12 proven ways to stop snakes from getting into your yard

That moment you see a snake in your backyard, freeze, panic, scramble for your phone, is more common than you might think, especially as hotter, drier summers push wildlife deeper into suburban neighborhoods. Before you go out and buy a shovel or whatever snake-repellent spray is trending on social media, it helps to know what is actually attracting them to your yard in the first place.

Spoiler alert: it’s probably your landscaping.

Your yard is basically a five-star hotel for snakes
Snakes aren’t after you. They want food, cover, and a cool place to rest, and most American backyards unwittingly offer all three. A 2024 study in Urban Ecosystems found that residential yard environmental characteristics, in particular, vegetation cover and proximity to undeveloped land, are some of the strongest predictors of snake activity near homes. The study, which tracked snake removal records across the Phoenix metro area, found that landscaping choices at both the individual yard and larger neighborhood levels played a big role in how often snakes showed up.


Your yard is either rolling out the welcome mat or slamming the door on the snakes. Here’s how to make sure it’s the latter.

What you actually can do

1. Mow your grass short
Snakes avoid open, low-cut areas because they feel exposed to aerial predators such as hawks and owls. Mow regularly and keep it trimmed. A well-maintained lawn is one of the easiest deterrents around.

2. Don't water your lawn too much
When the lawn is wet, earthworms, slugs, and frogs come up. So an overwatered yard is basically a buffet sign because snakes follow their prey.

3. Prune trees and shrubs away from your home
Keep branches off the ground, and clear a zone under trees and shrubs that is at least 24 to 36 inches. No canopy at ground level, nowhere to hide.

4. Reconsider your bird feeder setup
Seed spills from bird feeders and attract rodents, which in turn attract snakes. Place feeders far away from the house and store seed in sealed metal containers.

5. Feed pets inside
Pet food left outside is very reliable at attracting insects and rodents. If you have to feed outside, clean up immediately and store food in sealed metal containers.

6. Alter your landscaping materials
Mulch and big decorative rocks hold moisture and heat, creating the kind of microhabitats snakes prefer. UF/IFAS Extension at the University of Florida suggests replacing them with gravel or tightly packed river rock, which leaves much less room for anything to nest or hide. Avoid the koi pond and water garden, as they both attract snake prey.

7. Clear firewood and debris away from your home
Wood on the ground is prime snake real estate. Stack firewood off the ground and away from the house, and regularly dispose of excess lumber or yard debris.

8. Fill cracks and crevices
Check your foundation, sidewalks, and the base of your home for gaps. An energy audit is actually a great tool for this. It is designed to find where your air conditioning and heat are escaping, and these are the same places snakes and other small creatures are getting in. Use caulk or foam to seal anything you find.

9. Think about fencing as a last resort
If you are getting repeated snake appearances, your best bet is physical fencing. Use a rigid screen with openings no greater than a quarter inch or solid sheathing. Bury it a few inches into the ground and give it an outward-facing angle at the top; this stops snakes from climbing up and over.

10. If you own a coop for chickens, make sure it is properly secured
Don’t use ceramic eggs or golf balls in your coop to deter snakes. Snakes that eat these fake eggs die slowly and painfully over several weeks, and it does nothing to deter the next snake that comes along. If you use ceramic eggs to encourage the hen to lay, glue them down so they can't be swallowed. Concentrate on closing the gaps in the coop structure and applying the yard deterrents described above.

11. Ignore the repellents, mothballs
There is no credible scientific evidence that products such as sulfur sprays and essential oil blends repel snakes. Mothballs are worse. They are labeled "for use only in enclosed spaces," so using them outside is a violation of federal pesticide law, and they really are toxic to children and pets.

12. Don't use sticky traps
Another bad idea is putting sticky traps outside. They trap non-target animals like birds and lizards and cause a long, agonizing death.

If you see one
Most of the snakes you see in a suburban American yard are harmless: garter snakes, gopher snakes, rat snakes. Quick handy test: venomous snakes have slit-like elliptical pupils like a cat's eye. Non-venomous snakes generally have round pupils. That said, don’t get too close to check if you’re not sure.

If a snake has to go, a garden hose is better than a shovel. A constant flow of water will prompt it to look for a more comfortable spot, which, with a couple of adjustments to your yard, won’t be your backyard anymore.