Do Snake Repellents Really Work? We get asked this a lot do snake repellents actually keep snakes away? The simple answer is: No, they don’t. Many products on the market claim to repel snakes using smells, vibrations, or chemicals… but there’s no solid scientific evidence that any of them are effective. Here’s why: Snakes don’t smell like we do Most repellents are based on strong smells (like mothballs or pepper), but snakes “smell” using their tongues and Jacobson’s organ so the scents we find