Snakes

Almost nobody likes snakes, whether they are venomous or not. The truth is, some snakes are good. They keep down the rodent population and even eat the “bad snakes”.

Contrary to what most people think, snake bites are quite rare and generally occur when someone is trying to kill the snake.

Here in Georgia, dogs tend to be the ones bitten because they will startle a resting snake and then try to attack or play with it. If your dog is bitten, take it immediately to an emergency vet and do your best to safely identify the type of snake that bit your dog. Other then keeping your dog as calm as possible and wrapping a snug bandage above the bite to slow down the spread of venom, do not try to tend the wound yourself.

Snakes will sometimes enter a home, usually to follow food. If you have a snake in your house, the first thing that needs to be addressed is to make sure you don’t have a rodent problem.

They can be very difficult to find and/or trap, so the best way to rid you home of snakes is to get rid of the food source and locate and seal the place it is entering.

Snakes are illusive and difficult to catch. Most traps and deterrents are only moderately successful. Here at Crocodile Dave, we have devised an efficient snake trap that is successful in many cases. However it takes consistent monitoring and diligence. Placing the traps outdoors in the proper locations and checking the traps frequently can successfully reduce the population, but ridding your property of excess brush and “hiding places” is also necessary to obtain satisfactory results.

ENTRY: If a snake enters your house it is most likely chasing a rodent. Snakes do get inside houses, but for the most part they like to stay outdoors.

DAMAGE: Damage done by a snake that has come into your house will do the most damage by leaving feces and urine on your ceiling, crawl space or walls.

REMOVAL: Removing a snake from a house is very difficult. They are able to get into small spaces and can be very illusive. If you find a snake in your home, the best way to get rid of it is to keep your eyes on it until someone can corner it and trap it. If it is a poisonous snake, be sure to let a professional do this. If you don’t know if it’s poisonous….assume it is!!!

PREVENTION: Keeping snakes away is nearly impossible. If you have a water source near your property, you will most certainly have snakes. Get to know how to properly identify a snake when you see it and be sure to watch your dogs and cats when they are out. They are much more likely to be bitten then you are due to their natural curiosity.

Below is the link to a website that is very useful in determining the type of snake you may have, as well as some good information about snakes in general.

http://www.srelherp.uga.edu/snakes/