The 5 Best Snake Repellents [Ranked]
Snake repellents come in pellet or spray styles. Pellets are only for outdoor use while sprays can be used in the home and outdoors (Source).
It seems, based on buyer experience, that pellets are much more effective outdoors than sprays (Source).
There are actually solar-powered snake repellents, as well, which work by emitting soil-penetrating sonic pulses that chase off a range of vermin, including snakes.
How They Work
The way the pellet and spray-style deterrents work is by interrupting the snakes sense of smell. This neurological disruption causes them to vacate the area, leaving to find 'fresh air' to hunt prey (Source).
Most buyers we consulted have had positive experiences using these snake repellents on their properties, though a minority of buyers said they were ineffective.
Honestly, you can make your own snake repellent spray, since they're primarily composed of essential oils like clove, cinnamon and peppermint (Source).
For outdoor use, you'll probably want to buy either the solar or the pellet deterrent. Perhaps both, if you're really determined.
Our Top Pick: Ortho Snake B Gon
- Use Ortho Snake B Gon1 to prevent snake entry, nesting, and foraging around your home
For outdoor use, buyers say the Ortho Snake B Gon is the best option.
Made from essential oils, it's marketed as an ecologically friendly option that will not harm humans, pets or plants. It's designed to prevents snakes from entering the home, as well as nesting and foraging.
All you have to do is sprinkle it around your property every 30 days. Buyers say it's helped vacate rattlesnakes, copperheads, and garter snakes from their properties.
Contents
| Snake Repellent | Our Rating | Price ($) | Ingredients | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Ortho Snake Repellent | 4.1 | $ | Geraniol, Cinnamon Oil, Castor Oil, Clove Oil, Peppermint Oil. | |
| The Havahart Snake Repellent | 4.0 | $ | Cedar Oil, Sulfur, Cinnamon Oil, Clove Oil. | |
  | The Dr. T's Snake Repellent | 3.8 | $$ | Naphthalene, Sulfur. |
| The Snake Stopper Spray Repellent | 3.7 | $$ | Cinnamon Oil. |
Snake Prevention Ideas
Best Snake Repellents For 2023
Effectiveness
Price
Ease of Use
These snake repellent granules offered by Ortho are efficient, safe and useful for keeping snakes out of your garden. Users love that the repellent smells good, but some do note that it doesn’t last as long as they expected.
The Ortho snake repellent uses no-stink formula with essential oils, and it has a rain-resistant effect. Another great thing about these snake repelling granules is that they are safe for pets, plants, and people when you follow the provided instructions carefully. Overall, this is an excellent choice if you want to get rid of the snakes nesting in your home.
A buyer comments that he has been using the Ortho repellent for about two years and that he hasn’t seen a single snake. He adds that it works for copperheads and rattlesnakes and that he is ordering four more.
A user observes that the repellent smells like cinnamon and cloves and that he reapplies it every month with no ill effects on his plants or grass. He highly recommends it as the most efficient snake repellent. A purchaser also shares that he has three dogs and the repellent hasn’t caused any health issues.
However, some customers have said that the snake repellent is not effective and that they saw a snake slithering in the garden a day after they applied the granules.
Pros
- No-stink formula
- Safe for pets and flowers
- Last long
Cons
- Not effective for some users
Effectiveness
Price
Ease of Use
If you have a snake problem in your yard, then you might want to take a look at this snake repellent offered by Havahart. Users love that it’s easy to use it, but some do note that it has a strong smell. The Havahart 4 pound snake shield consists of natural active ingredients – sulfur, cedar oil, cinnamon oil, and clove oil – that cause a neurological reaction in snakes.
Another great thing about this natural snake repellent is that it’s long-lasting and it’s perfectly safe for pets and plants. The manufacturer recommends that you sprinkle the granules in an 8-inch wide band.
An online reviewer comments that he uses the Havahart snake shield once a month and he hasn’t seen any copperheads for months. He adds that you can smell the granules for a long time and that he highly recommends them.
Another buyer comments that this snake repellent is more efficient than moth balls and that he has sprinkled it around his flowers without any ill effects on them. A user also notes that this snake shield is one of the best snake repellents that he has ever used and that he hasn’t seen a single snake around his greenhouse.
However, some customers have said that they saw a snake sleeping on the sprinkled area on the day after they applied the repellent and that they don’t think that it’s effective at all.
Testing The Snake Shield
Pros
- Easy to use
- Natural
- Safe
- Non-toxic
- Long-lasting
Cons
- Doesn’t work for some users
- Too strong smell
3. The Dr. T’s Snake Repellent Spray Review
Effectiveness
Price
Ease of Use
Dr.T’s natural snake repelling granules offered by Havahart are practical, easy to use, and useful for keeping poisonous and non-poisonous snakes away from your home. Users love how efficient it is, but some do note that the granules smell like moth balls.
Dr. T’s snake repellent contains 7% naphthalene and 28% sulfur as active ingredients, and it’s EPA-registered so that it won’t harm the snakes. Another thing about this product is that 4 pounds cover around .5 acres and it has a 91% success rate. The manufacturer recommends that you reapply it every 2-3 months.
In general, users have a favorable opinion of Dr. T’s nature snake repellent. A user mentions that he has sprinkled the granules in his yard and he hasn’t noticed a single snake since then.
He adds that the repellent has a strong smell and that it’s more efficient than he expected. Another reviewer observes that he doesn’t have any troubles with garden snakes and that he has been using it for several years.
He advises that you reapply the repellent as soon as the smell becomes faint. However, some customers have said that Dr. T’s repellent didn’t work out for them and that snakes were still slithering in their yards. Some also note that it doesn’t last for long and has to be reapplied after a heavy rain.
