How to get rid of copperheads from your yard.

How to Get Rid of Copperheads Naturally (Both Yard and Home!)

So, you’re freaking out because you have a copperhead snake (or two).

Fear not.

This is a comprehensive pest control guide.

We’ll go over exactly how you can get rid of copperhead snakes naturally that are snaking around (sorry) your garden or home.

We’ll cover how to identify copperheads, how to repel them, and how to prevent them for good.

Feel free to bookmark this page so you can easily reference it during your journey.

Sound good? Let’s get copperhead-free!

Last updated: 12/30/19.

 

Sections

What’s a copper snake?

You can get rid of copperheads around your yard naturally, like this coiled copperhead.
Know your enemy. Getting rid of a copperhead isn’t easy.

A copperhead snake is an unmarked, thick, and venomous snake with a copper-colored head.

The most distinctive appearance are the hourglass shapes going down its body.

They grow up to 3’ in length and are commonly found in the southeast US.

They’re considered a pit-viper, which means that they have heat-sensing detectors between the eyes and nostrils. This allows them to detect mammalian (such as a human) heat signals for easier predation.

What do they look like?

Coiled snake ready to strike!
They have hourglass patterns on the body and a copper-colored head.

Copperhead snakes are known for their copper-colored head.

They have thick, brownish bodies with cross bands that are distinctly colored.

The crossbands typically have an hourglass-like patterning with the wider portions on either side of the body. They’re actually pretty easy to identify compared to other snake species.

There are multiple copperhead species found in the US. They all have slightly different patternings and colors, but they’re not too different from one another.

Depending on the species and environment, each copperhead can vary in coloration and phenotype. You can read more about them here.

Baby copperheads

They get more colorful as they age. Younger copperheads are grayer whereas adults are fully-colored. The younger snakes have a yellow tail and will fade as they approach adulthood.

Adult copperheads

Adults have a fully-colored keeled scales and crossbands. The tail also has a solid color rather than the yellow tip. Other than distinct coloration and patterning, the adults are very similar to the babies.

They have a vertical, elliptical pupil and just one row of scales on the body’s pink underside. Copperheads also have heat-sensitive organs on their head between the eyes and nostrils.

These help them find prey and warmer objects to help them hunt during the night. Mammals will emit heat, and this detector helps them find their next meal in the dark.

Length

They grow up to 36” on the higher end as an adult and babies usually are around 7” long. Female copperheads are longer than males overall.

But males have longer tails compared to females. Other than size, males and female copperheads are very similar in appearance.

Do copperheads bite?

These are venomous snakes that bite.
They sure do.

Yes. Copperheads will definitely bite when they’re cornered or threatened. They tend to avoid humans, but if provoked, they’ll bite and inject venom.

Always be careful around copperheads and take precautions when entering an infested area.

They’ll often slither off and snake away when approached. Other times they may strike or hide until the danger has left. They’re often very well camouflaged so they’re easily stepped on by accident.

This explains the high rate of snake bites coming from this species.

Copperheads are actually the most common snake to bite humans annually than any other species in the US.

They’re usually not aggressive and will freeze when they sense danger. But if you touch or step on them, they’ll bite. Never touch a copperhead. Always allow it to do its thing without disturbing it.

Are they venomous?

Copperhead snake coiled ready to strike.
Copperheads are venomous snakes.

Yes, copperheads are a venomous snake.

The copperhead snake is one of the most commonly reported snakebites annually, but they’re rarely fatal or life-threatening.

This usually happens when a copperhead is stepped on or touched- whether by accident or not.

Even newly hatched baby copperheads already have powerful venom that’s on the same level of toxicity as an adult.

They have a fang that releases a venom which destroys blood cells, which will basically paralyze their prey. Their fangs actually grow over the course of its life. The longer the snake, the larger the fangs

The fangs will replace throughout its life, each replacing the previous one.

There are replacement fangs lined up behind the current set within their gum line.

Copperhead snake life cycle

Copperheads have a life cycle just like any other snake.

They mate during the early summer and late fall. The male and female adult snakes will mate, which results in fertilized eggs to begin development in the female snake.

Gestation lasts about 3-9 months depending on environmental conditions. This means things like food, water, and temperature affect gestation. Not to mention the species of snake.

Copperhead snakes have yolk and give birth to live snakes (live birth). They’re ovoviviparous breeders.

Livebearers

After the baby copperheads are born, there are usually between 2-10 young per brood. This number varies depending on the environment and the female size.

The young snakes will eat live bugs and small reptiles strictly. As they grow up, they’ll eat reptiles, birds, amphibians, mice, rats, rodents, and other bugs as they mature. They reach sexual maturity in about 4 years.

Diurnal and nocturnal

Copperheads are diurnal during the spring and fall (daytime snakes). And then become fully nocturnal during the summer (nighttime snakes).

This means they’re active in both day and night depending on the season. Thus, copperheads are both diurnal and nocturnal.

How long do they live?

Copperhead snakes vary depending on the species and environmental conditions. On average, a single copperhead snake lives around 18 years.

Where do copperhead snakes live?

They’re all over the US. Northern copperheads range from Massachusetts to Florida to Nebraska. The Northern species actually has the largest range out of all the copperhead species. They’ve also been reported in Georgia, Alabama, and Illinois.

These snakes are known to hang out towards the southeast of the US. they’re a rare snake as they’re very good at avoiding humans, but they’re also the source of many snakebites annually in the US.

This is because they’re hiding and we accidentally step on them and touch them, so they retaliate and bite us.

Copperheads are native to Washington D.C. and are the only venomous snake in the district.

