How can I keep snakes away from the house?

Hi Debbie. I live in a suburb outside of Chicago. We don't have snakes here (or I should say not many snakes here.) I had to do a bit of reading in order to answer your question. This is what I learned: You could plant Lemongrass, wormwood, or roses close to your house. Also, if you have a dog, that will deter snakes. Or, you could get a peacock. Don't laugh. lol Peacocks are a very good snake deterrent because they will kill them and eat them. Who knew? I hope you find some of this helpful. Good luck Debbie.

They are bad here too where I live in CA and I get to deal with rattlesnakes. My phone is ringing constantly. Keep your yard tidy and don't give them a place to nest. If your yard is fenced, you can install snake fencing. Snakes are actually good for your yard as they keep the rodents in control. They eat rats, mice etc., even if you don't see them. Here are some remedies you might try.

https://www.diynatural.com/natural-snake-repellent/

https://www.pestwiki.com/keep-snakes-away-methods/

You might have a rodent problem and not realize it. Snakes are looking for food and mice are a perfect meal. Mice easily invade homes (basements) and snakes are attracted by them if the mice population is not kept in check.

As your house ages and goes thorough seasons of freeze/thaw, the walls of your basement could be compromised and produce cracks in the foundation. Take a look and close them up. These cracks allow snakes and mice to enter, they are both very flexible.

A suggestion would be to keep the area around the outside of your house to be free of debris, grass, and shrubs. Snakes love cool dark places.

The more you do to make your house and yard unappealing to snakes, the less of a problem you’ll have overall. Here are some other ways to keep the snakes out:

• Avoid over-watering your lawn: Wet lawns can attract prey species, like frogs, toads, worms and slugs, that snakes love to munch on.
• Move the bird feeder: Not only do snakes occasionally snack on birds themselves, bird feeders leave seeds and other food debris everywhere, which attracts rodents.
• Feed your pets inside: Same principle as the bird feeder -- spilled food attracts snake prey.
• Store firewood away from the house: Even a small stack offers enough cool, dark places for a snake to get cozy.
• Don’t over-landscape: Snakes and their prey love mulch, so the less of it you use, the fewer snake problems you’ll have.

If you'd like to read more: https://www.jppestservices.com/blog/snakes-in-the-basement-heres-why