Best Snake Deterrent

8 min read| Updated for March, 2019

DID YOU KNOW?

If you have started to see snakes around certain areas of your property, you’ll want to call a professional in to make sure you don’t have an infestation.
You should never try to get rid of a snake problem on your own.

The Best Snake Deterrent

For some of us, there is nothing more terrifying than seeing a snake in your yard. Regardless if it’s a dangerous, venomous snake or a harmless one, our first tendency is to run away. Rather than running from the problem, we have come up with a number of efficient snake deterrents to help you get rid of the slithering reptiles lurking in your lawn, garden or outbuildings.

How We Found the Best Snake Deterrent

 

5 Reviewers

20 Products Considered

2 Products Reviewed

2 Top Picks

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BEST

Scare Owl

wildliferemoval.com

Dalen Gardeneer Horner Owl Scarecrow

Pros

  • Highly affordable price
  • Effective, realistic hand-painted design
  • Beautiful painting doubles as yard décor
  • Scares off other small pests
  • Easily moveable to different locations
  • Eco-friendly

Cons

  • Some animals may get used to it, rendering it gradually ineffective

OUR VERDICT

The scare owl is a great alternative to traps, poisons, etc. With beautiful, realistic painting, you’ll find that small pests are frightened by the lifelike look of this statue. We recommend you take advantage of the fact that it is light and moveable to change its location frequently. Moving the decoy can help prevent snakes from becoming used to it and ignoring it.

Our Review

Owls are natural predators of snakes. The Dalen Gardeneer Horner Owl Scarecrow takes the idea of prey vs. predator and combines it with the old farmer’s trick of using a scarecrow. The false representation of the owl fools snakes into thinking enemies are lurking in the area.

Because there is an “enemy” in the realm, snakes run from the spot. The scarecrow owl, better referred to as a “scare owl,” frightens them off and out of your yard.

This realistic statue is 16 inches tall and very lifelike. It’s hand-painted, which makes it highly accurate and very effective. Aside from the fact that it scares away snakes, one of the best parts about this product is that it is not an eyesore. The beautiful craftsmanship adds a bit of charm and decoration to your yard as it does its intended job.

BEST

Hawk Decoy

wildliferemoval.com

BriteNway Premium Flying Hawk Decoy

Pros

  • Accurate design and size for intimidation
  • Environmentally friendly
  • Waterproof and weather-resistant for long-term use
  • Deters snakes along with a myriad of other small pests
  • Easy to set up and move around

Cons

  • Some birds will nest on it if not moved around enough
  • Paint may chip in time

OUR VERDICT

Realistic predator decoys have proven themselves to be very effective when it comes to small pests such as snakes. This hawk décor is a realistic piece that mimics the natural swooping movements of a real hawk. The immense, frightening decoy with deter snakes. Be sure to move it often and keep an eye on the paint and string, as they seem not to last as long as expected.

Our Review

Similar to the synthetic owl, the BriteNway Premium Flying Hawk Décor takes advantage of the relationship between snakes and hawks. As a predator of small ground animals, like snakes, a hawk will dive down to reach its prey. This decoy hangs from a string, giving it the appearance of flying or swooping.

Realistically designed, the hawk has incredibly lifelike wings, feathers, and eyes. The decoy mimics a real hawk’s wingspan, ultimately overwhelming and overpowering small animals like snakes. The creepy creatures will flee the location, leaving your lawn.

The flying hawk decoy is easy to move and relocate, which allows you to keep animals on their toes rather than letting them grow accustomed to its presence. While owls are active at night, hawks attack during the day—meaning, snakes, and pests are more likely to recognize a hawk as a threat during the day.

Tough and weather-resistant, this product keeps your worry-free and confident.

Additional Tips & Advice

Snakes are creatures that I’m sure none of us would like to find in our yard—especially if you have children or pets who like to spend time outside. While snakes can be scary, there are still things you can do the prevent them from camping out on your property. Read on to learn a little more about snakes and how to keep them away.

About Snakes

We all know what a snake looks like. It is a long, limbless, flexible reptile that resembles a very long, scaly worm. There are about 2,900 species of snakes in the world. Of all of the snakes, 375 are venomous. That may seem like a lot, but there are only about 20 venomous species in the united states. Compared to 2,900, that gives us pretty good odds concerning the snakes that wander into our yards.

Snakes are known to be predators. They consume a large variety of animals, from the smallest termites and rodents to birds, frogs, and small deer. They eat their prey whole and can ingest prey up to three times larger than their own head.

To accomplish this, snakes can separate their lower jaw from their upper jaw. This special skill lets them stretch their mouths open large enough to fit whatever it is that they are trying to eat.

Many people know snakes by the infamous flicking of their tongue. When they perform this action, they are using their tongue to smell the air. They can search for scents to hunt prey or keep track of predators.

The vast majority of snakes lay eggs to reproduce, but there are a few species that give birth to live babies. A mother snake usually lays her eggs in a warm location, and when the young are born, they are left to survive on their own without a mother or father.

Prevention Tips

Still, these facts don’t mean that venomous snakes will never come onto our properties. Since we don’t know what kind could creep in, it’s important to take the proper measures to defend and get rid of any snake we see.

We also recommend that you deter snakes rather than kill them because snakes are very important in controlling populations. Without them, we could have an abundance of mice, rats, and other insects like cockroaches.

Make sure you keep your yard uncluttered. Snakes practice the technique of ambushing when they hunt their prey. A lot of clutter makes for great hiding places for snakes. If there is no clutter, there is no place for a snake to hide.

Keep your property free of low-growing plants, like bushes and shrubs. If snakes are a concern to you, you should stick to higher plants like trees. Snakes also like to hide in thick plants.

Before you have a snake problem, makes sure you don’t have a small pest problem. An infestation of roaches, rodents, and other insects can certainly attract snakes. What looks like an infestation to you is a feast for a snake.

Slither Away, Snakes

Now that you have read some information, heard some tips, and saw a couple of products, you are ready to begin your defense against snakes in your yard. Predator decoys are a great place to start.