Throughout the country there are many different types of snakes, some of them harmful, others not. While snakes have a bad reputation, the large majority are not harmful to humans, and even those that are poisonous aren’t always aggressive. Snakes do serve a purpose by controlling the rodent population around your home, but if you would rather not share your yard with snakes, there are a few things to do that can keep them at bay.

First, keeping the rodents at bay yourself will remove their food source and make your home less attractive to snakes.

Cutting your lawn short will also make it more difficult for snakes to find a place to hide, which will make it less likely for them to hang around. Being coldblooded, snakes also love hanging out on rocks in the sun, so clearing those away will help, too. If there are poisonous snakes in the area where you live, you should be familiar with their appearance so you can keep an eye out.