![]() ![]() Snakes usually enter buildings at ground level, some fitting through tiny cracks or holes no more than one-eighth inch wide. If you’ve found a snake in your house-or if you want to avoid finding one, you can snake-proof your home. Handling Gloves on Amazon How to inspect and snake-proof your property If you aren’t afraid of snakes and believe you can do so without harming either the snake or yourself-and you are certain it is not a venomous species-you can consider putting on gloves, gently picking up the snake, and carefully relocating her outside If you know there is a snake in your house, but you can’t find it, consider this: snakes like warmth and darkness, and a heating pad or even a pile of burlap or other material on the basement floor may attract the unwanted visitor, who can then be trapped and handled. If getting the snake outside is impossible and the above is also, try to confining her to a room or corner her with barriers such as boards or boxes, so that she will be easy to capture when the expert arrives.If you can’t herd the snake-and it’s small or coiled, slowly place an empty pail or wastebasket over her, then put a weight on top to trap the snake until an experienced handler arrives.If possible, carefully open a nearby door and use a broom to gently herd the snake outside.Remain calm and avoid disturbing the snake or driving her into hiding.If you discover a snake in your house, act as soon as possible, for both the snake’s and your peace of mind: The presence of shed skin usually indicates that a snake has been living in the house for some time. Note: Some snakes may hibernate in cellars or crawl spaces of older houses. They can become trapped inside and may die from lack of food or moisture if not captured and removed. Snakes in houses may be there either accidentally (for instance, washed in by flood waters) or purposely to find prey or shelter. And keeping snakes out of yards or gardens may be completely impractical. Exclusion (preventing entry or re-entry)Įxcluding snakes from buildings can be as difficult as excluding rodents. Many states have herpetological associations and university extension specialists may be good sources of information or able to network with others who are. Your local animal control agency is the best place to start looking for someone knowledgeable about snakes who can give advice about the best course of action when a snake must be removed. Moving snakes into unfamiliar territory may compromise their chances to survive. What happens after that may be problematic, since most poisonous snakes have well defined ranges in which resources, such as winter dens (hibernacula), are critical to their survival. In many places, you can call animal-control or local police or fire departments to remove the snake. Note: This does not mean the snake has to be killed. ![]() The snake should be removed to ensure that no one, including pets, gets hurt. ![]() If you encounter a venomous snake in your yard, take it seriously. Continue to leave it alone so long as it is not venomous and not inside a house or building.Īll outdoor (even in your yard) encounters with nonvenomous snakes should be resolved by letting the animal go its own way, most likely to never be seen again.Most encounters with snakes are passing, but when one does occur, be sure to: That does not convince people who have a deep-seated fear of these animals that they are harmless, and the fear some people have at even a glimpse of these reptiles contributes mightily to what are real conflicts between humans and snakes. Some of the larger species may cause problems around poultry houses, occasionally taking chicks or eggs, but-except for the venomous species- snakes are not a threat to humans or their pets. Snakes cause few problems, and the few they do are relatively benign. Many species are either already gone or are rapidly disappearing from city and suburb, lowering the number of human-snake conflicts, but depriving those who delight in encountering them that pleasure. Isolated when their natural land is broken up by development, they can’t easily move across the unfriendly terrain. Snakes suffer greatly from changes in their habitat. ![]() Snakes instill a deep-rooted fear in many people that few other animals can match.Įven other animals seem to put them in a special category many wild animals recognize snakes as threatening, and some birds and monkeys even have special vocalizations for sounding an alarm when a snake is seen.īut there’s no justification for the persecution of these animals and the acts of violence often committed when even the most harmless of them is sighted. ![]()
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