There are ways of preventing snakes into our home, even though many Nigerians overlooks them. However, many Nigerians can’t stand the sight of snakes due to its harmful and deadly attacks. Although not all snakes attacks on first sight, but it’s important to never dare trying to see if it’s a common snake or not.
Preventing these snakes from gaining access into your surroundings or homes, isn’t about using “magic” powders or expensive chemical repellents which sometimes do not even scares them away, instead, it’s about habitat modification. If you make your home unattractive to a snake, they will simply go elsewhere.
Ways of preventing snakes into your homes includes: eliminating foods for snakes such as rats, leftovers and any things with bad smell, maintaining a clean and tidy environment, managing your water sources, so much as toilet pipes, shower pipes, using snake fencing as barriers, check and seal holes from pipe, walls, base of your doors, window and even ceiling, it’s also advisable to use marbles from the base of your houses to a certain level which snakes can’t climb to, that’s talking about the plastering of the outside of your house, etc.
Now let us take a close study of these practical examples:
1. Removing snake feeds
If you must know, snakes are simple creatures driven by two primary needs: food and shelter. If you have snakes, it is almost certain that you have a high population of their favorite food nearby.
Reducing the Population of rats
One of the highest lurer of snakes into homes, is rodents. These snakes traces the rats through their smell and noise, as a result, gains entry into homes, in search of the prey. To get rid of snakes, you must first get rid of the rodents. To get rid of rodents or rats, you have to:
i. Ensure you use metal bins with tight-fitting lids. Plastic bins can be chewed through by rats, creating a food source that attracts snakes.
ii. Always bath your dogs and cats, to avoid them producing bad smells, which could attract rats. Smell attracts rats, and rats attracts snakes.
iii. If you have a poultry farm, ensure its not close to your home. This is because bird feeders drop seeds that attract squirrels and mice.
Eliminating Insects
Some small snakes, like garter snakes or ring-necked snakes, feed heavily on large insects, slugs, and crickets. Keeping your home’s perimeter treated for insects can reduce the population of smaller snakes closer to your homes.
2. Maintaining a clean environment
One reason why so many Nigerians suffers snakes attacks, is due to unkept environment. A snake never likes an open space. Their survival depends on staying hidden from hawks, owls, and larger mammals. By making your environment neat and decent, you make your yard a high-risk zone that they will prefer to avoid.
Always cut grown grasses
In tall grass, a snake is invisible and safe. In short grass, they are exposed. Whether you have money or not, mostly for those living at Abuja and other snake prone areas, never leave a grown grass around your vicinity.
Avoid pilling up trashes
Snakes love a good hiding spot. They target a pile of old lumber or a stack of bricks, etc.
3. Seal Openings
A snake can fit through a hole much smaller than you might imagine. A general rule of thumb: if a pencil can fit through a gap, a small snake can likely squeeze through too.
Inspect the Foundation
Sometimes, it’s important to take a walk around your home and look for any cracks in the concrete or gaps where siding meets the foundation. Use a high-quality sealant or expandable foam to close these entries. For larger gaps, use hardware cloth (a heavy-duty wire mesh) before sealing, as snakes cannot chew through metal.
Check Entry Points for Utilities
Normalize checking where pipes, dryer vents, and electrical wires enter the house. Most times, often, the holes cut for these utilities are larger than the pipes themselves, leaving a “front door” open for snakes. Makes sure that pipe exhaust from your toilet is covered, including the one from the drainage pit.
Male sure the openings from the doors are not sizeable for snakes.
Ensure your doors have sturdy weather stripping and door sweeps that touch the threshold. If you can see light under your door, a snake can get in. Additionally, check that your window screens are tight-fitting and free of tears.
4. Manage Your Water Sources
Like all animals, snakes need water, but more importantly, they follow the prey that water attracts.
Eliminate Standing Water
Persistent puddles, leaky outdoor faucets, and clogged gutters create a mini-ecosystem. These spots attract frogs, toads, and slugs—all of which are primary food sources for many common backyard snakes. By fixing leaks and ensuring your yard drains well, you remove the “watering hole” that brings the food chain to your doorstep.
Always fumigate your environment
Fumigating your surroundings, is another effective way of driving snakes and other wildlife far away from your home. Whether you experience attacks or not, ensure you regularly fumigate your house.
Trim Overhanging Branches
Some snakes are excellent climbers. If you have tree branches touching your roof or windows, you are providing a bridge for them to bypass your ground-level defenses. Keep trees and bushes trimmed at least 3 to 5 feet away from the structure of your home.
Doctor Brandy Harmon 
Very helpful
You’re welcome. Stay safe