They prefer sawdust or woodpiles that have been left alone. Copperheads have been found in construction areas and rural areas to a lesser extent. They’re an ambush predator, so they often hide within bushes until their meal arrives.

You’ll often find them in a wide range of environments, from rocky to swampy, forested to hilly. They’ll also live in damp wetlands and semiaquatic environments where they’ll swim through the water to hunt or bask in the sun on rocks and logs.

What time of day are copperhead snakes most active?

Copperheads may come in pairs.
Copperheads are both night and day snakes.

As mentioned previously, copperhead snakes are both diurnal and nocturnal.

This means they’re active both during the day and night depending on the season:

  • Spring and fall = diurnal.
  • Summer = nocturnal.

Can you smell a snake in your house?

This has been a long, ongoing speculation.

Some people have said that they can “smell” a snake. Apparently, they smell like cucumbers, scented candles, and or even hair shampoo. Whether or not this is true, there are enough people all over random forums online that almost seem like they swear by it.

Personally, I could never “smell” a snake’s presence. There are snakes that crawl through sewage and drains, which explains why you can smell them. That’s an obvious answer.

But as for snakes that crawl through “less-scented” environments, like gardens and homes, do they really emit a smell?

Copperhead snakes are said to smell like cucumbers. If you’ve been smelling this lately, you may have a copperhead (or other snakes) around your home.

I think this is a very unreliable way to determine if you have a snake problem, so I’m not going to stand by it. It’s really just speculation if anything.

There’s no solid evidence that I could find that proves this other than various anecdotal reports online.

Some people even say that some scents attract other copperheads. Or that they release scents to come in pairs.

Clean up your feeders daily. Or move them to somewhere more difficult for these secondary feeders to get a meal.

 

Avoid providing a copperhead habitat

Copperheads will need a specific habitat condition to proliferate. Even though they have plenty of food around your garden, they need a specific environment to breed and lay eggs.

This means you can take measures to build up your yard to avoid attracting snakes. Here are some tips:

Don’t use large rock decorations

Large rocks often have many gaps and crevices between each rock. This is the perfect environment for copperheads to hide, reside, and breed.

Use smaller rocks with no gaps. Smaller landscaping rocks prevent them from being able to crawl through.

Don’t use mulch

Loose soil and mulch should be avoided. This attracts prey and also provides an area for the snake to breed and overwinter. Use thicker soil or pot your plants.

Secure or get rid of water sources

If you have a pond or fountain, you’ll have to secure it. Look up the DIY repellents outlined throughout this page.

Use a few of them around your water features. Snakes are attracted to water and they can sense that you have a large body of water present. If you’re not actively using the feature, drain it and keep it dry. This means removing any excess water after a rainfall.

Snakes have no problem swimming through water to hunt for prey, so keep it clean and dry. Or secure your water source.

Set up a barrier

Snake fencing exists, and it’s a safe way to keep copperheads out.

You can buy this at most hardware stores. You should secure the fencing at least 2” into the ground with a 0.25” or smaller mesh size.

Solid sheeting is even better to prevent small copperheads from snaking through. Add a fold at the top of the fencing to prevent them from climbing over the barrier into your yard.

You’ll have to do some research and pick out the right height, mesh size, and length to suit your yard.

But fencing proves to be an effective and “hands-off” way to keep snakes away from your garden. Definitely worth considering even if it takes more work.

Remove other pests

Younger copperheads mainly feed on smaller bugs.

Adults will eat a variety of rodents and reptiles, like salamanders, lizards, and even other snakes. Copperheads are carnivores and only eat “meat.” They don’t eat plant matter.

They’ll eat a variety of bugs and prey that are much bigger than themselves. Some copperheads will feed on many insects per day, which can help manage your bug population.

But the tradeoff is that you’ll have a snake roaming around your yard. This is one of the benefits of copperheads that many people overlook.

If you clean up your yard from other pests, you’ll attract fewer copperheads. This goes hand-in-hand with keeping your yard maintained overall.

  • If you have a clean yard, you’ll attract fewer pests.
  • If you attract fewer pests, you attract fewer copperheads.

Attract natural predators

There are plenty of predators who will prey on snakes, but the copperhead is a relatively large snake, so your choices may be limited.

Depending on where you live and what native predators are around, you may be able to have something else to take care of the snake for you.

Copperheads are very vulnerable when they’re young and small. When other predators eat them, they’ll never be able to grow up into adult snakes.

Thus, it’ll help and control and manage your copperhead population in your yard.

These are known predators of copperhead snakes:

  • Kingsnakes
  • Racer snakes
  • Cottonmouth snakes
  • Bullfrogs
  • American crowns
  • Horned owls
  • Opossums
  • Coyotes
  • Domestic cats (though you probably shouldn’t let your cat eat one)
  • Feral cats
  • Alligators (probably not practical)
  • Red-tailed hawk
  • Broad-winged hawk
  • Coral snakes
  • Garter snakes

If you have any of these species around your home natively, do some research.

See how you can attract more of them to come help you manage your snake problem. For example, you may be able to attract possums by planting fruit trees.

Or you may be able to attract owls by providing a food source and tree shelter. Or maybe more hawks by getting a perch pole for them to sit on and watch for baby copperheads to eat.

Repellent plants

Copperhead basking in plants. Use repellent plants to keep snakes out.
You can use plants to naturally keep them out of your yard.

You can plant a few plants around your garden to repel copperhead snakes from snaking around. The best part about using plants as a deterrent against them is that no one will notice since the plants “blend” into your yard.

The other thing is that this is a natural way to repel copperheads also. So you don’t need to worry about dangerous poisons harming your pets or family. Definitely one of the better ways keeps copperheads out!

Here are a few plants that repel copperheads.

