Snakes are common creatures in many parts of the world; if you have a large garden with lots of plants and insects, chances are you may encounter one on your property. The presence of these reptiles indicates that the ecosystem is healthy, but it is useless to deny that it can be frightening and in some cases it can even be dangerous when it comes to a poisonous species. If you have a non-venomous snake in your home, you can usually leave it alone and wait for it to find its way out; if you really want to intervene, you can push it with a broom towards the door that leads to the outside.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Inside the House
Step 1. Call the Animal Control Service if you are concerned that the reptile is poisonous
If you feel uncomfortable with these types of creatures, even if you feel they are not poisonous, there is no reason why you should handle it yourself. Call the appropriate municipal services for an attendant to trap the snake and take it away. Poisonous species should always be handled by a professional, such as a herpetologist or a specialized forest ranger.
- Try to lock the animal in a room. For example, if you spotted it in the laundry room, close the door and slip a towel under it to prevent the reptile from sneaking through the crack.
- Keep children and pets away from the area until an expert has caught the snake.
Step 2. Leave him alone and wait for him to find his way out
Snakes usually leave spontaneously if they are given the time and opportunity. If you find one in the garage or in a room with an exit to the garden, close the internal doors and open the external ones so that it can crawl outside.
The animal should leave fairly quickly. This is the simpler and more reliable method than a direct and aggressive approach that could scare the snake and cause it to hide in hard-to-reach places in the house
Step 3. Sweep a non-poisonous specimen out into a large garbage pail
If you feel like handling the situation yourself, try this common method: First, place a bucket on the ground on its side in the same room as the reptile and then use a broom to push it into the container; once captured, bring the bucket upright and put the lid on securely.
- Once the animal is in the container and cannot get out, take it to the woods or to another area away from your home; set the bucket on its side again, gently remove the lid, and give the snake time to crawl away.
- If possible, ask a friend, family member, or neighbor to help you out. An extra pair of hands would make the process easier and faster.
Step 4. Catch him with a trap
If you are concerned about having a snake in the attic, basement, garage, or other room in the house, place several traps along the baseboards. the reptile should crawl on them and get stuck. Later, you or an animal control officer can safely remove it and relocate it outdoors.
- If you catch a non-poisonous specimen, put the trap in a bucket and take it outside or to an area where you can release the reptile. pour vegetable oil on the animal's body to detach it from the adhesive and let it go.
- Check the devices every day to find out if you have caught the snake; if you wait too long, the animal may starve.
Step 5. Catch it with your hands if you are sure it is not poisonous
Wear thick gardening gloves for safety, then lift the snake's head with a stick and grab the lower half of the body with the other hand. You can also grab the animal by grabbing it behind the head.
- Make sure it's not a poisonous species before picking it up. If in doubt, don't touch it.
- Remember that the closer you get to the snake, the greater the risk of it hurting you.
Method 2 of 3: Away from Home
Step 1. Let it go by itself
If it is a non-venomous species, the simplest thing to do is to wait for the snake to spontaneously move away. Those that "invade" the garden do not represent a serious danger and generally disappear within a short time. However, if you have children or pets, make sure they don't come near the creeping host; even non-venomous snakes can bite very painfully.
If you often spot these creatures near your home, you should worry more about preventative maintenance than getting rid of the individual reptile
Step 2. Spray it with the water hose
If you notice a non-poisonous specimen near your home and want it to leave, it is sometimes enough to pester it a little with this technique; use a garden hose to lightly spray it with water until it runs away from the house and garden.
This method is ideal for the garter snake and other specimens that you know for sure are not poisonous
Step 3. Remove it from the water with a pool net
If you find an animal in the pool, you can safely extract it using a net or other similar tool. You can use the same technique for small non-poisonous specimens that roam the porch or lawn; try not to grab them too hard, otherwise you can break their ribs.
Take the animal to the back of the garden or to a nearby wood and free it
Step 4. Set up external traps
Typically, they are made with plastic boxes inside which there is a bait (a substance or smell that attracts snakes). Once the reptile has been captured, the very shape of the container prevents it from escaping; set up these traps on your property in the areas where you saw the animal.
- When trapping a reptile, take it to a wooded area and set it loose.
- Avoid using poison traps: snakes play an important role in the ecosystem and should always be removed without harming them.
Method 3 of 3: Preventing New Infestations
Step 1. Prune the greenery in the garden
The typical habitat of snakes is rich in bushes and tall grass; therefore regularly mowing the lawn and pruning shrubs and bushes you will make the environment less inviting. Mow the grass and remove fallen logs, hollow stumps and other items that could become a snake's lair. Take every precaution to make sure the garden is not full of places for these reptiles to take refuge:
- Keep the wood and the piles at least 60 cm from the ground and keep the piles of compost and mulch away from the house;
- Consider clearing out bushes and tall vegetation that often seem to be home to reptiles.
Step 2. Eliminate all food sources for these animals
Snakes eat mice, crickets, and other insects; if you take steps to reduce the prey population, the reptiles go for sustenance elsewhere. Use the soil and stones to block every rodent hole in your garden. Remove bird seeds, berries and nuts that fall from trees, waste from the compost pile; all this organic material is food for mice and insects.
Consider getting rid of rodents and insects that are present in your home using traps or other pest control methods. Read these articles about mice and crickets to find out more
Step 3. Seal the house
Keep reptiles from crawling around the house by checking the foundation for holes and cracks. Seal any opening with putty or expanded foam, without neglecting doors and windows; install protective nets on the chimney, on the air intakes and on other possible access routes.
The wire mesh should have no mesh larger than 6mm in order to be effective against snakes
Step 4. Apply repellent all around the house and garden
The specific products for snakes are generally sold in the form of liquids (to be sprayed on the external walls) or powders (to be sprinkled in the garden); these substances are not dangerous for the environment and do not harm the lawn or pets.
You can find several commercial repellents in hardware stores and garden centers; the major e-commerce sites deal with these products
Step 5. Make repellent yourself if you prefer a do-it-yourself solution
Mix rock salt and crushed garlic in equal parts, then spread the mixture near the entrances to the house, garden, or anywhere else you want to keep snakes away. If the infestation is severe, opt for a stronger blend by combining equal parts sulfur and mothballs.
Advice
- Most snakes you can find in your home and garden are not poisonous, they rarely bite, and if they do, they don't inject any kind of poison.
- If you encounter a non-poisonous reptile in the garden, consider leaving it alone; most of these creatures are harmless and help control the population of pests, such as rodents and insects.
- Many gardeners are very happy to have a snake or two "patrolling" their property, protecting their flower beds and garden from other harmful creatures.
Warnings
- Do not leave any animals in a glue trap; check him often to make sure he is not in pain. Some may get stuck with their noses in the adhesive and choke or tear the skin in an attempt to escape.
- Never handle a snake, unless you know for sure that it is not dangerous.
- If you are bitten by a venomous snake, make sure someone knows which breed it belongs to. If you are unable to identify it with certainty, take note of three distinctive features of the animal, such as the size (length and width), color and shape of the head. This is extremely useful information for getting the right treatment, as it allows doctors to administer the correct antidote.
- The bites of non-venomous snakes bleed much more than those with venom because their saliva contains an anticoagulant substance; furthermore, these reptiles tend to bite several times.
- Be aware that in many countries, animal controllers only manage pets and may not intervene to help you with snakes; in that case, you need to call the forest ranger or a pest control company.
