Snakes are very beneficial and many people see them as welcome guests to gardens since they indicate healthy rodent populations. However, if you have an inborn fear of these creatures, that probably doesn’t offer much comfort.
To discourage their presence in the immediate vicinity of your house, remove all ground cover that offers shelter possibilities, including logs and woodpiles, weeds, brush piles, rocks, etc. You’ll also want to clear away any material from under decks.
In addition, you can lure them away from your immediate area by creating shelter for them in a far corner of your yard. Leave the area a bit wild by keeping grasses longer and building rock and log piles. This will create an area that’s sure to draw the attention of snakes.