With Texas warming up, more and more pests will begin to emerge. One pest that wakes up with the warming temperatures is snakes. As many well know, snakes are cold blooded and require the sun to energize and awaken them. During the colder season, snakes enter into hibernation. With temperatures warming up, now is the time to begin preparing your yard and home for the arrival of snakes. Texas is home to a number of deadly snakes such as the copper head snake, coral snake, cottonmouth snake, and about four different species of rattle snakes. With this in mind, A Five Star Termite & Pest Control will share a few ways you can prepare your home and yard to reduce your interaction with snakes.
Snake Repellents & Deterrents
There are a number of snake repellents that truly don’t work because snakes simply don’t smell, which means they are not repelled by odors. Snakes invade yards and homes if they can find prey and find suitable shelter. If you are providing snakes with water, food and shelter, then you will have a snake problem all year. However, by doing some yard work, combined with a few deterrents, you may never see a snake in your yard. Bear in mind, snakes do wander, so to totally prevent snakes might be impossible. However, with the right steps, you may deter snakes and they may look for safer and more lucrative sites.
Home Remedies to Keep Snakes Away
To begin controlling and preventing snakes, you will want to do a lot of yard work. Snakes love to hide in bushes and high vegetation. Make sure to keep your lawn cut down, especially next to walkways, play grounds, and outdoor living spaces. When trimming shrubs and bushes, consider trimming the bottom as well as the top. The higher the bottom branches of bushes are the better. It is recommended to have at least six inches from the bottom branch to the ground, if not a full foot. This way snakes won’t feel like they can hide. Snakes are also good climbers if they have a surface they can grip onto. Over hanging tree branches near the home should be kept back to prevent snakes getting inside. Smaller trees should have lower branches cut so snakes can’t use them to get off the ground. Snakes also love to hide underneath rocks, in holes, walls, decks and in debris. The cleaner the yard the better. Avoid providing places where snakes can hide. When maintaining a cleaner yard you are not only trying to deter snakes but rodents and other prey animals that snakes will feed on. Avoid clutter especially near the home to help keep all pests away, including snakes.
Bird & Rodent Control to Prevent Snakes
It is essential to control rodents and other vermin to control snakes. Don’t leave food out for birds and rodents to eat and consider having rodent traps. Put in place an effective rodent and bird control program. Snakes are also attracted to water. They require water like any other living animal and will enter yards looking for a drink. This can prove difficult for those with pools, and bird baths. Those with pets will often provide an outdoor water source. This will attract snakes as well. So will water puddles or dripping sprinklers and spouts. Fix leaky plumbing and if possible don’t leave water outdoors for snakes to drink.
Snake Inspections, Control, Removal & More in Canyon Lake, Spring Branch, Bulverde, Timberwood Park, Leon Valley, Alamo Heights, New Braunfels, Selma, Live Oak, Converse, Universal City, Cibolo, Seguin, New Berlin, St Hedwig, Adkins, La Vernia, Elmendorf, Losoya, Von Ormy, Macdona & San Antonio, Texas
No one wants deadly snakes invading their home and potentially biting family members. For snake control, removal and other pest control services, contact A Five Star Termite & Pest Control today.