Deter Snakes From Your Yard With A Citrus Scent They Hate

For many people, the mere mention of snakes is enough to send shivers down the spine. Encountering a snake unexpectedly — even a non-venomous one — can be traumatic and keep fearful people from venturing into their yards weeks later. While most snakes are harmless and beneficial for keeping small rodents at bay, try telling an arachnophobe that spiders are helpful for killing insects. It just won't work. Some folks just want those slithery suckers gone, and fast. 

However, even the extremely snake-phobic may not want to use harmful traps or chemicals, especially since those options can harm other wildlife. Thankfully, you may be able to get rid of snakes simply by using their heightened sense of smell against them. Snakes use their forked tongues to "taste" the air, and are possibly deterred by powerful scents like citrus, garlic, onions, vinegar, peppermint, cloves, and cinnamon. Their sense of smell is what makes snakes such highly effective predators, even though they have poor eyesight and hearing. 

Citrus is a natural pest control remedy commonly used to repel not only snakes, but also ants, mosquitoes, mice, spiders, and even your neighbor's nosy cat. Using citrus sprays or peels around your yard may deter unwanted visitors, and it also smells more "a-peeling" to human visitors than using garlic, onions, or vinegar.    

There are a few different ways you can use citrus scents to deter snakes. For instance, instead of throwing away those lemon, lime, orange, or grapefruit peels, try placing them around your garden. Besides being the most pungent part of a citrus fruit, the peels also contain two compounds that are used in many natural pest repellents – citronella and limonene. Alternatively, you can use the peels to create a homemade spray to repel these animals. This is quite effective, since snakes are particularly well-equipped to pick up moisture-born scents. Place the peels in a pot of water and bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Next, strain the liquid into a spray bottle. For a quicker solution, you can also use pre-made citrus essential oils mixed with water. 

Of course, smells fade, so be sure to spray regularly. For a more permanent solution, try planting lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) around your home. This fragrant grassy herb has a strong lemony scent and could act as an excellent natural snake repellent. It's a perennial that can be grown in U.S. zones 8 through 11, but a hard frost in any of these areas will kill it. Other PETA-approved snake deterrents include snake decoys and Liquid Fence snake repellent, which is safe for plants and animals.