to make your yard less appealing to the snake. Some of these modifications would include mowing your grass short, clearing up leaf litter and getting rid of food sources.
• Limit the chances of trespassing into your home by seal all of the entry points to your home with caulk and Stuf-Fit Copper Mesh.