How To Get Rid of Snakes in North Carolina: An Overview
Snakes are one of the most commonly feared animals across the United States, with 51% of people fearing snakes more than anything else that was suggested. However, many areas across the country deal with snakes as a common pest, and many people want to learn how to get rid of snakes.
Snakes are an integral part of the ecosystem in North Carolina and help reduce the number of other pests, but they can still be frightening when they make their way into your home to find food or to escape the cold weather.
Do you have snakes around your home and want to get rid of them? Keep reading this guide for everything you need to know about how to get rid of snakes around your home.
Identify the Type of Snake
Identifying the type of snake is one of the first things you should do when you find a snake in your home or on your property. While you don’t need to know exactly what type of snake you are dealing with, you need to know if it is venomous or nonvenomous.
There are a few easy ways you can identify the differences between these snakes.
For example, venomous snakes have triangular heads while nonvenomous snakes have rounded heads that are more similar to the shape of a spoon.
The appearance of the snake’s pupils may also be able to help you distinguish them. Venomous snakes typically have thin vertical pupils with yellow or green eyes. On the other hand, nonvenomous snakes have rounded pupils.
If you identify a venomous snake or if you are unsure of what type of snake you are dealing with, you should never attempt to remove it on your own. Instead, you must call a wildlife expert or pest control company that can safely help with your snake problem.
Stay Calm and Open Your Doors and Windows
If you have a nonvenomous snake in your home, you must stay calm! They are not as dangerous as venomous snakes and you may be able to get them to leave on your own.
Getting stressed or scared may disturb the snake and scare it even more. Instead, you should quickly open the doors and windows in your home. This will give the snake an easy way to escape from your house without you having to do anything else.
Call a Professional Snake Removal Company
Next, you need to contact a professional snake removal company to assist with live snake trapping. As was mentioned before, this is essential if you think there is a venomous snake in your home.
It may also be necessary if you are not able to open a door or window for the snake.
A professional pest service can capture the snake and relocate it away from your home. This is an easy way to remove snakes immediately from your property.
While these tips will help reduce the likelihood of a snake issue, there is no guaranteed way to eliminate all risks. Still, professional pest control companies can provide you with the best options to remove snakes.
Remove Common Food Sources
If you are dealing with many snakes on your property, you may need to make some changes to your space to detract them in the future. Many things attract snakes to your house or property, and this is a crucial step of how to get rid of snakes around your home or property.
Like most pests, snakes go wherever they can find food. There are many different types of food sources and prey. These include different types of rodents, bugs like snails, slugs, grasshoppers, and more. If snakes don’t have a food source, they will be less likely to stay on your property.
If you can address these other pest problems, you may be able to prevent snakes from coming to your home in the future.
Reduce Options for Shelter
The next step of how to get rid of snakes is to try and eliminate areas on your property where snakes are likely to shelter.
Snakes typically enjoy staying in thick brush or dense areas. These include compost or leaf piles. If you keep your yard clean and free of this debris, it may make it less tempting for snakes to shelter there.
You can also fill old gopher holes or burrows on your property to keep snakes from using them in the future.
Snakes also enjoy moist areas, so you should remove standing water from your yard. This includes a leaky garden hose, a birdbath, or even ponds on your property. You should also seal up any openings in or around your foundation.
Use Snake Repellents
The last step when learning how to get rid of snakes is to use things that naturally repel snakes! These can be used whether you have a snake on your property currently or if you want to prevent snakes from coming onto your property in the future.
Snakes are quite sensitive to smells, so there are many natural repellents you can use in your home or on the perimeter of your property.
Other natural smells that are known to deter snakes are sulfur, clove, cinnamon oil, and even vinegar. Utilizing these natural scents is an easy and effective way to keep snakes off of your property.
Plus, they are inexpensive when compared to other snake repellent products that you can buy in-store.
Trying to Get Rid of Snakes?
When you are dealing with snakes on your property, it can be frightening. Luckily, there are many things that you can do to remove snakes without having to get too close! By following each of these tips, you can safely learn how to get rid of snakes on your property.
Do you need help with live snake removal? PMi can help! We offer the best pest control service and can relocate snakes away from your home.
Contact us today to learn more about how to get rid of snakes, schedule an appointment, or get a free estimate!