How do I keep snakes away from my house?

We have a yard with 2 ponds and I just had an encounter with a water mocasin that was about 4 feet from me and thank god it went the other way. I have 2 small kids and can't play outside b/c of this. What, if anything, can I do to ensure that they won't come around my house

Answers:
keep the grass cut low and eliminate anything they may hide under. There are chemicals you can get like snake-away to help. I have heard that moth balls help too. Another idea would get some king snakes and let them loose in your yard. I know what your thinking, "Yeah right more snakes" the king snake is called a king for a reason. They will kill all the other snakes. They just love the poisonous ones and they themselves are harmless.

Other answers:
Check your local feed store. They sell snake repellent.
Check your local feed store. They sell snake repellent.
I have been told that if you put moth balls out around your house that it will keep them away.
Carbolic Acid, if you keep some corner of the room (definitely in a safe place, untouchable for the kids) usually the smell keeps away the snakes.
one good thing you can do is to put golf balls all aroung the property. Snakes think they are eggs and they eat them but are not able to digest them, therefor killing them off. Pretty soon you will start to notice the decline in the amount of snakes in the area.
Get some dogs and cats..terriers are very good at snake control. I don't know about snake repellent but if there is such a thing don't get a speeding ticket on your way there...you could find one in the house some day.
Catch a whole bunch of snakes then skin them and hang their corpses around your property, the other snakes will get the message and wont mess with you.
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