Best way to keep snakes out of yard ?

860 Views | 15 Replies | Last: 17 min ago by MouthBQ98
aggiegolf86
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
8:13p, 5/13/26
AG
New house backs up to woods and has an iron fence. Any recommendations? have a small dog so want to keep them away.

Was thinking about getting something like this.
https://www.critterfence.com/p/680-Critterfence-Black-Steel-1/4-Inch-Square-Grid-4-x-50
Reply Quote
ttha_aggie_09
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to aggiegolf86 • 8:15p, 5/13/26
AG
What type of snakes are you encountering?

The only thing to truly prevent the snakes from coming in is removing any and all food sources or shelter for their prey. Many snakes can climb over that mesh if they have a reason too.
Reply Quote
aggiegolf86
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
8:22p, 5/13/26
AG
Havent seen one yet other than a snake skin. Only been here about 10 days so far. We do have 2 patches of yaupon in the back yard. I keep the grass mowed.
Reply Quote
SGrem
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
8:22p, 5/13/26
Just keep grass mowed and dont have anything where they can den or hide under. And I mean nothing. They dont like being out in the open like that. So they may explore your yard but they wont stay.

Im on 7 acres backs up to Dickinson Bayou with heavy woods on both sides of the bayou and open uncleared large field next to me and the drainage bayou on the other side of me.

Been here since Jan 2020.... only seen one water moccasin.....that was when they moved a bunch of dirt to build the house next door. Was about 4 or so coral snakes when I first moved in and was mowing. Nothing since. There is a HUGE rat snake hangs out near our horse hay stack.... he gets to stay. And just last week saw a large banded water snake which are harmless. Nothing up by the house since ive kept the grass nice. I mow by the bayou and my yard and the rest is where the horses roam. You would think right on those woods and on the bayou we would see more. But thats it going on 7 yrs. Nothing since I started mowing.
Reply Quote
2
Ag by Association
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to SGrem • 8:23p, 5/13/26
SGrem said:
Just keep grass mowed and dont have anything where they can den or hide under. And I mean nothing. They dont like being out in the open like that. So they may explore your yard but they wont stay.

Im on 7 acres backs up to Dickinson Bayou with heavy woods on both sides of the bayou and open uncleared large field next to me and the drainage bayou on the other side of me.

Been here since Jan 2020.... only seen one water moccasin.....that was when they moved a bunch of dirt to build the house next door. Was about 4 or so coral snakes when I first moved in and was mowing. Nothing since. There is a HUGE rat snake hangs out near our horse hay stack.... he gets to stay. And just last week saw a large banded water snake which are harmless. Nothing up by the house since ive kept the grass nice. I mow by the bayou and my yard and the rest is where the horses roam. You would think right on those woods and on the bayou we would see more. But thats it going on 7 yrs. Nothing since I started mowing.

And if you can stand it, a cat.
Reply Quote
10
1 edit
fullback44
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
9:37p, 5/13/26
AG
410 snake charmer - or just go with the 12 gauge
Reply Quote
4
maroon barchetta
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
10:21p, 5/13/26
Move to Hawaii.
Reply Quote
1
Cromagnum
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
11:56p, 5/13/26
AG
Get chickens.
Reply Quote
Teslag
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
6:50a
AG
We used to have a lot of copperheads. Then we got a couple of cats and I haven't seen one since.
Reply Quote
LOYAL AG
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
7:18a
AG
May have told this story on this board before but when we moved to San Antonio in 2002 I moved ahead of the family and lived in an apartment in UC for a few months. One day I went down to the office to pay rent and the local TV news troublemakers were there investigating complaints about rodents in the complex. As I walked in the manager was explaining that an adjacent lot had been cleared and the rodents had fled, that they had complained to the city who had failed to address it and the complex had put out hundreds of pounds of poison trying to solve it.

Me: Oh, cool a TV crew. What's going on?
Reporter babe: Sir do you live here?
Me: Yes, ma'am.
Reporter babe: Sir, I'm Reporter Babe from the TV Troublemakers, can I ask you some questions?
Me: Sure.
Manager: Oh, this is gonna be fun!
Reporter: Sir, we've received complaints about rodents in people's homes. Have you had any problems?
Me: No but I live upstairs so maybe they haven't gotten that high yet. This is an easy problem to solve.
Reporter: How would you solve it.
Me: Just get a few snakes. They'll eat a few rodents and the rest will move on.
Reporter: But then you'll have a snake problem.
Me: That's easy too. Get a few cats. Snakes don't like cats so a few will get eaten and the rest will move on.
Reporter: But then you'll have a cat problem.
Me: Get a gun.
Reporter: Oh My God!
Me: Problem solved. Am I gonna be on TV?
Cameraman, visibly laughing: Probably not.
Manager: Told you that would be fun!
Reply Quote
7
Senator Blutarski
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
7:39a
AG
Guinea fowl will fix the snakes, but then you'll have a noise problem.
Same for 410, but the noise doesn't last as long.
Reply Quote
3
zooguy96
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
7:52a
AG
As mentioned, remove their reason for being there. I have 1.5 acres - have limited landscape, and not much place for them to hide. Only seen 1 in 8 years. And I'm looking for them, and would like to have them (and live in the country).
I know a lot about a little, and a little about a lot.
Reply Quote
rednecked
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
7:52a
AG
you need a mongoose

Reply Quote
1
ned911
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
8:15a
Which is now a Hawaii (Oahu) problem lol (the mongoose)
FTA Class of 1988
Reply Quote
AgCMT
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
8:25a
AG
We have cats that take care of the problem around our house. Although they have brought a couple of tiny snakes in the house to play with. It's worth it to see my wife scream like we've been invaded by an anaconda.
Reply Quote
MouthBQ98
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
9:15a
AG
I placed 24" wide 1/4" mesh hardware cloth around the base of my fence, about 20" high. You can bury the bottom in a shallow trench or bend it out from the fence base and just give it minimal cover so it goes from the ground up with no gap.

I wire clipped or zip tied it to the existing fence to hold it in place. It was tedious work but it has done a good job keeping copperheads and other pit vipers out of the yard. They like to stay close to the ground so they will hit it and move along it until they go past a corner or turn away.

It doesn't deter snakes that will climb it, like rat snakes, many water snakes, etc, they seem to put som effort into trying to climb up it where the pit vipers don't seem to bother trying.
Reply Quote
Refresh
Page 1 of 1
 
×
subscribe Verify your student status
See Subscription Benefits
Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial.