How To Keep Snakes Away From Your Yard And Chicken Coop
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Snakes, the very word brings images of slithering reptiles to mind. It can be very nerve wracking to step out into the yard to do some work when you've seen a snake in your yard. If you have chickens, it can make you even more nervous, snakes love baby chicks and fresh eggs.
To make matters worse, the more vegetation you have in your yard, the more likely you are to have snakes. And whilst most of these reptiles aren't venomous, a visit from a snake can scare chickens, other pets and also anyone else around.
8 Ways to Keep Snakes Away From Your House
| Method | $ | Ease Of Use | Success Rate | Availability |
| Keep Yard Tidy | $ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | Yourself or Help |
| Chemical Repellents | $ to $$$$ | ★★★ | ★★★ | Online or home improvement store |
| Ultra Sonic | $$$$ | ★★★ | ★★★★ | Online or home improvement store |
| Vibration Repellers | $$$$ | ★★★ | ★★★ | Online or home improvement store |
| Sulfur Powder | $$ | ★★★ | ★★★ | Online or home improvement store |
| Snake Traps | $$$ | ★★★ | ★★★★ | Online or home improvement store |
| Seal Off Entries | $$ | ★★★ | ★★★★ | Yourself or Help |
| Snake Fences | $ to $$$$$ | ★★★ | ★★★★★ | Online or home improvement store or build it yourself |
- Remember, many of the above mentioned traps are not friendly for chickens. Be sure that if you're using a trap you keep it a safe distance from your chicken coop or make sure that it's safe for use around chickens.
- All of the above mentioned in the table work well no matter if you're in the city or a rural or suburban area. However, if you're living in a city you may not be able to use the vibrations as readily.
5 Things You Can Do Today to Keep Snakes Away From Your Yard
- Look Your Property Over
Snakes have preferences on where they live just like you do. They tend to prefer tall vegetation with plenty of cover and lots of room to maneuver.
They also like to know that there is plenty of food in and around your yard. Snakes like eating rodents, insects and the like and they will take full advantage of your yard if you have any of these issues.
Snakes also enjoy fresh eggs and baby chicks so be sure that the eggs and baby chicks are safe and secure from such predators.
Tips to Keep Your Yard Snake Free:
- Avoid Clutter in and around your yard. If you have old vehicles that are no longer running get them removed
- Keep your yard mowed. Snakes like tall grass where there is plenty of cover and they can hide
- Although snakes themselves are predators, they are afraid of predatory birds and other animals that are large
- Eliminate the habitat for other animals in your yard such as mice and rats and you've just eliminated the source of food for snakes
Remember that to a snake, a chicken coop looks like a delightful smorgasbord of offerings. Make it a bit less enticing by cleaning up around the area and putting up some barriers to the snakes entry into the chicken coop.
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1. Chemical Snake Repellents
Nature's MACE SNAKE Repellent
There are also chemical snake repellents however, depending upon their composition, they may pose a health risk to pets and people as well as the environment.
Be sure that repellents chosen are for snakes and always follow the instructions on the label.
In addition to using repellent, you'll have to be sure to follow the above instructions on the basement and your yard area.
Keep in mind that many chemical snake repellents may be hazardous to your baby chickens. Use these well away from your chicken coop and plan to use another method to keep snakes away from the coop itself to protect your chickens health.
Also keep your door sweeps and your window screens fitting properly. Be sure to cover other potential entries such as dryer vents, drains and other such openings to your home.
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2. Snake Traps
Image Courtesy of Amazon
There are two types of snake traps. Those that are lethal, and those that are not lethal. Lethal traps will grip the snakes body and kill the snake as it enters the trap head first
However, keep in mind as the snake slithers from one side to another the snake may be caught further down the body.
Snake traps work very well, however, you'll want to set them up where they won't be a danger to your baby chicks or any of your chickens.
Glue traps also work well. They will hold the snake whether it's venomous or not until you are able to release it. You can spray cooking oil onto the trap when you're ready to release the snake and it will be able to work itself free of the trap.
An important note is that snakes will actually help to keep insects and rodents out of your yard if you're having an issue with one type of predator consider what else may be going on that could be causing your issue.
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3. Snake Fences
Hardware Cloth is a good inexpensive way to create a physical barrier to keep snakes out
How Does A Snake Fence Work?
Snake fences are barriers that keep snakes from going underneath of buildings and inside of gardens. They are made of materials that aren't easily moved and that don't have any large openings that the snake could squeeze through.
Snake fences can work as an ideal barrier to keep snakes away from your chicken coop. They offer a barrier that will help to protect the coop from such predators.
A popular choice is wire mesh as well as solid wood. Keep in mind that it doesn't take much room for a snake to squeeze through an opening. Thus, remember if you're using a fence, bury it several inches into the ground. When the soil erodes due to weather be sure to keep an eye on the soil and the fence levels.
Different regions may require different fencing materials. Some snakes are great climbers and the fencing may simply be a great climbing wall to them. Slope fences at an outward angle to help prevent snakes from entering into your yard or chicken coop.
Snake fences also help to keep snakes out of swimming pools and pond areas.
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4. Basement Sealer
The basement must also be sealed off to keep snakes out. If you have damage around your foundation or basement you need to repair it immediately to avoid snakes.
Be sure to locate your chicken coop away from such things as old foundations, basements and other structures that could lend themselves well to snake habitats.
If you have holes and cracks that will allow snakes into your home you're not going to be able to keep them out no matter how many traps you have set.
Consider mortar to fill in cracks. It will dry hard and rodents and snakes won't be able to enter that way.
Consider expanding foam if you have long cracks or even foam sealants work well.
It's usually an accident if a snake winds up in a basement. They much prefer to be able to get in and out of their den and it can be challenging for them to reside in your basement.
Inspect your home several times each year to ensure that there are no openings that a snake could enter through.
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How to Keep Snakes Away Summary Checklist
- Start by learning more about the snakes in your area
- Keep your yard free from clutter
- keep your chicken coop clean and regularaly inspect it for snakes
- Choose lower growing plants over tall ones
- remove water sources on the ground
- Rid your yard of pests (rodents, insects etc. that snakes like to feed on)
- Patch up holes in your yard, home and foundation
- Use sulfur powder around your home and yard
- Create vibrations that they don't like to repel them
FAQ about How to Keep Snakes Away from Your Yard
Do some of these work better on different species of snakes?
None of the above mentioned methods seem to work better on any specific species of snake.
Does where I live matter with snake repellents?
If you're living in the city you may wish to avoid such methods as ultra sonic vibration. However, all of the other methods can readily be used in and around your home even if you're in the city.
I have Read that Mothballs Work Well, Should I Use Them?
Although the Internet would have you believe that this is a great way to remove snakes, mothballs work best for keeping mice, bats, bats, groundhogs, raccoons, possums and the like from your yard.
While this eliminates some of the food sources for snakes, it does not eliminate all of them thus it's a waste of money and your time. Mothballs could also be poisonous to your chicken coop.
Thanks for reading our guide on how to keep snakes away from your yard and keep your chicken coop safe. Any comments, queries or questions then please use the contact form.
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