Will moth balls ward off snakes?
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I've been told if I scatter mothballs around the perimeter of my yard snakes won't cross the path is that true? Douglas Hunt..please weigh in!
Black Racer in my SC garden egads!!
24 answers
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I think it's true. I once had a huge nest of garter snakes and paid a company to remove them and around the perimeter they then put down a powder that smelled like moth balls. It's my worst nightmare - good luck!
KT
on Apr 26, 2016
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They sell a snake repellant at Home Improvement stores
Janet Pizaro
on Apr 26, 2016
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On the up side....if you have a snake, you probably don't have mice or rats....just saying
Pjk
on Apr 26, 2016
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Snakes are important to the environment. They help balance the food chain so if you have snakes, most likely you don't have a rodent problem. From snake-removal.com : There's a reason you have snakes on your property or in your house. Your property is in an area of the country that has snakes (that includes most areas), and your property has features that are attractive to snakes. Most commonly, this means that your property is full of debris that attracts snakes. Snakes like a safe place to live and hunt and hide, and places to crawl in. So vegetation is a big snake attractor. So you can, if you wish, eliminate or trim back heavy vegetation. But more than that, if you have any rocks, sidewalk, plywood, a shed, or anything else that snakes can crawl under and den in, then you've REALLY got some attractive snake habitat. Eliminate all of these areas. Fill in gaps under rocks with dirt. Install an exclusion barrier, like a steel screen, around your shed or deck. Get rid of plywood or bricks or other debris. If you've got snakes in your house, find out how they are getting in via a full inspection of the house. Use a polyurethane foam such as Great Stuff to seal any openings, and install weather stripping where you find gaps under doors.
MN Mom
on Apr 26, 2016
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they are not important to my environment!!! they are the most vile creatures on earth~!!!
Penny
on Apr 26, 2016
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Hi Pamela. Contrary to the suggestions above, moth balls and snake repellent are just "irritants" to a snakes sense of smell. Further, if it rains, you have to put more out. It's a really expensive idea. Now call an exterminator for verification of what I'm going to share with you. The reason you have snakes is because you have a source of food for them. I.e.; mice, rats, frogs, lizards, etc. IF you can cut down on their food source you will see a reduction in their appearance. I had the same issue at our mountain house. We were told to always rake or burn leaves, twigs etc. clean up regularly, kill the food source and they will leave. We did just that and now are snake free! (Ours were copperheads) I rolled up 3 of them in less than six feet just raking! Good luck!
Hope Williams
on Apr 27, 2016
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I'm not a snake fan either, but you don't want to kill black snakes as they keep poisonous snakes away as well as mice and rats. Would rather have a black snake than a copper- head!
Jodie
on Apr 27, 2016
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We welcome our rat snakes to our property. They not only keep the rodent population down, they eat the copperheads too.
Cathy Rayburn-Trobaugh
on Apr 27, 2016
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I'm with Pam: they need to be gone! I had 8 garter snakes in my crawl space due to a hole under my front steps, and a snake made its way to my laundry room...moth balls or snakeaway (available in Lowes, etc?) or even professionals will keep them away. There are plenty of places for snakes to live: just not close to me!
KT
on Apr 27, 2016
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I don't know about the snakes but be aware that the mothballs are highly TOXIC to children & pets!!! (And children my confuse them for gumballs or candy)
Candy
on Apr 27, 2016
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SNAKES are a VITAL part of your environment!! Without them, think of all the rodents & other infestations we'd have around our homes. Snakes eat insects, rats, mice, spiders & other harmful animals. If you've got snakes in your yard (house), there MUST be something there that's attracting them. They will only come where there's an abundance of food, water, heat on a cold day & nesting materials that are available for them. Animal wastes, rats, mice, trash, tall grassy areas, squirrels nests in the house or barn, stored boxes that rats or mice have gotten into or a dark dry place where they can nest, hibernate or mate. Snakes have a great sense of smell for their food, mates & water. Moth balls won't do any good. They'll just go around it to get to whatever they're after. It won't repel them. In order to get rid of the snakes, you'll havta get rid of what they're attracted to & that will solve your problem and the snakes will go away. Snakes serve a purpose!! I welcome snakes in my yard & in my house, that way I won't have a rodent infestation or any venomous spiders around.
