A slithering snake can give anyone a shock. In many cases, the worst that a snake will do is give you a fright. Not only is the thought of having a snake in your home an unpleasant one, but also a snake can be a sign of another pest problem. So, it’s still worth calling in professional help to safely remove snakes.
Signs of a Snake Problem
Snakes themselves rarely present a safety issue to humans because snakes will not bite unless cornered or handled. Generally, a snake will simply frighten you with their simple presence.
On the whole, snakes are actually a positive feature in the ecosystem surrounding your home. After all, they eat pests like rodents, which are a harbinger of diseases that you definitely don’t want in your home.
In fact, the presence of a snake in your home often indicates a rodent infestation that can cause significantly more damage to your home than a simple snake. Since snakes often point to a bigger underlying issue, it’s a smart move to keep an eye out for these critters.
Signs of a snake in your house include shed skins and snake droppings. Due to the relatively secret nature of snakes, you might come across these signs and never see the snake itself. If you do come across a snake, don’t attempt to capture it. That’s a recipe for a snake bite.
Snake Removal Services
Snake removal is a tricky task, so it’s best not to go it alone. Instead, calling in professional help can ensure that you safely remove this slithering guest from your home for good.
The process starts with a thorough home inspection. Snakes are experts at squeezing into tight holes to stay out of sight. But our professionals will find all of their hidden corners.
During the inspection, we will look for what lured the snakes into your home. Unfortunately, snakes are often a sign of a rodent infestation. So, we will carefully look for any potential rodents that could act as a food source for the snakes in your home.
After the inspection, we will carefully remove the snakes. We do this with humane trapping. Snake traps include a funnel trap or glue board (vegetable oil harmless counteracts the glue and releases the snake). If the snake hasn’t moved, we can remove it with snake tongs. No snake removal job is finished until the rodent population is under controlled. An active rodent population will continue to attract snakes into your house.
As a wildlife removal company, we will not exterminate snakes like some pest control companies might. Snakes present little danger to people and fill an essential roll within a local ecosystem.
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Snakes in your home, garden or rock piles? Those slithering serpents are probably harmless. Critter Control can help you deal with snakes in a humane and rational way. If you see a snake and are concerned, call Critter Control at 1 (800) 274-8837 and our trained technicians can oftentimes catch the snake if it is still there.
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Some types are venomous, including:
- rattlesnakes
- copperheads
- cottonmouths
- coral snakes.
Most species of venomous snakes are pit vipers, which can navigate their environment and hunt using infrared-sensing receptors that allow them to detect the heat of their prey.
Venomous and non-venomous snakes have differing characteristics, which makes them easy to distinguish.
Triangle-shaped heads
All venomous vipers have triangle-shaped heads and pits between their eyes and nostrils containing infrared-sensing organs. Most venomous species also have elliptical-shaped pupils as opposed to the round pupils found in other snakes. Western rattlesnakes are easy to identify due to the distinctive rattle at the end of their tail, which they shake when threatened to warn of their presence.
The majority of snakes found in the United States are not dangerous and are in fact quite beneficial, such as the common eastern garter snake, which preys upon small rodents like mice and rats.
Non Venomous Snake Appearance
Narrow heads
Eastern garter snakes are non-venomous and therefore have narrow heads and lack the extra sensory receptors of pit vipers. They are typically black in color with three bright yellow stripes running the length of their bodies. Some snakes may grow several feet in length, while others can be quite small, never reaching more than a few inches.
Usually dark areas
Almost all snakes adapt to suit specific habitats, and most have certain requirements that dictate where they prefer to live. Most species live in dark, damp areas with plenty of cover, such as in wood piles, un-mowed lawns with tall grass, beneath overgrown shrubbery, near pond banks, within heavily mulched flower beds, or even in unkempt basements.
Other animals dens
Snakes will also occasionally occupy the abandoned burrows of other small animals. Some types of snakes live among trees or in the ocean. As carnivorous predators, snakes prefer to live near places with abundant rodent or insect populations.
More info about what snakes like to eat.
Snakes also bask in the sunlight on warm days, since, as cold-blooded animals, they rely on external heat sources to regulate their body temperature.
