Natural Snake Repellents To Try Out During Your Next Camping Trip

In theory, camping is a lot of fun. There's something magical about getting to enjoy the great outdoors with a nice fire while surrounded by nature. Unfortunately, the magic of the setting easily melts away when you come face-to-face with pests. Snakes, in particular, can be a frightening animal to stumble across while enjoying your break from daily life. Thankfully, there are several natural materials including types of wood, plants, and essential oils that help to ensure you don't bump into slithering creatures while out on your adventure. A few of these solutions even serve multiple purposes and do a great job of deterring insects, as well. 

Some commonly suggested solutions to repel snakes include sulfur and naphthalene, the latter of which is the main ingredient in mothballs. There is a lot of argument on whether these two products work or not. However, even if they do keep away snakes, it's only when the ingredients are present in high doses. Both are very unpleasant smells and at the level needed to repel snakes, every person or animal in the vicinity will also end up miserable, in pain, or even sick. For this reason, it's best not to use them at all. Instead, try to stick to natural, and far less harmful, solutions to keep snakes away so you can enjoy your camping trip. 

Peppermint oil acts as a two-in-one repellent. Not only does it prevent snakes from entering your campground, but if some are already in the space, it will help drive them away. There are a few ways you can use peppermint oil to your advantage. Dilute it by placing a few drops in water and spray it around. You can also add a bit of vinegar to the mix, as it helps to enhance the smells. Vinegar is another strong smell said to keep away snakes, so combining the two can be beneficial. Or, place a few drops of pure oil on cotton swabs and put them at key points near your camping gear. 

There is some debate on how effective peppermint oil, and other essential oils, work. If you want to ensure your peppermint does as intended, you can mix it with lime. Mix both in a bottle and spray it on the edge of your campsite. It should be reapplied every few days, or after rain to maintain its maximum effectiveness. Make sure the barrier is completely covered in the spray so that there isn't a space for the snakes to creep through. 

Peppermint oil is effective at keeping away other pests as well, including gnats, spiders, roaches, and stinkbugs, making it a great product to bring with you on camping trips and to have near your home as well. The strong smell and the menthol work together to irritate pests and keep them from moving closer to you and your personal items. 

Peppermint oil is just one strong essential oil that banishes snakes from your yard. Clove oil is another. Like peppermint oil, all you need to do is spread it around your campsite, either by placing it in a bottle with some water or vinegar. Keeping on top of the regular application is key to this oil working correctly. You also want to be sure to spray the oil into small crevices where snakes can sneak in or hide to ensure they're really gone. 

Sometimes, snake repellents don't work well against all species the same way. However, if you keep up with it, essential oils, like clove, are perfect for keeping away many of the most dangerous snakes in North America, as well as plenty of normal species from your campsite. Though you can find specific clove-scented snake repellents out there, you also have the option to purchase any clove oil from a local store or online, add a little to your water, and make a quick repellent yourself. Generally, a good start is about 10 drops of essential oil per 2 cups of water. From there, you can adjust more or less as needed based on its effectiveness and whether the strength of the smell is bothering you or not. 

The one downside of most of these natural repellents, especially the oils, is that they need to be replaced frequently — particularly after rainfall — to maintain effectiveness.

You don't only have to use one oil by itself. If you want to try to keep away snakes and own a mix of essential oils, try combining cinnamon and clove. Cinnamon oil can work by itself, but the combination is said to be more effective. Not only does it smell pleasant, but the two smells together create a slightly stronger repellent. This holiday-themed combination will help make your campground smell wonderful, unlike some of the other strong scents on this list, while still being effective. Additionally, cinnamon and its essential oil do a great job of repelling most pesky insects like ants, thrips, slugs, mosquitoes, and flies away. Making a spray or placing a few drops around your campsite makes your overall camping experience much more pleasant and enjoyable.

While all of these natural repellents above will help to keep snakes away from your campsite, you can also push them into finding a different place to go by getting rid of things that are attracting snakes to your yard or campsite, such as food, hiding spots, and places for them to sunbathe. Avoiding areas with a lot of water and trees is another one of the best ways to keep snakes from slithering into your campsite. Additionally, these smells and materials are not just regulated to campsites either. They are effective at deterring snakes everywhere, including homes and yards. 

Cedarwood is another natural way to repel snakes, and you don't even need essential oils to do so — though there are cedar versions out there if that is the route you want to take. However, all forms of this wood repel pests, including mulch, sawdust, and shavings. The general rule of thumb is the smaller the wood, the stronger the scent and the more effective it is, so bringing a bag of shavings or sawdust with you while out in the wilderness works best. 

At your campsite, you can keep pests away by burning cedarwood and letting the smoke fill the air, or you can carry a small bag of shavings or sawdust with you. This wood is also beneficial to keeping away other annoying creatures that may be invading your campsite, including mosquitos, ants, stink bugs, and rodents. By sprinkling cedarwood scraps around your belongings, you have a better chance to enjoy your trip in peace.

While snakes are scary and sometimes annoying, they aren't all bad. They help eliminate rodents and ticks, and act as prey for a wide range of animals. However, many people are afraid of getting bit, and tend to panic around these creatures. What they don't realize is that this gut reaction is actually the unexpected behavior that leads to countless snakebites. That's why, even as you're working to keep snakes out of campgrounds, it's important to learn more about them just in case you do run into one. One of the first things to understand is how to tell if a snake is venomous.

Garlic is another common pest repellent that works well against snakes. While you can buy garlic spray online, it's easy to make it yourself. All you need is some water and a few bulbs. For every quart of water, you'll want two or three whole bulbs of garlic. Break the garlic into cloves, but don't worry about peeling them. Then, in a blender or food processor, mix the water and cloves until there are no chunks. If you are going to pour the mixture into a spray bottle for easy application, it's best to strain first. Otherwise, the bulbs will clog up the nozzle. For a little stronger potency, infuse oil with the garlic first by letting them sit together in a jar for a few days and pour both into the blender with the water.

Garlic, and onion as well, are considered some of the most effective ways to keep snakes from an area, whether it be at your home or a campsite. Both plants contain something called sulfonic acid. This is the same product that causes you to cry when cutting onions. The potency is unpleasant to snakes, and they tend to avoid it as much as possible.

This mix is one you don't want to forget on any camping trip. You can bring it with you and spray it near your tent and the rest of your campsite to keep away not only snakes, but aphids, ants, flies, and more. Like with essential oils, you will have to reapply occasionally. For camping, you may be fine, as it's recommended you respray every two to three weeks, or after a heavy rain.