Most snakes are poisonous by nature and hence, people are afraid of them. To get rid of snake bites we need to think about how to keep these reptiles away from us. This can be easily done by keeping some repellents at home by which the snake will not enter our premises.
Certain substances produce smells that repel snakes. Snakes have an extremely strong sense of smell which they use to search for food. We can easily use this to our advantage and repel them by using scents that they dislike.
A study done in 1985 suggested that 2 particular smells repel snakes successfully. They used various substances like mothballs, sulphur, garlic, coal, lime, etc. Of all these substances, the smell of cinnamon oil and clove oil proved to be the most effective in repelling snakes.
However, these experiments were done exclusively on brown snakes. Different species of snakes might be repelled by different smells.
Some opine that soaking rags in ammonia and placing them in snake-infested areas can repel them. It is also said that essential oils extracted from peppermint and eucalyptus can also be used as snake repellents.
Other than natural repellents, one can also use commercial repellents like sprays and chemicals.
However, using repellents is not the only way to keep snakes away. One should adopt certain practices by which he can keep the snakes away.
The first thing is that make sure you do not have a problem with snakes in the first place.
Secondly, snakes love tall grass and other such places to hide as it gives them protection from predators like hawks and owls.
Also, proper lawn maintenance and cleaning of sheds and garages can ensure that snakes will not bother you in the first place.
Keeping your house well-maintained is another way of keeping snakes away. If there are holes and cracks in your house, it is an invitation for snakes to go in.
Water is another source of attraction for snakes. Make sure that your lawn is not always wet and avoid living near water bodies.
Ms Kalinga