West Indian lemongrass

Lemongrass is a strong-smelling plant that reeks of citrus. This plant smells like citronella oil, as lemongrass is actually used in the process of making it.

Not only does lemongrass repel copperhead snakes, but it’ll also keep mosquitos and other pests like no-see-um bugs from hanging around your yard.

The plant is easy to grow and you can pick it up at your local nursery. Lemongrass is resistant to drought, so the maintenance is next-to-nothing.

You can buy a few of them and plant them in pots or directly into the soil. Use them to set up a perimeter around your garden to keep the snakes out.

Onion plants

Onion smells. We all know that. Copperhead snakes are also repelled by the strong scent of garlic, so there’s really no reason not to use it.

You can plant onion plants, but that honestly takes forever.

Either buy an onion plant and keep it in a pot. Or just grab an onion, cut it up into pieces, and place the onion slices around your garden.

Both work effectively well against copperheads. The scent from the onion will drive them away and also confuses them since they rely on their scent receptors for detecting prey and navigation.

Marigold plants

Marigolds are another very popular and proven effective method of warding off pests.

Everything from bees to mealybugs has been stated to absolutely hate the scent of marigold. The benefit of using marigold as a natural repellent is that grows very quickly and requires very little maintenance.

The plant is also very easy to maintain and you can be planted all over your yard for cheap.

You just need to pick up a few from your local nursery and you can plant them potted, all around your yard. Marigold flowers have bright colors that are actually very appealing.

So this plant definitely isn’t something ugly that you have all over your garden.

The odor that Marigold gives off is a strong deterrent against copperhead snakes and a wide variety of other pests. Often when people ask for a natural way to get rid of snakes, gophers, or even moles, I recommend them to use marigold plants.

This would be the plan. It would suggest you start off with first because it’s so easy to utilize and plant. If the marigold doesn’t work, then you can escalate to other plants.

Garlic plants

Similar to an onion, garlic is another strong-smelling herb with a powerful odor. you can buy garlic plants and literally plant them into the soil.

However, I prefer just using literal garlic clothes and cutting them up. After you cut them up, go ahead and scatter them around your garden just like you would with us. The garlic will sit there and give off that nasty odor which will help keep copperhead snakes at bay.

The best part about this is that it’s a cheap and effective way because of garlic costs next to nothing. You can just throw the slices around your garden and there will last for several weeks before you have to replace them again.

Note that garlic isn’t safe for dogs.

Mother in law’s tongue (viper’s bowstring hemp)

While it has a strange name, mother-in-law’s tongue is actually a plant that can physically repel snakes. How does it do that? The plant has very sharp leaves.

This is probably something you don’t want to handle haphazardly and you should always wear garden gloves when you have to. The leaves are sharp and will deter copperhead snakes because they will avoid the razor-like leaves.

Just like marigold plants, mother-in-law’s tongue is an easy-to-maintain the plant. Buy a few of them and place them around the garden.

Use them as a “barrier.” Set them up around the perimeter of your home to make a “barbed wire fence” to keep the snakes out. This plant is a perennial plant so you don’t need to buy it again every year.

And you only have to water it a few times a week and that’s about it for maintenance. It also does well in sunny areas so you really can’t complain about the upkeep.

You can just buy a few of them and then propagate from a single plant. The best part about mother-in-law’s tongue is that you can use it both as an indoor and outdoor plant.

This means you can put some inside your home as a secondary defense to keep copperhead snakes out if they slip past the primary defense outdoors.

What smell do snakes hate?

Copperhead ready to strike.
Copperheads hate many herbs and spices. Mainly strong-scented stuff.

Snakes hate essential oils. Herbs. Spices. Pretty much anything that smells very strong will be enough to mess with and disrupt a snake’s tongue for the sense of smell. This usually means using a variety of essential oils.

There are a ton of them and many of them work very well against a plethora of pests, such as peppermint for centipedes.

Some essential oils have even been approved by the Wildlife Services and USDA to repel snakes from commercial areas, such as airports.

The thing to keep to min with essential oils is that they must be sprayed very close to where the snake is present. As you know, the farther away you are from the oil, the less effective it becomes.

Thus, you either concentrate the oil in a specific area where you suspect copperheads to be present, or you can spray it everywhere.

Essential oils will easily enter the snake’s body and penetrate the skin. This will confuse and repel the snake as it produces burning sensations throughout the skin.

Here are the top 2 most effective essential oils for copperheads.

Clove oil

Clove oil (AKA eugenol) has been found to work well against snakes.

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at the University of Texas researched this. They discovered that some oils will repel snakes.

They’ve found that clove oil has been proven to repel some snakes, but not all species. You can try using this oil against copperheads, as this just may do the trick. I couldn’t find any direct proof online that eugenol works against copperheads from verified sources.

But there have been anecdotal reports from homeowners that it works, just like garlic.

You can buy eugenol from an apothecary and simply add about 6 drops per gallon of water. Then use cotton balls and dunk them into the oil. After that, place the cotton balls around your home and garden to keep snakes out.

You can try using a variety of connections per gallon. The more drops you add, the more powerful the mixture becomes.

Cinnamon oil

Just like clove oil, cinnamon oil has been researched and deemed effective against certain snakes.

You can buy this and follow the same process as clove oil (cotton ball placement) and use them around the yard and home.

These should act as “repellent” stations that you can DIY for yourself and place them in strategic locations.

Garlic oil

Just like onion oil, garlic oil will disturb and disrupt the snake. Garlic oil proves to be a very odorous substance. Don’t use it where you’ll be spending a lot of time.

You can pour some garlic oil directly into a small container and mix it with water. Then place it around the yard. Usually, 3 drops of garlic oil with a cup of water directly into a mason jar works perfectly.