Snakes enter your home when the conditions inside are suitable and means of entry are available. Snakes do not create any property damage and cannot create an entrance to your home.
Generally, snakes make their way into your home on the hunt for a rodent. But sometimes, snakes will seek out the shelter of your home.
Two common entry points include any cracks in your foundation and gaps around doors. You are most likely to see a snake under your porch, in a crawl space, or in the garage. However, snakes have some outstanding climbing abilities, so it’s possible to find them in the attic.
Sealing up these entry points is the most effective snake control method to keep snakes out of your home. It can help prevent a snake problem. But it can also help you prevent rodents from coming into your home.
- Snakes in attics
- Snakes in basement
- Snakes in bathrooms
- Snakes in pools
- Snakes in sheds
- Snakes in kitchens
Generally, the most harm snakes ever do is frighten people. Snakes may bite if cornered or grabbed, though only the bites of venomous snakes are dangerous. The reptiles do not attack humans, and non-venomous bites do little more than produce a painful puncture wound.
The bites of venomous snakes, however, can be lethal if not treated immediately. Vipers strike out quickly at people who come too close and startle them or attempt to grab and handle them, injecting venom through needle-like fangs that causes immediate swelling and pain. Despite the unpleasant side effects, lethal snake bites are one of the least common causes of death in the United States. Snakes do not cause damage to property.
The best way to control snake populations is to remove potential sources of food and shelter. Clearing yards of refuse piles and frequently mowing grass helps discourage snakes from making their homes in residential lawns. Sealing up cracks and gaps along exterior walls with fine mesh or caulk also proves effective.
To eliminate potential food sources, take steps to control rodent and insect populations, such as maintaining clean living spaces and storing food in rodent-proof containers. In areas with high native snake populations, snake-proof fences may be erected to keep the slithery pests away from children in play areas, though enclosing entire yards with snake-proof fencing often proves prohibitively expensive.
After snake removal from the yard or house, homeowners will want to do all they can to prevent more of these pests from getting inside. Snake exclusion may include anything from replacing window screens and filling in cracks to closing off gaps under porches. A wildlife control expert can suggest custom solutions to fit any property.
In most states, non-venomous snakes are protected from indiscriminate killing. We do this with humane trapping. Snake traps include a funnel trap or glue board (vegetable oil harmless counteracts the glue and releases the snake). If the snake hasn’t moved, we can remove it with snake tongs. No snake removal job is finished until the rodent population is under controlled. An active rodent population will continue to attract snakes into your house.
Seeing a snake in your home might seem like something out of a horror movie. But the good news is that you can take preventative action to avoid this potential issue.
The first step is to clear your yard of any brush. A tidy lawn leaves little room for a snake to build a burrow. Although you can try to apply snake repellant sprays around your home, that’s often just a temporary solution.
Most importantly, take action to avoid a rodent infestation. In most cases, snakes enter your home on the hunt for a rodent.
Prevent rodents by properly storing all food. Rodents like rats and mice may decide to call your house home if there are any readily available food sources. For example, never leave a bowl of pet food unattended. Also, maintain a high level of sanitation by regularly removing trash from your home. Many rodents can find plenty of food within the treasures of your trash.
Ultimately, preventing a rodent infestation is the best way to avoid a snake problem in your home. Before you panic about a snake sighting, call in professional help to efficiently deal with the issue.
- Baby Snakes: Identification & Behavior
- Snake Activity in Winter
- Non-Venomous Snake Removal
- Snakes in Crawl Spaces
- Venomous Snake Removal
- Snake Diet
- Snake Identification: Venomous and Non-Venomous Snakes
- Life Cycle of a Snake: Reproduction & Removal
- Types of Snakes in North America
- Snakes in Attics
- Snakes in Your Basement or Crawl Space
- Snakes in the Bathroom
- Snakes in the Kitchen – Entry & Prevention
- Snakes in a Garage or Shed
- Snakes in Your Grass or Yard
- Snakes in Your Pool
- Snakes Under Your House or Deck
- Snake Poop & Droppings
- Snake Holes: Problems & Removal
- Snakes in the House