Snake Removal in Canton, GA

Snakes around your Canton home

Canton has more snake habitat than many towns closer to Atlanta. North of downtown the ground gets rockier and steeper, and homes on those slopes often have stacked stone or block retaining walls, rock-lined beds and woodpiles. All of those have cracks and gaps that stay cool in summer, and they hold the mice that snakes eat. Add the Etowah River and its creeks, and it is normal to see a snake around a Canton yard now and then.

Most of those snakes are harmless. Our crew finds that the large majority are rat snakes, and only a small share of calls involve a venomous snake. Georgia has 47 native snake species, and only seven are venomous. Near Canton homes the realistic venomous one is the copperhead. And every non-venomous snake in Georgia is protected; killing one is illegal. The right move is to leave it alone or have it identified and removed.

A snake outside usually leaves on its own

If you see a snake crossing the lawn or sunning on a wall, the best thing to do is usually nothing. Keep kids and pets back and let it go. Most snakes outdoors move on within a few minutes to an hour, and by the time anyone could arrive it is gone. A call makes sense when the snake is inside the house or garage, when it is staying in one spot near a door or play area, or when you believe it is a copperhead.

Retaining walls and rocky slopes

The stone and block walls that hold up sloped yards on Canton's north side are good snake shelter. The gaps between stones stay cool and shaded, mice nest behind them, and the wall usually sits right against a lawn or patio. Copperheads like this kind of spot, as well as leaf litter at the edge of hardwood slopes and the base of woodpiles. Rat snakes and black racers use the same places. If you find snakes along the same wall again and again, that wall is likely full of mice.

Which ones are venomous

Georgia's seven venomous species are the copperhead, northern cottonmouth, Florida cottonmouth, timber rattlesnake, eastern diamondback rattlesnake, pigmy rattlesnake and eastern coral snake. Around Canton, the copperhead is the one you're likely to meet. It is tan to pinkish with darker hourglass-shaped bands and blends into dead leaves. Most other snakes here, including rat snakes, kingsnakes, garter snakes and brown snakes, are harmless. Water snakes along the Etowah are often mistaken for cottonmouths. Since snakes are the animal people misidentify most, let a pro make the call.

Why killing one is a bad idea

Georgia's 40 non-venomous native species are protected by law, so killing one is a violation. It is also how many bites happen. A snake can strike farther than people expect, and swinging a shovel puts you right in range. Even a snake that looks dead can bite by reflex. A licensed pro can remove it safely and legally, and relocate a non-venomous snake rather than harm it.

What draws snakes to a yard

Two things: food and cover. Food is mostly mice and rats, plus frogs near creeks. Cover is overgrown beds, tall grass along a fence, brush piles, stacked firewood, and gaps in rock walls. Cutting back overgrowth near the house, moving firewood away from the foundation and dealing with any rodent problem will do far more than any snake repellent, most of which don't reliably work. Mothballs don't work and shouldn't be used.

Snakes inside the house or garage

A snake indoors is different from one in the yard. Call right away, because the longer you wait the less likely it is to be found. Snakes usually get into garages under doors with worn seals and into basements and crawlspaces through foundation vents and gaps where pipes enter. On a walkout basement, check the lower door and any vents on the downhill side. A pro removes the snake, then points out the gaps to seal and the mice it was likely following.