Place your repellent strategically

Whatever you choose to use, place the cotton balls or mason jars in areas where the snakes are entering your home. Also, place them outdoors to protect your home.

Some common places where copperhead snakes may be getting into your home:

  • Doors
  • Windows
  • Patio doors
  • Decks
  • Crawl spaces
  • Outhouses or sheds
  • Between crevices or cracks
  • Small gaps
  • Chimneys
  • Air vents
  • Around the yard
  • Within houseplants
  • Foundation cracks

The cotton balls should be replaced when they don’t emit the strong scent. Simply follow the same process as above.

Do mothballs keep snakes away from your house?

No. They don’t.

There’s no proof that mothballs keep copperheads (or any snake) away from your home, so there’s no point in using them. I’ve never seen this actually work and I don’t recommend using it because it’s a waste of energy.

Kathy Mayo, an RN at the Blue Ridge Poison Center believes that mothballs are not effective.

Mothballs also pose a threat to small children and pets, who may eat them. Even if they were to be effective, the dangers they pose outweigh the benefits. They emit toxic odors and are dangerous when eaten.

Don’t use them. There are safer alternatives that are more effective than mothballs.

Use your laundry, hair, or other scented materials

Whether or not this is true, it’s worth a try.

Speculators think that using your hair, laundry, or anything else that smells like a human will repel snakes. You can sprinkle your hair clippings (from your drain or brush) around your yard. Snakes avoid humans. And we avoid them.

So it makes sense that they’ll hate the scent of a human. Natural and safe so it’s worth a try.

Commercial approaches

Copperhead outdoors.
You can use a bunch of commercial sprays and killers to repel them. But avoid when possible.

Here are a bunch of common commercial ways to get rid of copperhead snakes.

Again, only use these as a last-ditch effort. Always stick to natural when possible.

Use a minnow trap

A minnow trap proves to be an effective trap against copperhead (and other snakes). These are dual-inverted traps with funnels on both ends.

You place the bait on the inside, then the snake makes its way into the trap. Once they get in, they can’t get out.

Here’s a forum post of someone who caught one.

You’d want to use any old egg as bait.

You can just use brown or white eggs from the grocery store and place them in the trap. Then put the trap where you think copperheads are present. They’ll make their way into the trap and get stuck.

You can buy minnow traps at your local fish store (LFS). Once you catch the snake, you’ll want to call animal control to have them remove it. The snake can escape as soon as you mess with the trap, so don’t. Be cautious at all times.

Chicken and livestock

If you have chickens in your yard, you can use minnow traps and bait the snake using their eggs.

This place the traps around the chicken coop and constantly monitor the traps. You should be able to catch the snake using just this approach, especially if the snake hangs around the coop a lot.

Fountains for pools

The minnow trap also works best for water snakes or copperheads that are taking a dive. You can use this trap underwater and also bait it.

Indoors

Minnow traps can work both outside and inside your home. If you have a snake in your basement, attic, or somewhere else that’s hard to find, you can set up a minnow trap.

Glue/sticky traps

There are sticky traps that you can buy for copperheads.

However, I’d say avoid at all costs because they’re inhumane and dangerous. The snake can still escape when you approach it or could be “faking” that it’s stuck.

The traps are unreliable and are usually a huge mess to deal with

Even if they catch the snake, removing it is a hassle. Avoid glue or sticky traps when possible.

Commercial snake sprays

You can buy sprays made to repel snakes at hardware stores.

Some are effective. Some aren’t.

Do your research online and read reviews. I’d only suggest this as a last resort since many of them have residues that are harmful. Buy organic or natural when possible.

Some of the most common additives are fox urine, which seems to be the most effective against snakes.

Does “Snake Away” work on Copperheads?

Yes and no. I’ve heard mixed reports about using Snake Away for snakes in general.

Personally, I find it not that effective against copperheads and would avoid it in exchange for a natural approach.

I’ve had copperheads nest up right next to a bag of this stuff. If you plan to use it, use it as directed by the bag.

Don’t let your pets or kids play with this stuff.

Does salt keep copperheads away?

Not that I could see.

I couldn’t find any proof about using salt to repel copperheads other than some untrustworthy sources. I’ve never heard of actually using salt to repel snakes at all.

So I wouldn’t waste my time with this.

The method may be that they hate slithering over salt since it stings their body, but there’s no proof that this is actually effective. If you find anything, let me know in the comments.

Does sulfur repel copperheads?

There have been rumors that you can use pure sulfur to repel snakes.

I have never used this myself and couldn’t find any concrete proof online that this works.

I’d avoid it since it doesn’t make sense to buy the sulfur for an unproven method when you can use other proven repellents on this list.

Further reading

Here are some additional resources that you may find useful:

Did you get rid of your copperhead problem?

You can now repel copperheads like this one from your yard!
You now have everything you need to know to get rid of copperheads!

That’s all I have for you.

You should now know how to control, manage, and repel copperhead snakes naturally from your yard or home!

If you found this pest control guide to be somewhat helpful, let me know by leaving a comment.

You can also ask me any questions you may have in the same manner and I’ll be happy to help ASAP.

Please let me know what you think about this guide!

Considering telling a friend about this guide =]! Or share it on your social media.

Someone else probably has the same problem as you do if you live in the same area!

Thanks for reading!

Or that they release the cucumber smell when they’re disturbed. There are many different speculations about the scent snakes emit when they’re nearby. Who knows whether or not this is true?

Can you kill a copperhead?

Other than some state laws, you should never actually kill a copperhead snake (or any other snake) for that matter.

