How to Keep Snakes Away From Your Pond
Snakes are often feared and misunderstood, but all snakes play an important role in their environment, such as keeping rodent populations under control in your backyard and water features. However, when these reptiles take up residence close to your property you may need to take action to protect your family, pets and other wildlife. Here are some simple steps to help keep snakes away from your pond:
1. Remove Debris From Your Yard
Snakes often hide under logs, plans or rocks, so keeping your yard free of any potential hiding spots for reptiles is the best way to discourage them. Be sure to check around the edges of your pond and check any plants or tree limbs nearby.
2. Trim Plant Growth Near the Pond
Snakes often use tall grass or other vegetation as shelter and as a way to ambush their prey. By avoiding long grass and other dense vegetation around your pond, you reduce the likelihood of snakes passing through.
3. Prevention
- Fencing: Put up a fence around your property or pond to make it difficult for snakes to get into the pond in the first place.
- Chemicals: Using deterrents such as mothballs or ammonia-based scents can be effective in deterring snakes.
- Animal Mats: Punch pin mats can be placed underwater around the edges of the pond to act as an electrical fence and deter snakes from approaching the pond.
4. Don’t Encourage Them
While snakes are beneficial and play a role in the local ecosystem, you should never actively encourage snakes to live near your pond. This can include a food source in the form of excess food for other creatures like fish, or a potential habitat for snakes by leaving piles of leaves, rocks and different materials near the pond.
By taking these preventative measures, you will make it difficult for snakes to access your pond or property. It’s always best to admire these reptiles from afar and leave them alone in nature.
