Snake-Proof Your Yard With This Unlikely Pet Essential

Snakes are animals that we have long since regarded with animosity and associated with evil. Whether it's having the ability to bite and inject us with deadly venom or bringing about the downfall of mankind, snakes do get a bad rap. Although not all snakes are venomous, catching one in your yard could be justifiable cause for alarm.

Common garden or garter snakes may not be fatally dangerous, but that doesn't mean that their bites don't hurt, and dangerous snakes find their way into residential areas all the time. They pose a threat to you, your kids, and your pets. Snake-proofing your yard is a great option if you tend to have these pretty, slithering animals hiding out in the grass. A popular trick that is known to repel snakes effectively is cat litter.

If you have a snake problem in your yard and don't know why, check your critter population. Snakes need to eat, and it may seem that your yard contains all their favorite cuisines: rodents, frogs, and birds, to name a few. This is why people can stand having snakes in their yards — to control other pests. However, most people would rather not, which is why proofing your yard is vital. If you're looking for an affordable and effective way to do this, then adding a bit of kitty litter around the house will do the trick.

Cat litter definitely doesn't sound like a snake-proof weapon for safeguarding your home premises, but the unlikely pet essential is usually a foolproof way to keep snakes out of your yard. The science behind this lies in their bodies. Snake scales are pretty sensitive — as sensitive as your fingertips — and so slithering over hard objects can irritate them. Cat litter is grainy and hard, and some types of it are crystalline in structure. Those tiny, sharp edges can easily poke and injure the snake so they would typically avoid it. By sprinkling kitty litter in strategic areas around your yard, you can get rid of garter snakes in your yard without hurting them or coming in contact with them.

By determining a snake's path in your lawn, you can figure out the usual routes it takes and then cover it with enough cat litter to do some damage. Too little litter won't be effective. Don't hold back when it comes to heaping it on. Just be sure to use fresh cat litter that still has its natural form and not used litter that has already soaked up animals' body fluids.