Snake Removal in Lilburn, GA

Snakes around your Lilburn home

Most snake sightings in Lilburn come from the shaded side of the property, along the woods. Years of fallen leaves under big trees, firewood stacked against the house, a deck that's settled close to the ground, and the brushy edges of the Camp Creek and Yellow River corridors all give snakes cover. The mice and chipmunks living in that cover give them a reason to stay. Most of the snakes people find around Lilburn homes are rat snakes, which are harmless and eat the same rodents you're trying to get rid of.

Two facts matter on any Georgia snake call. Of the state's 47 native species, only seven are venomous, and the only one you're realistically likely to meet around a Lilburn home is the copperhead. Also, all non-venomous snakes are protected by state law, and killing one is illegal. Most people assume a snake is venomous, and it almost never is.

A snake outside usually moves on

The most useful thing to know is that a snake passing through the yard usually leaves within a few minutes to an hour. If it's out in the open, keep people and pets back, let it go, and keep an eye on where it goes. By the time anyone could get there, it's usually gone. A snake inside the house, garage or crawlspace is a different situation. Call right away, because the longer you wait, the harder it is to find.

Rat snakes, kingsnakes and the rest

The big dark snake in the shrubs or up on the gutter is almost always a gray rat snake. They climb very well, hunt mice and rats around buildings, and are harmless to people. Eastern kingsnakes eat other snakes, including copperheads. Garter snakes and small brown snakes hunt slugs and worms in the flowerbeds. All of them are protected, and all of them are useful to have around.

Copperheads in the leaves

A copperhead's pattern looks like dead oak leaves, and older wooded Lilburn yards have plenty of those. They sit still and rely on camouflage, which is how people end up stepping or reaching close to one: clearing out a bed, picking up firewood, reaching under the deck. Wear gloves and shoes for yard work along the woods, and use a tool, not your hand, to move piles. If you see a copperhead near the house, keep everyone back and call. Don't try to kill it, since that's how most bites happen.

Killing one is against the law

Georgia protects its non-venomous native snakes, and killing one is a violation of state law. It's also risky: a snake can strike farther than people expect, and one that looks dead can still bite by reflex. A licensed pro removes and releases harmless snakes and handles a venomous one safely. They won't harm a protected species, and you don't have to get close to it.

Why it's in your yard

The pros we work with say what draws snakes comes down to two things: overgrowth and a food source. In Lilburn that means deep leaf piles, ivy and overgrown beds along the house, woodpiles, and junk under decks, plus the mice and chipmunks living there. Thin the cover near the foundation, keep firewood away from the walls, and deal with the rodents, and snakes have less reason to come by. Snake repellents don't do much.

In the garage or crawlspace

Inside, snakes are almost always following rodents or looking for a cool place to hide. Older crawlspace vents with bent covers and gaps under garage doors are the usual ways in. The pro finds and removes the snake, then closes the gaps with metal mesh and door sweeps and checks whether there are mice inside, which is usually what brought it in.