Pam Walker
on Apr 27, 2016
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The black rat snakes actually eat other snakes that are poisonous .
Mary Stanley
on Apr 27, 2016
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Most often, snakes are beneficial to your yard environment. They are great pest (of many kinds) controllers. Venemous snakes are an entirely different story, however. Be careful that whatever you use is not toxic to the soil, water, children, pets, birds--basically, do not destroy the environment and wildlife to stop one problem. Perhaps your community has an agricultural extension program that could provide you with education and assistance.
Suzanne
on Apr 27, 2016
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They think they are small eggs and eat them.
Quinnda S. Hansell-McMullen
on Apr 27, 2016
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Moth balls have had no effect in our Florida environment. I had a black racer living in my front bed. We have made peace, if he does not come inside my house I will allow him to live outside my house. It's working, but I like you would prefer he choose another house for his abode. Good luck.
Judith
on Apr 27, 2016
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No. Mothballs will NOT stop snakes. However ......... in Texas it's the rattlesnakes that concern me. I have a can of WASP spray at my front and back doors and carry a can when I am outside. Depending on the brand, the spray from the can will travel between 20 and 24 feet. This means that you do NOT have to get close to the rattlesnake to spray it. The spray will kill the snake.
Sandra
on Apr 27, 2016
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We bought a large box of what's called Snake Away we keep our 6 acres mowed every week & spread that around the edges of property plus around each of the 3 homes ! We have kids we like to not have to worry if they want to go out side !!! This is the Big Deal --- it looks just like mouth balls but it's not !!!! It even stays in the rain !!! So far , so good !!!!!
Linda Terranova
on Apr 27, 2016
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Our neighborhood near the Gulf has plenty of snakes. However, we have never had a problem in our fenced yard. My husband scattered used cat litter around the fence line as soon as we moved in. Our neighbors, who have actually had snakes in their houses, borrowed used cat litter from us and now they don't have a problem either. Mothballs, on the other hand, are useless, and harmful to the environment. You do not want them getting into groundwater.
Alyssa Burgin
on Apr 27, 2016
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I have good luck with moth balls. I've been plagued with garter snakes hibernating between my sidewalk and the foundation to my house. In spring/summer they like to lie between the storm door and the house door... and they sun themselves on the sidewalk. garter snakes have even given birth to live young one year and I had baby snakes hanging all over my storm door as I left for work. I could only hope they wouldn't fall into my hair! I bought a product from Australia that smelled like Capsasin.. hot peppers. I was told that snakes don't like strong smells. It was then that I realized I could use moth balls between my door and storm door... since I found that out, I have not been bothered by the snakes! I've also used ammonia in that area, but once it dries up its not as effective. GOOD LUCK
Carol S
on Apr 27, 2016
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I live in Texas and have scattered the moth balls all over the backyard and around the perimeter of the house and in the front yard as well every summer. I have yet to see a rattlesnake. Knock on wood.
Kelli
on Apr 28, 2016
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It could be worse, I just read about a man who found an alligator in his living room.....
Suzanne
on Apr 28, 2016
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I've tried everything under the sun. "Snake Away" which is really moth balls does nothing. Used cat litter does seem to curb them (probably like it does guests to your home). The only thing that seems to have really made a difference was to kill one and hang it from a near-by branch and let it dry out. Not sure why, but we have noticed a real decline in copperheads.
Bob Ridings
on Apr 29, 2016
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We used powdered Fox urine. Purchased at Amazon. Also can buy it at hunting stores. It stopped the rattle snakes from coming into our yard, when we lived above a canyon. Good luck!
Trish
on May 01, 2016
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Gourd vines deter snakes, it the aroma
Bonnie
on Nov 10, 2016
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