Growing plants that snakes hate will keep snakes that kill 4,000 Kenyans annually 300 metres from farms and homes, according to scientists.
In a study published in the International Journal of Plant, Animal and Environmental Sciences researchers found that plants with smells that snakes find irritating drive them away by up to a 300-meters radius.
Common plants such as onions, garlic, spider plant and marigold have been found to keep snakes away, even as heat and drought drive them out of their natural habitats and onto farms, increasing human deaths and injuries.
Snake season in Kenya runs between the country’s hottest months of January to March. Snakes are driven to seek water and refuge in cooler places such as homes.
East Africa is expected to experience a warmer-than-usual January-to-March 2025 with temperatures highs of up to 32°C. Temperatures are currently increasing by 1°C each year and are expected to keep rising by 1.7°C by the 2050s.
This will only drive up the number of people bit by snakes in Kenya past the current 20,000 annually, of whom 20 per cent die.
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Some snake-repellent plants that have been effective for generations in protecting homes and farms from snakes include:
Lemongrass
Lemongrass is known for its strong citrus scent, which research shows snakes find unpleasant. Because it also grows as a thick hedge when planted around the farm it prevents snakes from entering.
Lemongrass is easy to grow, drought-resistant, and can be grown commercially, for your own home cooking and for medicinal purposes.
It is recommended that farmers grow it along the edges of their farms or around their homes for the most effective protection.
Snake plant
Also known as the Mother-in-Law’s Tongue, which is often found growing wild in sandy arid areas of Kenya keeps away snakes because it grows upright with sharp-edged leaves.
Snakes avoid dense, spiky vegetation, making it a good option to grow along the farm or near entry points.
Garlic and Onions
Garlic and onions contain allicin and eugenol which have a strong sulfur smell snakes find repulsive and this helps keep them away from your farm.
They can both be grown within the farm, interplanted with other crops, or grown along the farm’s edges to provide both protection and also as valuable cash crops.
Garlic cloves can also be crushed together with pepper to make a spray that can increase garlic’s snake-repelling abilities.
Marigold
Marigolds are flowering plants that contain pyrethrin which exudes a strong smell that repels snakes. Marigolds thrive in Kenya’s climate and are low-maintenance.
More than keeping off snakes, marigolds also control pests like aphids and nematodes, making them a valuable natural pest repellant for farms.
They should be grown in rows along farm pathways to avoid snakebites from passers-by or around storage areas where snakes might go to seek shelter.
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Common rue
This is a medicinal herb with a bitter smell that snakes dislike.
This drought-resistant plant is a practical choice for farmers in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid areas where it thrives.
It should be grown near poultry houses or along farm boundaries.
It also repels insects such as spider mites and scales.