Hello!

We live in a suburban area but our backyard finishes and there are paddocks behind it. We have a dog and small children, are there any ways to keep snakes from coming into our back yard or am I pushing my luck?


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  • We back on to an easement and have snakes in our yard. Don’t mind the pythons but we’ve had 2 red belly black snakes. We keep the lawn mown so we could see one there and don’t leave “stuff” around so reduce hiding spaces. Our dog does not like reptiles and has caught 2 snakes and seems to scare the rest off but there’s the worry he’ll get bitten. I’m going to try the wormwood


  • Snakes like to sunbake in hot sun also on paths etc. Apart from maintaining yard etc I don’t have any suggestions.


  • If snakes seem to always find their way into your yard, you can keep them also away with ammonia. Snakes hate the smell and won’t come near it. Soak rags in ammonia and place them in unsealed plastic bags. Leave the plastic bags where you usually see the snakes, and they won’t come back again.
    I agree to keep your yard tidy, cut grass, remove debris of leaves and branches and old shed’s etc.
    And certain plants are also working as a snake repellent indeed, like marigold, wormwood, West Indian lemon grass, Sarpgandha and garlic are natural repellent against snakes. These plants have bitter tastes and strong smells that cause discomfort and disorientation to snakes when they slither over them.


  • Wormwood sounds interesting and will look into it


  • Definitely keep your grass short and your yard tidy and neat. The wormwood and snake deterrents sound like a good idea.


  • I have the same problem and asked around for a solution and was told to grow wormwood near the back fence. Am unsure if it works but can tell you we have fewer snakes per season than our neighbours. I also use small branches in my wardrobes and cupboards as a repellent for moths and spiders. Worked fabulous in our caravan as it sat around for many months without being used and not a spider is inside.


  • Apparently you can purchase snake deterrents – they emit a vibration or something that keeps snakes away. I must look into this myself after we had a snake in the garage last week! Yuck – no good with 3 kids who often leaves doors wide open!


  • make sure that your backyard is free from rubbish and junk. Anything that doesn’t need to be there, should go. Keep the grass short, spray all weeds and don’t have patches growing along the side of the house, shed etc. Keep everything screened and doors closed so that they don’t come inside.


  • When I was living at home during my teenage years, there was only one time we found a snake in our backyard as we lived behind a bush and it scared the hell out of us . We called the snake catcher that day and luckily he said it was not poisonous. We had a fence that was quite tall and it might have gone in through a small hole. It had never happened again after that incident .


  • I’ll just wing it, hopefully my dog will alert me :)


  • Keep areas clear and clean and be vigilant for snakes.


  • I have the same problem and was told to plant wormwood along the fence as snakes supposedly don’t like it. I have had fewer snakes than others in our area but still had a couple. Unfortunately you have to just be alert. Good luck.


  • When we lived in the country, our terrier dog helped to keep snakes away. We also found blocking up all gaps along the fence line also helped, as did ensuring there are no snake friendly hidey holes near by (piles of rocks/sheets of tin/wood etc). The dog was the best for us – others nearby got snakes in their gardens – our dog was a highly alert and energetic terrier.


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