For those who are having problems with snakes around their property, especially the venomous kinds, you want to do all that you can to rid yourself of these reptiles and to keep them from returning. You probably are here online looking to find ways that work and which may not cost you much to be able to get them to stay away.
One of the most common choices that people talk about on the web is the use of mothballs or other repellents like ammonia or urine. These products have chemical compounds that are quite irritating to a variety of creatures and so it would seem that they would make the ideal choice to use for keeping snakes away. Oh, how wrong that is.
The Common Misconception Demystified
A mothball is really nothing more than a small pellet that contains a substance, naphthalene, which is great for putting in garments that you want to store. This compound is quite irritating to moths and so they will stay away from your clothing to avoid the smell of this compound.
Ammonia has the same effect. It is a very strong smelling product which is great at cleaning things like toilets and bathroom sinks because it is great at killing bacteria. The product is a wonder in the way that it cleans, but you are not cleaning in this case.
With this information it would seem that these products would be absolutely ideal in keeping snakes away. If they have such an effect on other critters then why should snakes be any different.
While the logic may seem to be on your side, the facts are not. First off, both substances are highly soluble in water. What that means is that if there is any rain, it will simply wash away the substances and you are back to square one again.
While this may not be poisonous to the snake, it can be poisonous to your yard, killing off the grass, flowers, and other plants. As the substances dissolve and soak into the ground, they will be absorbed by the plants in their area which can lead to death. If you have a garden nearby then you may have just killed off your vegetables and fruits.
The other part you have to worry about is that this can make you, your family, and your pets sick. Ammonia can become gaseous and to breathe that in can harm your respiratory system. Your children or your pet may also touch something that has one of the chemicals on it, and put that into their mouth or get the substance on their hands and rub it in their eyes or mouth. This can make them sick and even lead to death in your pets. That sounds like way too much of a risk to even attempt to use this substance.
There Are Much Better ChoicesWhile you may be disappointed to hear that these are not good options, don’t! Just because you cannot use ammonia or mothballs does not mean that there are not better choices out there that are effective and pose little to no risk to your family and your pets.
One such example is the use of Garcinia kola, which provides an odor that snakes find to be quite noxious. They are uncomfortable around it and will leave right away if it is present. Best of all, it is not dangerous to you in the least. It is a great way to resolve your problem with the snake and feel that you can be safe in doing so. You do not put your yard, your family, or your pets at risk while still riding the snakes.
For more information about Do mothballs help repel snakes, go to my Snake Removal - How to Get Rid of Snakes home page.