Snake Removal in Duluth, GA

Snakes around your Duluth home

Snake calls in Duluth start in a few predictable places. On older homes, it's often the crawlspace, where a loose ground-vent screen lets a snake follow mice under the house. On newer homes and townhomes, it's the garage, entered under a worn door seal, or the mulched beds along the foundation. Across the city, wooded lots, leaf litter and the woods along the Chattahoochee give snakes cover and plenty of rodents to eat. Seeing a snake now and then is normal here. Most of them are harmless and help keep rodents down.

Two facts are worth knowing. Georgia has 47 native snake species, and only seven are venomous. Of those seven, the copperhead is the only one you're realistically likely to see around a Duluth home. Also, all non-venomous snakes are protected in Georgia, and killing one is illegal. People usually assume a snake is venomous, but most calls turn out to be rat snakes. A snake that's passing through the yard is usually gone within the hour. The ones worth a call are snakes inside the house, garage or crawlspace, and snakes that keep coming back.

Inside or outside: when to call

If the snake is outside in the open, the best thing to do is usually nothing. Keep kids and pets away, and it will likely move on within a few minutes to an hour. By the time a technician arrives, it's often gone. If it's inside the house, garage or crawlspace, call right away and watch where it goes from a safe distance. Snakes hide fast in a garage full of storage boxes, and the longer you wait, the harder they are to find. Call too if the same snake keeps showing up by the foundation, because that means something there is attracting it.

Rat snakes, kingsnakes and the harmless majority

The snake most often found around Duluth homes is the rat snake, a good climber that eats mice and rats in garages, sheds and crawlspaces, and sometimes in attics. Kingsnakes eat other snakes, including copperheads. Garter snakes and small brown snakes eat slugs and worms in garden beds. None of these are dangerous, all of them are protected, and all of them help you. That's why identifying the snake comes first.

Copperheads: where they show up

The copperhead is the venomous snake that realistically shows up in Duluth yards. Its brown, banded pattern blends into fallen leaves, so it's easy to walk past one. Look carefully in leaf litter at the edge of wooded areas, thick mulch beds, woodpiles, and the space under decks. They're most active in warm weather, especially around dusk. If you see one, keep people and pets back and call. The pro removes it and can show you where on your property copperheads are most likely to hide so you can clear those spots.

Why killing one is the wrong move

Under Georgia law, all of the state's non-venomous snakes are protected, and killing one is illegal. Trying to kill a snake is also how many bites happen. A snake can strike farther than most people expect, and even one that looks dead can bite by reflex. Mothballs and store-bought snake repellents don't work and shouldn't be used. Calling a pro keeps you at a safe distance and keeps you within the law.

Cut off food and cover

Snakes come to a yard for two reasons: overgrowth and food. On a wooded Duluth lot, the food is almost always rodents, attracted by bird feeders, pet food, stored birdseed and woodpiles. The cover is thick ground cover, deep mulch against the foundation, and clutter. Pull mulch back from the foundation, keep firewood off the ground and away from the house, keep the grass short near the house, and deal with any rodents. A yard with less food and fewer hiding spots attracts fewer snakes.

Crawlspaces and garages

A snake in a crawlspace or garage is almost always following rodents. On older Duluth homes, damaged crawlspace vent screens are the usual way in. Replacing them with sturdy metal screening closes off that route. On newer homes, worn garage door seals and gaps where utilities enter the house are more common. A pro removes the snake, finds how it got in, and makes sure the rodents that drew it there are taken care of too.