Snakes. *shudder* Even after years on the farm, they still give me the heebie-jeebies. Rats aren’t as bad (but if you have an infestation, here is the best rat poison to use), nor spiders, or other creepy crawlers, but I draw the line at snakes. Unlike rats and mice, a cat or good barn owl won’t be as effective with snakes. So when you need to control the snake population on your farm, sometimes your best option is to zero in on the best snake repellent.
These products are great for if you don’t want to kill the snakes (yes they are beneficial, but I prefer not to see them in action) — they’ll just keep these slithering beasts away from your house or other building that you want to protect. There are four types of snakes that you’ll usually find on a farm: garter snakes, black rat snakes, king snakes, and (thankfully this is last) venomous snakes.
Most North American snakes subsist on diets of rodents, insects, and small reptiles, and amphibians. If you’ve never had a rat problem on your farm, you likely have the local snake population to thank.
So we do encourage you to weigh all options when choosing whether to use various methods to control snakes on your farm. There are risks and rewards with getting rid of these critters.
These four snake repellent options — which keep snakes at bay but doesn’t kill them — can either be bought at the store locations or online and shipped straight to your home.
Snake-A-Way Snake Repellent Granules
As the only EPA-registered granular snake repellent product, this product has greater than 91 percent repellency rate for rattlesnakes and garter snakes. With the added benefit of not actually harming the snakes or other pets, it is a great option to apply around the house, garage, flower bed, barn, woodpile, or any other place giving you snake issues. This product is detected by the snake’s auxiliary olfactory sense organ and disrupts its sensory reception. The disorientation causes the snake to slither away unharmed, in search of fresh air.
- Contains naphthalene (7 percent) and sulfur (28 percent)
- Repels poisonous and non-poisonous snakes
- 1.75 lb. size
Promising reviews:
- “Had to use the product twice this season but since the snakes love my front porch I thought it was a good investment. They go elsewhere … seems to work 5 weeks out from first application … and reapplied after seeing a baby garter. Good for foundation concerns and rock garden areas.”
- “Now he’s gone and I’m happy and not nervous about opening my garage door. I just have to be consistent about putting this down especially after a heavy rainfall. All in all, I’m very happy with the way these granules irritate the snakes so that they don’t want to come back.”
Snake Stopper Snake Repellent
The Snake Stopper Snake Repellent can be used for snakes, lizards, and other reptiles. It is safe to use this product around areas where children play as long as it is used as directed. This formula does not act as an actual poison, so it will not harm other animals. However, the scent does deter reptilian animals and keeps them away from the area.
- Repel snakes from lawns, gardens, campsites and more
- Ingredients trigger the escape/avoidance instinct in snakes
- Dust, 4lb applicator jug treats 400 square feet
Promising reviews:
- “I don’t do reptiles of any shape or form. This stuff works! When applied as directed, I’ve no issues with snakes, or other creepy crawly yucky reptiles in or around my hen house. I salt their nests with it after I’ve changed the pine chips.”
- “This is my favorite snake repellent. I highly recommend it.”
Ortho Snake B Gon — Snake Repellent Granules
Prevent snakes from entering, nesting and foraging in your yard and garden areas with this long‐lasting, easy‐to‐use, no‐stink formula by Ortho. The rain-resistant formula is safe for use around people, plants, and pets when used as directed. Re‐apply as needed, or approximately every 30 days.
- Safe for people, pets and plants when used as directed
- Each bottle, covers approximately 1,440 square feet
- Long-lasting, “no-stink“ formula
Promising reviews:
- “We had snakes all over our front and back yard. We couldn’t leave the house without seeing one.. this was terrifying for me. We put this in areas with a lot of rocks or shrubs, did not see a snake again.”
- “Our main reason for liking & using this product is because it does NOT smell like moth balls/crystals AND IT WORKS!”
SEALUXE Solar Snake Repellent for Outdoors
This solar powered snake repellent works by emitting a sound through the ground in all directions. The effective area is up to 6,000 square feet and recommend installing 2 or more snake away repellents, about 25 yards apart.
- Fully rain-proof construction
- Exclusively designed High-Powered Solar Panel
- Easy to install
Promising reviews:
- “Under my AC unit I see a snake every morning through my window. It’s not a poisons snake but my wife was uncomfortable. Then I bought this and installed my back and side yard . After that I never seen the snake again. Happy wife happy life.”
- “These are so easy to use. Just turn them on, put them in the ground and they start working!!”
NOTE: These stakes are currently out of stock at most retailers. We’re hopefully they’ll be restocked soon.
This article was originally published January 28, 2021, and was updated November 30, 2022.
