If you live in an area where rattlesnakes are present, it is possible for these reptiles to visit your yard. Protecting yourself from them isn't always easy, but there are actions you can take and precautions you can take. Many of these steps will also keep other snakes away, although some of them may be beneficial, as they can keep rattles off.
Steps
Step 1. Add a low rattlesnake-proof fence around your yard
While not a cheap option, it works and can ensure that a specific area of your home is safe from these reptiles. In fact, you may not need to fence off the whole yard - you may be setting up a safe area where children can play and pets can enjoy themselves. This will become the safe zone. Be sure to follow these guidelines for the fence to be effective:
- Use a mesh no wider than 0.5cm or use a solid material. Non-bumped materials are better, because snakes cannot climb smooth surfaces where they have no grip.
- The minimum height of the fence must be 90 cm.
- Pay attention to the corners, so as not to create a foothold that the snakes can use to climb over.
- Bury the fence for at least 30 cm.
- Watch out for the gates. If you are not going to connect the fence to the walls of the house, it is important to make sure that each gate has no openings on the sides and is snug to the ground. It can be helpful to place an underground concrete slab under the gate - this way you will be sure there will be no gap between the gate and the concrete. At this stage it is very important to build with precision.
- Take care of the maintenance of the fence - you will need to quickly repair all holes, gaps and holes in the ground, to prevent them from becoming possible points of entry.
Step 2. Eliminate bushes, hanging vegetation and all other plants from the perimeter of the fence
Don't lean anything that a snake can use as a foothold against it.
Step 3. Check under and around the house
Look for openings, areas from which a snake can come under the house, and fill, close or seal these points. The ground beneath your home is an ideal environment for a snake, so be careful to block access. Check the walls, foundations, steps, etc.
Step 4. Keep piles of wood and any other materials you store in the yard away from the house
If there are already batteries that you need to remove, be careful when doing this.
Step 5. Monitor the rodent population
Don't offer snakes a tasty food source. Get rid of mice, rats and any other rodents that roam your home, and this will eliminate one of the main attractions for rattlesnakes. This step is particularly important in areas of farms where animal feed is stored.
Step 6. Keep other food sources out of the reach of snakes
This means keeping food for your pets indoors or covered. You should always keep garbage cans covered.
Step 7. Eliminate burrows and places where rattlesnakes nest
You should remove the potential burrows of these reptiles from the area around your home. These include piles of wood, piles of rocks, piles of garbage, tall grass, bushes, undergrowth, piles of building materials, holes dug by animals, etc. Think of places that could comfortably accommodate a snake and remove them. Be careful when doing this. You may find a snake already hidden!
Step 8. Mow the gardens and lawns around the house
A field or meadow with low grass is not a good place to hide and would allow you to easily see a rattlesnake passing by. Be careful though, that there are no shelters such as piles of wood or rocks that can be used as intermediate stops, or you will not be able to discourage these reptiles.
Step 9. Learn about snakes
Some snakes can be useful because they keep rattlesnakes away thanks to their natural competition. Of course, it is up to you to choose whether to keep snakes in the yard. If these reptiles aren't a problem for you, try encouraging the presence of:
- Colubrids (become quite irritated when other snakes enter their territory)
- Serpenti realis (kill and eat rattlesnakes)
Step 10. Don't lose your cool
If you discover a rattlesnake in your yard, keep calm. Send frightened children, pets, and adults into the house right away. Wait for the snake to move away. Call an animal control professional if you are concerned that the rattlesnake may make its home in your backyard, but remember that if you have followed the steps outlined in this article, the snakes likely do not appreciate your property and will leave. Most of these reptiles will strike only as a defense mechanism. If you keep a safe distance, you won't risk getting hit.
Advice
- Many of these measures can be taken to keep venomous snakes from other parts of the world away, although of course you will need to replace the snake's natural predators with animals in your area, as the specifics of the enclosure may differ.
- Keep an eye on your pets. Dogs are naturally curious. Keep them on a leash or fence a space where they can play if rattlesnakes can be found in your yard. Dogs can be trained to avoid rattlesnakes.
- Despite the belief that reptiles require a very warm environment, snakes are unable to survive on exposed, hot surfaces and will avoid them. This is why creating warm surfaces of low cut grass, concrete or tile around the house will help keep snakes away.
- When evaluating the costs of building a fence, also consider that it will have additional benefits, such as keeping pets and children, and keeping other snakes and unwanted animals like rabbits, wild boars, etc. away. A fence can also be an embellishment to your home and give you a safe area where you can organize outdoor barbecues!
Warnings
- Using mothballs or moth flakes is not effective as a rattlesnake repellent. However, it can serve to keep away insects and other rodents, which attract these reptiles. Depending on how you will use them, these products may not be good for your health.
- Commercially available repellents which include clove oil, peppermint oil, cayenne pepper, cinnamon powder or sulfur may be partially effective. They will never be as bad as a physical barrier though.
- If you find a snake in your yard that doesn't stray and doesn't look trapped, call a professional. Don't try to kill the snake, as you could get hurt.
- Remember that rattlesnake babies can be very small and just as dangerous as adults. When building a barrier, remember this.
- Killing a snake doesn't stop others from returning; prevention is the best solution.