Not because you’re endangering nature or anything. Copperheads aren’t an endangered species. But more because you may end up hurting yourself. These snakes will defend themselves when threatened.

They’ll hiss, bite, and do whatever it takes when they feel that they’re in danger. The best course of action is to use repellents to drive them out naturally rather than provoke them.

You should never approach any snake directly, as this poses a threat to your safety. If you have a copperhead snake in your home, call an animal control center immediately.

Don’t even try to deal with the snake yourself. This goes for snakes outdoors also. Never try to handle them yourself.

The methods outlined in this tutorial are for managing these snakes when they’re NOT around. This means you set up these traps, repellents, and DIY home remedies when you’re not directly facing a snake. This way you’re safe from any bites and attacks from them.

The whole point is to drive them away using these methods without you having to actually deal with the snake.

Should you leave copperhead snakes alone?

Copperhead snake coiled.
They avoid us, so we should avoid them also.

There are also many benefits to leaving a copperhead in your yard. Other than simply the fact that you don’t want snakes in your yard, there are many other reasons to leave them be.

Here are a few that are worthy of your consideration.

They take care of other pests

Copperheads are excellent at managing other rodents and pests you may not want in your yard. They’re native to many states and will feed on mice, rats, lizards, cicadas, ticks, and even other smaller snakes.

Believe it or not, the copperhead in your yard is only there because there’s plenty of food and the perfect shelter conditions. The snake is eating up pests and keeping them out of your home.

Would you rather deal with all those other rodents and reptiles? Or would you rather just have a few copperheads? Not to mention that ticks can cause a huge number of diseases by feeding on human flesh.

They’re beneficial to research

Copperhead venom is being used to research many diseases. You probably don’t care because the specific copperhead in your yard isn’t being utilized for any movement.

But it’s just another thing to note about these snakes. They’re not there to harm you. They’re here because they’re just trying to survive and live their life.

Copperheads will avoid humans for the most part, as they want nothing to do with you. If you can avoid them, then they’ll be your outdoor pest control that works 24/7.

Just keep them out of your home. Unless you work in your yard or you’re a gardener. Then that’s a different story.

How to get rid of copperheads

Copperhead snake sticking its tongue out.
Copperheads can be repelled naturally using a variety of methods.

For those who really don’t want copperheads around their home or yard, here are some methods to get rid of them. The point of this article isn’t to directly remove them.

You should NEVER handle a snake by yourself. Always call animal control. These methods are to be used when you’re completely sure that you have no chance of being bitten.

The approach is to set up traps, natural repellents, and DIY techniques to drive the snake away on its own. Be safe when you set up traps and repellents. Always watch out for loose snakes. Exercise common sense.

How do I get rid of snakes in my yard naturally?

Copperhead closeup.
Let’s get them out of your yard!

Here’s where you’ll find some techniques to keep the copperheads out of your yard.

The key to success would be to try multiple methods and see which one works. There is no “best” method. You’ll need to use a few of them.

This depends on the specific copperhead species, environment, and temperament of the snake. The results you’ll get will be vastly different.

Nonetheless, try these first before hiring a professional. You just may save yourself a ton of cash and won’t have to spend too much at all to get the job done.

Make your own DIY repellent

You can make your own snake repellent at home using some basic ammonia. You can buy ammonia from drug stores or department stores.

Just get pure ammonia and a pack of cotton balls. Ammonia can be arguable about whether it’s “natural” or not. But this will drive snakes away because they hate the scent of ammonia.

Here’s how you can do this at home.

What you’ll need:

  • Pack of cotton balls (250 should be enough)
  • Pure ammonia
  • Small container
  • Gloves
  • Plastic zipper bag

How to make it:

  • Pour the ammonia into the container.
  • Dump a dozen or so cotton balls into the ammonia.
  • Let them soak.
  • Put on your gloves and fish out the cotton balls. Put them into the zipper bag.
  • Add more cotton balls to the ammonia.
  • Repeat by adding more ammonia and soaking more balls until you have a good amount.

How to use it:

  • Wearing gloves, navigate around your yard and drop the cotton balls on the dirt, concrete, or fence. Make them form a barrier around the perimeter of your garden.
  • Next, do the same for your home’s entryways. Drop the cotton balls around strategic locations to repel snakes.
  • Place them out of direct sunlight.
  • Place them out of reach from children, pets, or other edibles.
  • Seal up the bag for any unused buds.
  • Remove the dried buds and replace as necessary. They should last up to a week depending on your environmental conditions.

Vinegar

You can use vinegar to repel snakes as they dislike the scent and also can’t slither over this stuff.

Just buy a gallon or so and pour it directly onto outdoor surfaces where you want to keep snakes out. Think of it as a barrier.

Of course, vinegar will evaporate over time. So this shouldn’t be used as a permanent solution. You can use it for a quick fix for things like your outhouse, shed, patio, or pool.

Don’t overwater

Excess water will attract many bugs, which the copperheads will come running after. They’ll also bathe in the water pools that collect from overwatering, so avoid when possible.

Slugs, snails, frogs, and other reptiles will be attracted to the water around your home. This will bring copperheads as a result.

Maintain your yard

The reason why many homeowners (or even apartment owners) have copperheads in the first place. It’s simply due to poor maintenance.

A yard littered with leaves, foliage, wood, and overgrown plants proves to be ripe for snakes and other pests to take shelter.

Keeping your garden clean and free of debris is imperative to keep the snakes out.

This means doing basic practices to keep copperheads out:

  • Mow the lawn
  • Prune trees, shrubs, and other plants
  • Keep grass very short (or eliminate it entirely)
  • Dispose of leaf litter or plant debris
  • Remove woodpiles
  • Secure trash and compost containers
  • Removing clutter and organizing your yard
  • Clear out gutters, drains, and other vents
  • Keep water sources (ponds or fountains) clean
  • Use appropriate lighting (bright lights repel some pests and reptiles)

Remove food sources

This means feeding your cats, dogs, or other pets cleanly.

