Snakes in the House

Most homeowners would agree that a snake in the house would be quite alarming. It is a more common problem than you would imagine. If you live near a stream, fields, or wooded areas, your chances of experiencing this are even greater.

Although scary and stressful, most snakes that enter homes are not venomous. Since they are excellent at hiding, getting rid of snakes in the house should be left to a professional wildlife service, such as Critter Control, that knows exactly how to locate and eliminate the intruder.

Why Snakes Come Indoors

Snakes enter homes for one of several reasons, none of which includes harming you or your family. Please don’t worry—this situation is completely manageable with the help of Critter Control.

• Food is the primary reason a snake would enter your home. If your home has a mouse or rat problem, or there are some birds in your attic, snakes will follow.
• Temperature regulation is something cold-blooded snakes cannot maintain. They must rely on external sources to keep their body temperature at a healthy level. They may come into your home when it’s too hot or too cold outside, or when it’s very rainy and they are escaping flooding. They are more likely to come inside in cold weather. They often rest under a rock to cool off when it’s too hot.
• Shelter and safety, your basement or crawl space provides a dark and quiet haven for snakes to rest, shed their skin, and sometimes, lay their eggs.
• By mistake, snakes sometimes crawl into a garage or crawlspace and cannot get out again.

How Do Snakes Get Inside Homes?

Snakes have little ability to chew or dig their way into your home. They gain entry through already existing gaps, cracks, and openings. They need only a quarter of an inch to get inside—a gap homeowners may not even notice!

Snakes can slither underneath doors or climb in through an open window. Unsealed vents, gaps where plumbing or utilities enter your home, basement window wells, cracks in your foundation, or even an open garage door make attractive entryways for a snake in need of a rest, a snack, and warming up. Once inside your basement or crawlspace, they’ll travel through walls, pipes, and around trusses to a dark, quiet, and dry place.

Where Do Snakes Like to Hide in the Home?

Snakes are solitary and reclusive creatures that see humans as predators. So, they will look for a spot in your home where they feel safe and can avoid us. Some of the most common places for a snake to hide include:

• Snakes in the kitchen like to hide behind appliances like a refrigerator or oven, as they will provide warmth.
• Snakes like quiet spaces such as an attic, in walls, crawl spaces, or in drop ceilings.
• Snakes prefer cool areas, perhaps near leaky water pipes, such as in your bathroom.

If you come upon a snake in your closet or under your bed, it’s best not to handle it on your own.

Are Snakes Dangerous?

The vast majority of snakes are harmless to humans. Eighty-five percent are nonvenomous, and of the 15 percent that do have venom, only a small portion has venom that is potent enough to harm you. Nevertheless, even a bite from a harmless snake will hurt.

In addition to bites, when snakes are handled, they can transmit Salmonella, and snake feces can contain parasites. Regardless of whether you know how to identify snakes, they should be removed from your home by a professional as soon as you discover them. Critter Control has over 40 years of experience in the safe and humane elimination of snakes in homes.

How to Safely Remove Snakes From Your Home

Critter Control recommends a three-pronged approach to getting rid of snakes in your home. It’s not only important to remove the snake but also to add exclusion and prevention methods that eliminate the conditions around your home and property that are making it attractive to snakes.

• Seal gaps and cracks in your foundation, under doors, and around window wells.
• Store woodpiles at least 20 feet away from your house and up off the ground.
• Clear the debris out of your yard regularly. Snakes love the sheltered areas provided by overgrown bushes, tall grass, and rock and leaf piles.
• Erect a snake-proof fence.
• Call Critter Control if you have a snake problem in or around your home.

Call Critter Control for Trusted Snake Removal

If you locate a snake in your home, you should not try to remove it on your own, as it is dangerous to assume whether or not it is a venomous snake. Even a nonvenomous snake will bite in self-defense. In addition, you might even drive it further into its hiding space.

Critter Control is dedicated to humane snake removal methods that keep you, your family, and your pets safe. We have offices nationwide, so there’s always a Critter Control near you. Call Critter Control at 1-800-Critter. We are fast, reliable, licensed, and insured.