5 Natural Scents That Drive Away Snakes Away From Your Home
Commercial snake repellents you can buy off the shelf and sprinkle around your garden contain a blend of the odors mentioned above.
However, in our experience and as demonstrated by multiple studies, snake repellents do very little to discourage snakes. In reality, snakes normally merely pass through snake repellent odors without much of a behavioral response.
In general, if you find a snake on your property, you should contact a pest control firm to have the snake adequately removed. You don't have much else to do.
How Do Snakes Smell Things?
Snakes have highly developed olfactory systems that work similarly to those found in mammals.
Snakes smell their environment with these olfactory organs located just below the snake's nostrils. These organs are large, complex, and highly developed – they are, in fact, the most highly developed scent receptors found in any animal.
In snakes, these organs are known as the Jacobson's organs and consist of a large number of independent odor detecting units known as the vomeronasal organ (VNO). These organs are, in turn, connected to the snake's brain, where they are able to analyze and process the information they receive.
What Scents Do Snakes Hate?
1. Ammonia
Ammonia is a scentless, invisible, and dissolvable gas that can even kill snakes by irritating and burning their skin.
Because snakes hate the odor of ammonia, some gardeners use it in a spray to repel snakes. It can be sprayed around a house, under doorways, and over rocks where you know snakes frequent to discourage them from coming near.
Another option for using ammonia is to cover some scraps with it and put them in an enclosed bag. Leaving the bag in the same places will repel the snakes.
However, one should be careful with ammonia because it is not only harmful to snakes but also humans. Even breathing it may result in serious health issues.
2. Naphthalene
Naphthalene is a popular ingredient in a wide range of commercial snake repellents. It is one of the most widely used snake repellents. If you don't want to buy a commercial product, naphthalene is the major element in mothballs. The odor of naphthalene annoys snakes but does not hurt them. Mothballs should be placed in any holes, gaps, or crevices on your property where snakes might be a concern. One exception to utilizing mothballs is that if they are consumed, they may be poisonous and lethal to children or pets, so take precautions or avoid using them if you have pets or children in your house.
3. Clove & Cinnamon Oil
Clove and cinnamon oil are effective snake repellents. These should be mixed together in a spray bottle and sprayed directly on snakes for maximum effect. Use caution as snakes will often run in the opposite direction of the spray. This mixture can also be used in a diffuser indoors as a fumigant.
4. West Indian Lemongrass
West Indian Lemongrass is a variety of lemongrass snakes avoid owing to its strong lemony odor.
In fact, it is also used to make citronella candles, which emit a powerful aroma that repels mosquitos.
Lemongrass plants are simple to find, easy to care for, drought tolerant, may be used as a spice in cooking, and have an unpleasant odor that snakes dislike. They definitely are a fantastic and beneficial plant!
5. Garlic & Onions
Snakes are repulsed by the sulfonic acid found in garlic and onions (the same chemical that makes us weep when we slice onions). For maximum efficacy, combine them with rock salt and scatter them over your home and yard. Infuse garlic into any essential oil and use it to fumigate rafters, basements, and other difficult-to-reach areas.
Conclusion
Snakes are a natural part of the ecosystem and are highly beneficial, so removing them from your property may not be a good idea. That said, if they are a threat to you or your family, or if they are eating your garden, or if they are getting into your home, you will want to do something about them.
If you're looking to buy a snake repellent, Revoke® Snake Repellent has got your back! Every homeowner should have the option to remove snakes from their property, and our products will do the trick without harming them. Go to our website and check out now!