Pros
- Efficient
- EPA-registered
- Contains naphthalene and sulfur
- Covers large area
Cons
- Doesn’t last too long according to some customers
- Mothballs smell
4. The Exterminator’s Choice Snake Repellent Review
Effectiveness
Price
Ease of Use
If you are looking for a reliable and efficient snake repellent, you might take a look at this snake defense spray offered by Exterminators Choice. Users love that the spray is easy to use, bur some do note that it’s overpriced.
The Exterminator’s Choice natural snake repellent consists of ingredients that snakes hate, which is great because you’ll get rid of them without doing any harm to pets or other animals. Another great thing about this product is that it’s suitable for venomous and non-venomous snakes. To use it, you only have to spray the affected area.
A buyer commented that he bought the natural snake spray to get rid of the snakes nesting in his kitchen cabinets and that it turned out to be more efficient than he initially anticipated.
He adds that he sleeps much more comfortably since he uses the spray. Another reviewer observes that he hasn’t noticed any snakes in his garden after he used this 32 oz snake repellent and he is very pleased with his purchase.
A customer also notes that the spray has a potent smell and that her dog hasn’t experienced any health issues even though he likes the spray’s smell. However, some purchasers have said that they saw a snake after they sprayed the area and that this snake defense repellent is not worth its price.
Pros
- Natural ingredients
- Liquid form
- Easy to use
- Suitable for all kinds of snakes
Cons
- Not effective according to some users
Effectiveness
Price
Ease of Use
This snake repellent offered by Bonide is practical, safe and suitable for covering large areas. Users love the pleasant smell of the spray, but some do note that their plants got damaged.
The Bonide 32 oz snake repellent spray is made of natural ingredients such as cedar oil, cinnamon oil, clove oil, and sulfur, which have a strong smell to keep the slithering reptiles away. Another great thing about this product is that it’s reformulated into liquid so that it will be very easy to apply it wherever you want. Overall, this is an excellent choice if you need to take care of your garden snake problem.
A user observes that the Bonide ready to spray snake repellent actually works and that he managed to save his chicken hatchlings thanks to it.
He also notes that the spray has a pleasant smell and that it’s perfectly safe and non-toxic. Another reviewer mentions that she hasn’t seen a snake ever since she sprayed her yard and that she is very pleased with the efficiency of the snake repellent. A purchaser adds that a snake took off in an instant after she used the snake stopper and that she highly recommends it.
However, some customers have said that the repellent doesn’t work at all. Some says that snakes reappeared even when they reapplied the product according to the instructions.
Pros
- Practical
- Non-toxic
- Strong smell
- Liquid form
- Easy to apply
Cons
- Complaints of plant damage
What Are Buyers Saying?
Ortho
The first snake repellent we examined is manufactured by Ortho. It's marketed as a simple way to ensure that snakes are dissuaded from foraging, nesting, and entering into areas.
As well, they claim that as long as you follow the instructions it is safe to use around plants, pets and humans. It employs essential oils which can be spread into garden soils.
The way it works, the essential oil scent will overwhelm the snake, which means that it's no longer able to detect prey. The snake then decides to leave the area, journeying somewhere else where they can smell more clearly. Some buyers who have squirrel feeders use don't want predatory snakes in their yard scaring away the squirrels.
The primary ingredients include castor oil, cinnamon oil, clove oil, peppermint oil, and geraniol. To use, you'll just shake the repellent granules in your soil and turf surrounding the plants and flowers in your garden- you should do this every 30 days.
- For the most part, buyers are relatively satisfied- one reviewer who lives in an area play plagued by copperheads and rattlesnakes says that after sprinkling it around she hasn't encountered any snakes on her property.
- Another Texan buyer tells us that she's been using this product for over three years and it's completely removed snakes from her lakeside property.
- Another buyer who has snakes nesting beneath her porch and told us that the cinnamon and clove mixture effectively deterred them without hurting her garden.
Havahart
The second snake repellent we examined is provided by Havahart. It has a similar formulation to our first snake repellent but also contains sulfur and cedar oil in addition to clove and cinnamon oil.
The way it works, they say, is it has a neurological effect on the snake's ability to understand its surroundings.
All you need to do to get it working is sprinkle it around your home, your business, while you are camping in parks, or even around areas of the property like wood piles that can harbor these reptiles.
- Buyers have provided primarily positive feedback- one user employed it to scare off copperheads from his property.
- Others describe it as a pleasantly fragrant repellent that when sprinkled around the home has deterred rattlesnakes, without bothering friendly animals like their pets, birds, rabbits, and squirrels.
- Another homeowner had black racer snakes around his property that frequently tried to get into his house and garage- he sprinkled this repellent liberally around his property and hasn't been troubled since.
Dr. T's
The third snake repellent we took a look at is Dr. T's. It's marketed as a targeted deterrent for both non-poisonous and poisonous snakes- comprised of sulfur and naphthalene.
Perusing their marketing materials, they say about 4 pounds of the granules will cover a half acre, providing a 91% repellent success rate against rattlesnakes and garter snakes.
Exterminator's Choice
The fourth snake repellent we examined is actually a spray- and it's marketed as a natural solution. It contains a blend of clove, cinnamon and peppermint oil. It has received primarily positive feedback with only a few detractors- one of whom says that it's easy to make this blend yourself rather than buying it online.
Buyers say that because it is a spray, you can use it inside of the home with reviewers saying that it seems to have worked, for the most part.
Snake Stopper
The last snake repellent spray we examined is provided by Snake Stopper- it's designed to keep snakes out of your patios, gardens, and home.
