Garter Snake CloseupIf you’ve been hearing strange noises throughout your home, or you’ve seen snakes in your yard and feel concerned that some might have made their way into your home, you’ll need to act quickly. Snakes sometimes burrow in walls and crawlspaces in a home to nest and lay eggs in the winter months. Though most won’t cause significant damage to your structure, snakes can be dangerous in some parts of San Diego County, where rattlesnakes result in hundreds of emergency calls each year.

No matter the kind of snake, the last thing you want is a family of reptiles hibernating in your home this holiday season. We’re going to look at some of the ways you can identify signs of a snake infestation, and what you should do if you find one.

Why It’s Important to Get Rid of Snakes

While many species of snakes are not harmful to humans — and even poisonous ones, like rattlesnakes, only bite when provoked — most people simply feel uncomfortable about the idea of having a snake in their home. However, even if you don’t mind these slithery reptiles, it’s important to get rid of them as quickly as possible if you want to protect yourself and your property.

Snakes can also attack your pets. In fact, more pets are bitten and killed every year by snakes than humans.

Signs of Snakes in Your Home

While the most obvious way to determine you have a snake problem is actually spotting the animals, finding evidence of snakes isn’t always easy, particularly in winter, when the creature might nest inside of your walls to protect itself from the cold. Snakes don’t leave damage behind like mice or rats. Once they enter your home, they often remain in hiding for months. However, there are some signs you can look for around your house:

  • Snake skin: Many snakes shed their skin as they grow. The dry, scaly skin may either be in a whole sheet, or in a crumpled heap somewhere close to an entrance into the walls of your home.
  • Slither tracks: If you’re inspecting a dusty area or crawlspace, you might notice tracks that indicate where a snake has come by.
  • Odor: A lot of snakes have a very distinctive smell. If you notice a strange scent in a crawlspace or other area that wasn’t there before, it may be a cause for concern.
  • Droppings: Snake droppings are very distinctive. They often look like bird feces, but they sometimes include hair and bones from their prey.

Removing Nesting Areas from Your Home

If you’ve spotted snakes around your home, but you’re relatively certain that none of these pests have entered your property yet, you can begin to take steps to protect yourself from an infestation. Examine areas where you’ve seen snakes and look for holes in the ground that might indicate a nest. You shouldn’t try to deal with these spots yourself, but you can make a note of them for when a pest control company arrives.

Remember that snakes prefer damp, cool, and dark areas. That means that they’re most likely to live in the lowest levels of your homes — in basements, crawlspaces, utility, and laundry rooms. You can double-check these areas by probing behind boxes and clutter with a long stick. Once you’re finished checking, take the following preventative steps:

  • Remove any piles of lumber or debris from around your property, as these can attract smaller pests that act as prey for snakes.
  • Remove any tall vegetation that are close to your home.
  • Make sure that you avoid attracting rodents to your home by clearing out trash and food as quickly as possible.

Managing a Snake Infestation

If you notice the presence of snakes around your home or inside of your property, then the most important thing to remember is that you shouldn’t try to remove these pests yourself. While many snakes are not dangerous, it’s not always obvious which ones are and which ones are not.

The only way to properly deal with the problem and keep your family safe is to call for help from a professional snake removal company like Adios Pest Control. We have the experience, tools, and skills to capture these creatures and remove them from your home.

Contact Adios Pest Control today to get the help you need for your snake problem.