How do you keep copperheads off your property?

Remove piles of leaf debris, rocks, and trash from around the home to eliminate harborage areas of both the copperhead snakes and/or their food source. Eliminate tall grasses and vegetation from around the home. Keep bushes pruned up off of the ground and keep them clear of debris. Use snake repellants around the home.

What can I put in my yard to keep copperheads away?

Homemade Repellent

Some of the most effective home products you can use for repelling copperheads are vinegar and ammonia. Do not combine these repellents, and they may cause dangerous chemical reactions. Simply decide which one you're going to use, then spray it in the desired areas around your yard or house.

What can you put out to keep copperhead snakes away?

Lay out traps and rodenticide baits to address rats and/or mice to take away the snake's food supply. Use a snake repellent such as Snake Out around your yard and perimeter to ward off Copperhead Snakes and deter them from the area.

What do you do if you see a copperhead in your yard?

If you see a copperhead or any poisonous snake in your yard, gather up the kids and pets and retreat to the house immediately! Do not try and kill it on your own. In some areas animal control or the local fire department may help remove the offending critter.

What months are copperheads most active?

Southern copperheads are diurnal (active during daylight hours) during early spring and late fall, at which time they will generally depend on the ability of their bodies to blend in with their environment to obtain prey and avoid enemies.

How to Keep Copperheads Away From Your Home

What is the best snake repellent?

What smell do snakes hate?

There are many scents snakes don't like including smoke, cinnamon, cloves, onions, garlic, and lime. You can use oils or sprays containing these fragrances or grow plants featuring these scents.

Where do copperheads nest?

Their dens are often near the borders of marshes, creeks, rivers and lakes. Copperhead snakes frequently hibernate in dens made up of rocks. They also often den inside logs and in holes carved out by mammals. Other typical den spots for these snakes are stone walls, heaps of sawdust, stumps and caves.

Do moth balls keep snakes away?

Mothballs are commonly thought to repel snakes, but they are not intended to be used this way and have little effect on snakes.

Can copperhead snakes climb?

Copperhead snake in tree is rare

"They are basically terrestrial snakes, but it's been known for decades (that they will climb trees)." Vandeventer said one of the more common times for copperheads to climb is during summers when cicadas emerge from the ground and cling to trees and bushes while they shed their shells.

What keeps snakes away from your house?

Use natural repellents

Natural repellents including sulfur, clove and cinnamon oil, and vinegar may help repel snakes. Pour these substances around the perimeter of your property, any place you have noticed snake activity.

Are copperheads out at night?

Copperheads are most active from the late afternoon into the evening, and prefer cooler areas to hide. They hibernate in the winter, and emerge in the spring for mating season. Their diet consists of small rodents and other pests, so if you have a rodent problem, your property can likely attract these serpents.

Will vinegar repel snakes?

White Vinegar

The pungent odor of this standard household cleaner repels snakes and acts as an effective snake deterrent. Take some white vinegar and spray it around the perimeter of your property. You can even water it down, which will cost you even less.

Will ground cinnamon repel snakes?

Research has shown that cinnamon oil, clove oil, and eugenol are effective snake repellents. Snakes will retreat when sprayed directly with these oils and will exit cargo or other confined spaces when these oils are introduced to the area.

Can snakes climb walls?

The answer is that yes, some species of snake are excellent climbers, and can climb walls. But not just any wall. The snake must have something to grab ahold of and push off of. Not even a rough surface will do - snakes can't "stick" to walls the way insects, rats, and lizards often do.

What time of year do copperheads have babies?

Copperheads are ovoviviparous, which means that eggs incubate inside the mother's body. Babies are born live. After mating in the spring, females will give birth to "from two to 18 live young in late summer or fall," said Beane.

What animal kills copperheads?

Predators. Owls and hawks are the copperhead's main predators, but opossums, raccoons and other snakes may also prey on copperheads.

Does a copperhead climb trees?

They climb into low bushes or trees to hunt prey and will also bask in the sun and swim in the water. The copperhead is one of about 20 snakes native to Washington, D.C., and is the only venomous species in the area.

Are snakes afraid of dogs?

It's likely that most snakes won't choose to go near dogs. They're bigger, noisier, and more of a hassle than a good snack. Simply by having your dog around, you will likely help to keep snakes away.

What do snake droppings look like?

When snakes excrete waste, it is actually a mixture of feces and urine that looks white and is more of a liquid than a solid, much like bird droppings. The pests' waste may contain bones, hair, scales, and other indigestible materials leftover from meals.

Will peppermint keep snakes away?

You can use peppermint as a natural repellent for various insects and small animals that are snake food, but it does not affect snakes. There are other essential oils such as cinnamon, cedarwood, and clove that may keep snakes away from your compound but with no guarantee.

Does cat litter repel snakes?

You can also try spreading cat litter across your property, as some believe it irritates a snake's scales, or using moth balls in the hope that snakes will be repelled by the smell.

Are snakes scared of lawn mowers?

Mow your lawn on a regular basis. Snakes aren't likely to hang out in a yard with short grass since it leaves them too exposed. Vibrations from a lawnmower is a good way to scare away snakes. It won't keep them away for good but will scare them off long enough for you to work in your yard.

How do you make a snake run away?

Essential Oils. Cinnamon, clove, and cedarwood essential oils will all repel snakes. (Find them all here.) It's thought that snakes think the oils will melt the scales, so they stay away from them.

Is there a plant to keep snakes away?

Prickly and spiky plants may also have some repellent properties. Mother-in-laws tongue, yucca, and other such pointy plants could be effective in keeping snakes out of the garden. Marigolds are used to repel a host of plants and could provide some deterrent to snakes.