Don’t feed them outdoors and move their food bowls in your home. If you have livestock, you’ll have to enter secure the feeding area (use traps or repellents) or remove any excess food.

The copperhead doesn’t eat the food, but the leftovers attract rodents and other pests. This ends up attracting copperheads.

Don’t forget your bird feeders. Birds will often leave many seeds and nectar right around their feeder, which attract rodents, bugs, and maybe even snakes.

Clean up your feeders daily. Or move them to somewhere more difficult for these secondary feeders to get a meal.

 

Avoid providing a copperhead habitat

Copperheads will need a specific habitat condition to proliferate. Even though they have plenty of food around your garden, they need a specific environment to breed and lay eggs.

This means you can take measures to build up your yard to avoid attracting snakes. Here are some tips:

Don’t use large rock decorations

Large rocks often have many gaps and crevices between each rock. This is the perfect environment for copperheads to hide, reside, and breed.

Use smaller rocks with no gaps. Smaller landscaping rocks prevent them from being able to crawl through.

Don’t use mulch

Loose soil and mulch should be avoided. This attracts prey and also provides an area for the snake to breed and overwinter. Use thicker soil or pot your plants.

Secure or get rid of water sources

If you have a pond or fountain, you’ll have to secure it. Look up the DIY repellents outlined throughout this page.

Use a few of them around your water features. Snakes are attracted to water and they can sense that you have a large body of water present. If you’re not actively using the feature, drain it and keep it dry. This means removing any excess water after a rainfall.

Snakes have no problem swimming through water to hunt for prey, so keep it clean and dry. Or secure your water source.

Set up a barrier

Snake fencing exists, and it’s a safe way to keep copperheads out.

You can buy this at most hardware stores. You should secure the fencing at least 2” into the ground with a 0.25” or smaller mesh size.

Solid sheeting is even better to prevent small copperheads from snaking through. Add a fold at the top of the fencing to prevent them from climbing over the barrier into your yard.

You’ll have to do some research and pick out the right height, mesh size, and length to suit your yard.

But fencing proves to be an effective and “hands-off” way to keep snakes away from your garden. Definitely worth considering even if it takes more work.

Remove other pests

Younger copperheads mainly feed on smaller bugs.

Adults will eat a variety of rodents and reptiles, like salamanders, lizards, and even other snakes. Copperheads are carnivores and only eat “meat.” They don’t eat plant matter.

They’ll eat a variety of bugs and prey that are much bigger than themselves. Some copperheads will feed on many insects per day, which can help manage your bug population.

But the tradeoff is that you’ll have a snake roaming around your yard. This is one of the benefits of copperheads that many people overlook.

If you clean up your yard from other pests, you’ll attract fewer copperheads. This goes hand-in-hand with keeping your yard maintained overall.

  • If you have a clean yard, you’ll attract fewer pests.
  • If you attract fewer pests, you attract fewer copperheads.

Attract natural predators

There are plenty of predators who will prey on snakes, but the copperhead is a relatively large snake, so your choices may be limited.

Depending on where you live and what native predators are around, you may be able to have something else to take care of the snake for you.

Copperheads are very vulnerable when they’re young and small. When other predators eat them, they’ll never be able to grow up into adult snakes.

Thus, it’ll help and control and manage your copperhead population in your yard.

These are known predators of copperhead snakes:

  • Kingsnakes
  • Racer snakes
  • Cottonmouth snakes
  • Bullfrogs
  • American crowns
  • Horned owls
  • Opossums
  • Coyotes
  • Domestic cats (though you probably shouldn’t let your cat eat one)
  • Feral cats
  • Alligators (probably not practical)
  • Red-tailed hawk
  • Broad-winged hawk
  • Coral snakes
  • Garter snakes

If you have any of these species around your home natively, do some research.

See how you can attract more of them to come help you manage your snake problem. For example, you may be able to attract possums by planting fruit trees.

Or you may be able to attract owls by providing a food source and tree shelter. Or maybe more hawks by getting a perch pole for them to sit on and watch for baby copperheads to eat.

Repellent plants

Copperhead basking in plants. Use repellent plants to keep snakes out.
You can use plants to naturally keep them out of your yard.

You can plant a few plants around your garden to repel copperhead snakes from snaking around. The best part about using plants as a deterrent against them is that no one will notice since the plants “blend” into your yard.

The other thing is that this is a natural way to repel copperheads also. So you don’t need to worry about dangerous poisons harming your pets or family. Definitely one of the better ways keeps copperheads out!

Here are a few plants that repel copperheads.

West Indian lemongrass

Lemongrass is a strong-smelling plant that reeks of citrus. This plant smells like citronella oil, as lemongrass is actually used in the process of making it.

Not only does lemongrass repel copperhead snakes, but it’ll also keep mosquitos and other pests like no-see-um bugs from hanging around your yard.

The plant is easy to grow and you can pick it up at your local nursery. Lemongrass is resistant to drought, so the maintenance is next-to-nothing.

You can buy a few of them and plant them in pots or directly into the soil. Use them to set up a perimeter around your garden to keep the snakes out.

Onion plants

Onion smells. We all know that. Copperhead snakes are also repelled by the strong scent of garlic, so there’s really no reason not to use it.

You can plant onion plants, but that honestly takes forever.

Either buy an onion plant and keep it in a pot. Or just grab an onion, cut it up into pieces, and place the onion slices around your garden.

