Follow these steps on how to get rid of snakes in the yard: Snakes will sun their cold-blooded animal bodies but do not care to be exposed to the open for long. I live on 20 acres and I have 2 outside cats. Killing snakes won't do any good unless you address the reasons why they found your home attractive to begin with. Affordable Black Snake Control. Stop killing black snakes! Get a cat and you won’t have any snake problem. When you get rid of the snakes, you might have a mouse problem on your hands. I suggest that you try to get rid of the mice, and the snakes … When I’m elsewhere and there’s a unwanted black snake I take it and release on my land from which the go away from lack of food. I haven’t seen any kind of snakes on my land in 5 years. Copperheads and black snakes are woodland snakes that live in underbrush. They will cross a lawn to get to a source of food, warmth or a perceived natural habitat like a damp pool area. First of all, it sounds like you have "rat snakes," which also means you have rodents of some kind living up there or close by. The best way to get rid of black snakes and copperheads around your home and yard is to keep them from wanting to come there in the first place.