Deter Snakes From Your Campsite With One Common Scent

Camping is the perfect way to step back from your busy life and reconnect with nature. However, with nature comes wild animals, such as bugs and bears. Snakes are another animal you may want to deter from your campsite. Snakes offer many benefits for humans, but that doesn't mean you want one in your campground. It's never fun to step out of your tent or camper in the morning to find a snake curled up right in front of you. Not only are they scary-looking animals, but some snakes in the United States, like rattlesnakes, are venomous and are found everywhere, from California to Connecticut. They're even on the list of creatures you should beware of in the Florida Everglades. 

Thankfully, with cinnamon oil by your side, you can deter snakes that may be around your campground. Making a repellent out of cinnamon oil is simple enough, though you may need some planning beforehand to ensure you have all the ingredients ready. If you don't have cinnamon oil, or you want to test out different mixtures, clove oil has a similar effect and works in the same percentages. Play around and see what works better at keeping away snakes, combine the two, or simply pick the scent you like best.

According to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), making a solution to repel snakes with cinnamon oil is easy enough. All you need is one percent cinnamon oil and one percent sodium lauryl sulfate. The other 98 percent should be water. Both products are harmless, unless you're allergic to them, and are readily available in stores. Sodium lauryl sulfate is used in many beauty and cleaning products. It helps water and oils mix, where they usually wouldn't and make a more effective repellent.

As for how to administer the repellent, a spray bottle is a great method. You can then spray snakes that get a little too close directly on the head and spray the area around your campsite to deter any others from entering your space.

The smell of cinnamon oil does vanish after a while, though. So if you're staying in the same location for more than a few days, you'll want to make sure you regularly administer the cinnamon oil spray around to deter snakes from your campsite. Once every other day or so is usually enough. Diffusers or fabric soaked in the cinnamon mixture also work as deterrents when placed strategically around the perimeter.

Having cinnamon oil in a nice little spray bottle doesn't only work for snakes. Many animals have a much stronger sense of smell than humans and don't like the overwhelming scent of essential oils like cinnamon. Essential oils, more than just cinnamon, help keep out pests. For example, peppermint oil helps to ensure gnats won't bother you anymore.

Even if you're in an area where snakes aren't a common issue, you'll want to bring your trusty cinnamon oil mixture. It works well as an insecticide, keeping away pests like cockroaches and mosquitoes. Rats, mice, and cats prefer to avoid the potent scent of cinnamon oil when possible as well. Just be careful to keep it away from your pets, as dogs and cats can be poisoned by ingestion or direct skin exposure to many essential oils.

Overall, you'll have a much more relaxed and pest-free camping experience if you take the time to spray the mixture around your campsite regularly. You can still see wildlife, but from a safe distance, instead of dealing with animals right outside your tent or going through your belongings. By using cinnamon oil, you deter snakes from your campsite but also other animals, like scorpions or bears. However, if you want to be sure you're even more safe, make sure you're avoiding other common camping mistakes that attract bears to your campsite.