Both work effectively well against copperheads. The scent from the onion will drive them away and also confuses them since they rely on their scent receptors for detecting prey and navigation.

Marigold plants

Marigolds are another very popular and proven effective method of warding off pests.

Everything from bees to mealybugs has been stated to absolutely hate the scent of marigold. The benefit of using marigold as a natural repellent is that grows very quickly and requires very little maintenance.

The plant is also very easy to maintain and you can be planted all over your yard for cheap.

You just need to pick up a few from your local nursery and you can plant them potted, all around your yard. Marigold flowers have bright colors that are actually very appealing.

So this plant definitely isn’t something ugly that you have all over your garden.

The odor that Marigold gives off is a strong deterrent against copperhead snakes and a wide variety of other pests. Often when people ask for a natural way to get rid of snakes, gophers, or even moles, I recommend them to use marigold plants.

This would be the plan. It would suggest you start off with first because it’s so easy to utilize and plant. If the marigold doesn’t work, then you can escalate to other plants.

Garlic plants

Similar to an onion, garlic is another strong-smelling herb with a powerful odor. you can buy garlic plants and literally plant them into the soil.

However, I prefer just using literal garlic clothes and cutting them up. After you cut them up, go ahead and scatter them around your garden just like you would with us. The garlic will sit there and give off that nasty odor which will help keep copperhead snakes at bay.

The best part about this is that it’s a cheap and effective way because of garlic costs next to nothing. You can just throw the slices around your garden and there will last for several weeks before you have to replace them again.

Note that garlic isn’t safe for dogs.

Mother in law’s tongue (viper’s bowstring hemp)

While it has a strange name, mother-in-law’s tongue is actually a plant that can physically repel snakes. How does it do that? The plant has very sharp leaves.

This is probably something you don’t want to handle haphazardly and you should always wear garden gloves when you have to. The leaves are sharp and will deter copperhead snakes because they will avoid the razor-like leaves.

Just like marigold plants, mother-in-law’s tongue is an easy-to-maintain the plant. Buy a few of them and place them around the garden.

Use them as a “barrier.” Set them up around the perimeter of your home to make a “barbed wire fence” to keep the snakes out. This plant is a perennial plant so you don’t need to buy it again every year.

And you only have to water it a few times a week and that’s about it for maintenance. It also does well in sunny areas so you really can’t complain about the upkeep.

You can just buy a few of them and then propagate from a single plant. The best part about mother-in-law’s tongue is that you can use it both as an indoor and outdoor plant.

This means you can put some inside your home as a secondary defense to keep copperhead snakes out if they slip past the primary defense outdoors.

What smell do snakes hate?

Copperhead ready to strike.
Copperheads hate many herbs and spices. Mainly strong-scented stuff.

Snakes hate essential oils. Herbs. Spices. Pretty much anything that smells very strong will be enough to mess with and disrupt a snake’s tongue for the sense of smell. This usually means using a variety of essential oils.

There are a ton of them and many of them work very well against a plethora of pests, such as peppermint for centipedes.

Some essential oils have even been approved by the Wildlife Services and USDA to repel snakes from commercial areas, such as airports.

The thing to keep to min with essential oils is that they must be sprayed very close to where the snake is present. As you know, the farther away you are from the oil, the less effective it becomes.

Thus, you either concentrate the oil in a specific area where you suspect copperheads to be present, or you can spray it everywhere.

Essential oils will easily enter the snake’s body and penetrate the skin. This will confuse and repel the snake as it produces burning sensations throughout the skin.

Here are the top 2 most effective essential oils for copperheads.

Clove oil

Clove oil (AKA eugenol) has been found to work well against snakes.

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at the University of Texas researched this. They discovered that some oils will repel snakes.

They’ve found that clove oil has been proven to repel some snakes, but not all species. You can try using this oil against copperheads, as this just may do the trick. I couldn’t find any direct proof online that eugenol works against copperheads from verified sources.

But there have been anecdotal reports from homeowners that it works, just like garlic.

You can buy eugenol from an apothecary and simply add about 6 drops per gallon of water. Then use cotton balls and dunk them into the oil. After that, place the cotton balls around your home and garden to keep snakes out.

You can try using a variety of connections per gallon. The more drops you add, the more powerful the mixture becomes.

Cinnamon oil

Just like clove oil, cinnamon oil has been researched and deemed effective against certain snakes.

You can buy this and follow the same process as clove oil (cotton ball placement) and use them around the yard and home.

These should act as “repellent” stations that you can DIY for yourself and place them in strategic locations.

Garlic oil

Just like onion oil, garlic oil will disturb and disrupt the snake. Garlic oil proves to be a very odorous substance. Don’t use it where you’ll be spending a lot of time.

You can pour some garlic oil directly into a small container and mix it with water. Then place it around the yard. Usually, 3 drops of garlic oil with a cup of water directly into a mason jar works perfectly.

Place your repellent strategically

Whatever you choose to use, place the cotton balls or mason jars in areas where the snakes are entering your home. Also, place them outdoors to protect your home.

Some common places where copperhead snakes may be getting into your home:

  • Doors
  • Windows
  • Patio doors
  • Decks
  • Crawl spaces
  • Outhouses or sheds
  • Between crevices or cracks
  • Small gaps
  • Chimneys
  • Air vents
  • Around the yard
  • Within houseplants
  • Foundation cracks

The cotton balls should be replaced when they don’t emit the strong scent. Simply follow the same process as above.

Do mothballs keep snakes away from your house?

No. They don’t.

There’s no proof that mothballs keep copperheads (or any snake) away from your home, so there’s no point in using them. I’ve never seen this actually work and I don’t recommend using it because it’s a waste of energy.

