What to Do With Snakes in Tennessee

Snakes have to be the worst of all pests to have in your home or yard. They’re scaly, have no legs, and are highly intimidating and scary-looking. Those aspects make you wonder how some people have them as pets, right? Nonetheless, if you don’t find snakes appealing as pets, then the last thing you want is to see them in your home or yard.

The unfortunate aspect about snakes, especially as a Tennessee resident, is that there are 34 native species of snakes in Tennessee. The good news (if you can even imagine) is that according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, out of the species in the state, only four are venomous. Those four venomous species include:

• The Copperhead
• Western Cottonmouth
• Timber Rattlesnake
• The Pygmy Rattlesnake

While you don’t want to find any venomous snakes in or around your home, you don’t want to see any of the non-venomous snakes in or around your home.

One of the key factors to preventing snakes from entering your yard or property is determining what could attract them. What many fail to realize is that several features and attributes of your home and yard attract these scaly creatures without you knowing it. A few attractors of snakes include the following:

• Mice/rats
• Leaf piles
• Bird baths
• Landscaping rocks
• Cracks or gaps in your house’s foundation
• Tall grass/shrubbery

If any of these attractors are currently part of your home’s yard or exterior, addressing these issues will lower the likelihood of attracting any of the Tennessee snake species to your home or yard. Your sense of relief is that addressing the above points is a relatively easy fix and will undoubtedly eradicate any snake problems you’re having. Here’s what you need to do.

Get Rid of Mice Around Your House

If you thought having a mice problem was an issue, wait until they start attracting snakes to your property– then you have a real problem on your hands! To get rid of snakes around your property, you will first have to eliminate your mice or rat problem. Things like mousetraps work well if you have a few mice here and there. Mice also like to burrow holes underground to hide from their enemies, so if you notice spots in your yard, you can try covering and sealing up those holes with rocks or bricks to force them to find another place to live other than your yard.

Of course, if you have a mouse or rat infestation in or around your home, the safest and most effective way to rid your property of them is with professional pest removal services.

Keep a Tidy Yard

Keeping a tidy yard includes eliminating leaf piles and trimming tall grass and shrubbery. If you’ve never done yard work or don’t do it too often, understand that it’s not a “one and done” type of task; it requires regular work, especially if you want to not only eliminate a potential mouse or rat infestation but also to get rid of snakes. If you’re not the yardwork type, hiring a professional landscaper will be one of the best investments you’ll ever make to get rid of snakes. A professional landscaper will not only make your yard look great, but it will get rid of potential hiding places for snakes as well.

Keep Landscaping Rocks Away From Your Home

Landscaping rocks are most definitely an aesthetically pleasing visual for many homes. Still, if they’re up against your home, they’ll provide aesthetic appeal and be appealing to snakes to hide inside. There’s nothing wrong with landscaping rocks, but you want to ensure they are far away from your home; If they’re too close, snakes may be tempted to make their way inside your home while hiding out in the rocks.

Raise Your Birdbaths or Get Rid of Them

Unfortunately, water is a significant attractor of many species of snakes (birds are also an attractor). Therefore, when you eliminate water sources in your yard, you also eliminate the likelihood of snakes entering your yard. Birdbaths keep snakes cool and hydrated. If you don’t want to get rid of your birdbath, consider raising it or moving it away further from your home. Your other option is to look at hanging birdbaths– this makes their water source not as easily accessible, which is better than making no efforts at all.

Fill Holes, Gaps, or Cracks in Your Home’s Foundation

Even the tiniest crack or gap in your home’s foundation gives all kinds of pests access inside your home, and the more significant cracks and holes give snakes access. By sealing these openings, you’re eliminating their entry, which you want. Experts state that snakes can get inside holes the size of a pencil!

What Will You Do About Snakes on Your Property?

Even with all these measures in place and your best efforts, there’s a chance you may not be able to get rid of snakes in your home or yard fully. Once you come to this realization, it’s time to contact snake specialists about snake removal.

At Complete Animal Removal, we understand the stress and frustration that comes with unwanted visitors to your home and yard, especially snakes, which is why we have specialists trained to handle such nuisances. To start your snake removal services, call Complete Animal Removal today.