Weird noises in dark, cramped places – unexpected noises coming from flooring areas may indicate the presence of a snake, as they have a propensity to seek out small, dark, and often damp places in order to lay eggs, or simply just to hide.
If you find a dry, scaly sheet of the skin or a crumpled heap somewhere close to an entrance into the walls of your home or small space areas. If you are inspecting a dusty area or crawl space, you might notice slither tracks that indicate where a snake has traveled. Snakes have a distinctive smell that is noticeable.
Leave it alone: Snakes are generally shy and will not attack unless provoked. It's best to not violate their territory and let them be. Instead, carefully get everyone including your pets out of the room immediately. Shut the door and fill the gap underneath with a towel, then call for assistance.
Snakes are most active at night and during early morning and late evening hours, the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension says. One of the most common species of snakes isn't venomous at all.
Snakes are at their most active when it's cool out. They move around most in the early morning and around dusk. Snakes hunt in tall grass, weeds, and other sources of vegetation.
Snakes enter a building because they're lured in by dark, damp, cool areas or in search of small animals, like rats and mice, for food. Snakes can be discouraged from entering a home in several ways. Keeping the vegetation around the house cut short can make the home less attractive to small animals and snakes.
When it's cooler, snakes are typically out moving. Just because you see one does not mean there are more. If you see 6+ babies or adults in the same location in a short amount of time, then you have a problem.
The newest evidence comes from a paper in Applied Animal Behavior Science, which found that dogs can smell the difference between a venomous rattlesnake and a harmless boa, but they find the smell intriguing rather than terrifying.
Snakes will hide behind the refrigerator, under the oven, under your bed, or inside cabinets. Snakes will avoid human activity. Some of the most common areas of the house to find a snake include crawl spaces, basements, garages, and attics (can snakes climb?)
Use Natural Predators
Foxes and raccoons are common predators of snakes. Guinea hens, turkeys, pigs, and cats will also help keep snakes away. If foxes are indigenous to your area, fox urine is a very good natural repellent for snakes when spread around your property.
Spotting a snake
The only way people will know whether there is a snake in their house is by seeing it, Sollenberger said. Snakes don't really have an odor and don't really make sounds so it would be impossible to smell them or hear them.
Research has shown that cinnamon oil, clove oil, and eugenol are effective snake repellents. Snakes will retreat when sprayed directly with these oils and will exit cargo or other confined spaces when these oils are introduced to the area.
In the United States, snake season extends through most of the spring. March or April often constitutes the beginning, but snakes will often continue to be active well into the fall or even winter if conditions are right for hunting.
According to experts, unfortunately, it can happen. Not only can snakes come up through the toilet, but other critters like rats, squirrels, and tree frogs can too. However, this is not a very common occurrence, so you can breathe a sigh of relief.
Garlic Spray to Keep Snakes Away
Garlic and onions are thought to be one of the most effective ways to repel snakes because they contain sulfonic acid, the chemical that causes us to cry when we chop onions.
Both venomous and nonvenomous snakes are extremely wary of humans and are not prone to strike. A bite is their last-ditch effort to avoid harm. Simply leaving a snake to do its job in the landscape is the best way to avoid a bad encounter.
Some snakes such as eastern brown snakes are active during the day, others prefer to hunt in the evening, while some species are more active at night during the hotter months. Many snakes have excellent eyesight, but it's not usually the main sense they rely on when hunting.
"A snake may burrow into bedding to seek warmth. If you have a vent under or near your bed, snakes will likely hide there for warmth and to feel safe." And since snakes are such skilled hiders, the first sign that one is cozying up under your bed may come from your ears tipping you off that they're hiding out.
The majority of snakebites occur on the hands, feet and ankles. Rattlesnakes usually avoid humans, but about 8,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes in the United States each year, with 10 to 15 deaths, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Snake activity picks up as temperatures fall in late summer and early autumn before they go into hibernation, which can be as early as September or as late as December. On warm days, snakes in brumation sometimes come out of their dens to bask in the sunshine.
Snakes are likely to make a crinkling paper noise or a slow-moving, scratching noise similar to that of sandpaper, per the Wildlife Company, an animal control company. "This type of noise is generally made by snakes as they crawl over the paper side of batten type insulation.