Kathy Mayo, an RN at the Blue Ridge Poison Center believes that mothballs are not effective.

Mothballs also pose a threat to small children and pets, who may eat them. Even if they were to be effective, the dangers they pose outweigh the benefits. They emit toxic odors and are dangerous when eaten.

Don’t use them. There are safer alternatives that are more effective than mothballs.

Use your laundry, hair, or other scented materials

Whether or not this is true, it’s worth a try.

Speculators think that using your hair, laundry, or anything else that smells like a human will repel snakes. You can sprinkle your hair clippings (from your drain or brush) around your yard. Snakes avoid humans. And we avoid them.

So it makes sense that they’ll hate the scent of a human. Natural and safe so it’s worth a try.

Commercial approaches

Copperhead outdoors.
You can use a bunch of commercial sprays and killers to repel them. But avoid when possible.

Here are a bunch of common commercial ways to get rid of copperhead snakes.

Again, only use these as a last-ditch effort. Always stick to natural when possible.

Use a minnow trap

A minnow trap proves to be an effective trap against copperhead (and other snakes). These are dual-inverted traps with funnels on both ends.

You place the bait on the inside, then the snake makes its way into the trap. Once they get in, they can’t get out.

Here’s a forum post of someone who caught one.

You’d want to use any old egg as bait.

You can just use brown or white eggs from the grocery store and place them in the trap. Then put the trap where you think copperheads are present. They’ll make their way into the trap and get stuck.

You can buy minnow traps at your local fish store (LFS). Once you catch the snake, you’ll want to call animal control to have them remove it. The snake can escape as soon as you mess with the trap, so don’t. Be cautious at all times.

Chicken and livestock

If you have chickens in your yard, you can use minnow traps and bait the snake using their eggs.

This place the traps around the chicken coop and constantly monitor the traps. You should be able to catch the snake using just this approach, especially if the snake hangs around the coop a lot.

Fountains for pools

The minnow trap also works best for water snakes or copperheads that are taking a dive. You can use this trap underwater and also bait it.

Indoors

Minnow traps can work both outside and inside your home. If you have a snake in your basement, attic, or somewhere else that’s hard to find, you can set up a minnow trap.

Glue/sticky traps

There are sticky traps that you can buy for copperheads.

However, I’d say avoid at all costs because they’re inhumane and dangerous. The snake can still escape when you approach it or could be “faking” that it’s stuck.

The traps are unreliable and are usually a huge mess to deal with

Even if they catch the snake, removing it is a hassle. Avoid glue or sticky traps when possible.

Commercial snake sprays

You can buy sprays made to repel snakes at hardware stores.

Some are effective. Some aren’t.

Do your research online and read reviews. I’d only suggest this as a last resort since many of them have residues that are harmful. Buy organic or natural when possible.

Some of the most common additives are fox urine, which seems to be the most effective against snakes.

Does “Snake Away” work on Copperheads?

Yes and no. I’ve heard mixed reports about using Snake Away for snakes in general.

Personally, I find it not that effective against copperheads and would avoid it in exchange for a natural approach.

I’ve had copperheads nest up right next to a bag of this stuff. If you plan to use it, use it as directed by the bag.

Don’t let your pets or kids play with this stuff.

Does salt keep copperheads away?

Not that I could see.

I couldn’t find any proof about using salt to repel copperheads other than some untrustworthy sources. I’ve never heard of actually using salt to repel snakes at all.

So I wouldn’t waste my time with this.

The method may be that they hate slithering over salt since it stings their body, but there’s no proof that this is actually effective. If you find anything, let me know in the comments.

Does sulfur repel copperheads?

There have been rumors that you can use pure sulfur to repel snakes.

I have never used this myself and couldn’t find any concrete proof online that this works.

I’d avoid it since it doesn’t make sense to buy the sulfur for an unproven method when you can use other proven repellents on this list.

Further reading

Here are some additional resources that you may find useful:

Did you get rid of your copperhead problem?

You can now repel copperheads like this one from your yard!
You now have everything you need to know to get rid of copperheads!

That’s all I have for you.

You should now know how to control, manage, and repel copperhead snakes naturally from your yard or home!

If you found this pest control guide to be somewhat helpful, let me know by leaving a comment.

You can also ask me any questions you may have in the same manner and I’ll be happy to help ASAP.

Please let me know what you think about this guide!

Considering telling a friend about this guide =]! Or share it on your social media.

Someone else probably has the same problem as you do if you live in the same area!

Thanks for reading!

8 thoughts on “How to Get Rid of Copperheads Naturally (Both Yard and Home!)”

  1. Snakes scaly, legless creatures that slither into your yard and sometimes even your home. While your first instinct may be to run the other way, there are several benefits to keeping them around. Snakes keep rodent populations under control, with a single snake able to eat 3 to 4 mice at one time. They also eat moles, voles, insects, and even fish.

  2. This was a VERY informative and THOROUGH article. It was a “everything you ever wantd to know, but were afraid to ask”! I found it very HELPFUL, as it covered pretty much every question one could think of. Thank you SO much for doing such an excellent job of researching and presenting the information.

  3. Outstanding guide… I’m grateful that you provided this info!!! Thank you!

    Respectfully;
    Donnie
    U.S. Marine Corps (ret.)

  4. Awesome article. I learned a lot of good information. I do have a question, can and/or do copperheads climb like a rat or black snake? I have one in my pool pump house that I am going to have a professional come out tomorrow for removal and am wondering if this might be an issue he might face.

  5. You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this
    topic to be actually something that I think I would never understand.

    It seems too complex and extremely broad for me.
    I’m looking forward for your next post, I’ll try to get the hang of it!

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