Snakes Around the Home in Spring: Why Sightings Increase and What Homeowners Should Do

Spring brings warmer weather, and with it, more snake activity around homes, yards, garages, sheds, and crawl spaces. Learn why snakes show up, what attracts them, and when to call a professional.

The Problem: What's Happening and Why It Matters

As temperatures warm up in spring, snakes become more active around homes, yards, garages, sheds, and crawl spaces. For many homeowners, seeing a snake near the house can be alarming, especially when they are unsure whether it is venomous or harmless.

Snakes do not usually come around homes for no reason. If they are showing up often, your property may be offering shelter, food, moisture, or safe hiding places. That matters because a snake sighting can point to a larger issue, such as rodent activity, overgrown areas, or easy access into garages and crawl spaces.

The safest approach is not panic. It is proper identification, safe removal, and making the property less attractive to snakes long-term.

Why Snakes Show Up More in Spring

Snakes are cold-blooded, which means they rely on outside temperatures to regulate their body heat. As spring weather warms up, snakes begin moving more often to hunt, find shelter, and warm themselves in sunny areas.

Around homes, they may be drawn to:

• Tall grass and overgrown landscaping
• Wood piles, brush piles, or stacked materials
• Rodents, insects, frogs, or other small prey
• Damp areas near crawl spaces, sheds, or foundations
• Gaps around garages, porches, and outbuildings

If a property gives snakes food and cover, they are more likely to stay close.

Common Places Homeowners Find Snakes

Snakes are often found in quiet, protected areas where they can hide or hunt. Around homes, that usually includes:

• Garages
• Crawl spaces
• Sheds
• Under decks or porches
• Around wood piles
• Near retaining walls or rock beds
• Along fences or tall grass
• Around foundation gaps
• Near chicken coops or rodent activity

A single snake sighting does not always mean there is an infestation, but repeated sightings should be taken seriously.

Venomous vs. Non-Venomous Snakes

Many snakes found around homes are non-venomous and help control pests like mice, rats, and insects. However, Tennessee and Alabama are also home to venomous species, including copperheads, rattlesnakes, and cottonmouths in certain areas.

The problem is that many homeowners cannot confidently identify the snake they are looking at. Because of that, the safest rule is simple:

Do not handle any snake you cannot positively identify.

Trying to move, scare, or kill a snake can increase the chance of a bite. If the snake is inside the home, near pets, near children, or in a high-traffic area, it is best to call a wildlife professional.

Risks of Ignoring the Problem

Ignoring repeated snake activity can create several issues:

• Increased chance of snake encounters near the home
• Greater risk for pets and children
• Possible venomous snake presence
• Hidden rodent problems attracting snakes
• Entry into garages, crawl spaces, or living areas
• Ongoing fear and uncertainty for the homeowner

Snakes are usually present because something on the property is attracting them. Removing the snake without addressing the cause may not solve the problem.

Why DIY Snake Removal Can Be Dangerous

Many homeowners try to remove snakes with shovels, buckets, traps, or repellents. This can be risky.

DIY snake removal can fail because:

• The snake may be venomous
• The homeowner may misidentify the species
• The snake may hide deeper inside the structure
• Repellents are often unreliable
• Killing or cornering a snake increases bite risk
• The root cause, such as rodents or shelter, is not addressed

Professional removal is safer because the snake can be identified, removed properly, and the property can be inspected for attractants and entry points.

Professional Snake Removal and Prevention Process

A proper snake control approach usually includes:

• Inspection of the property and likely hiding areas
• Safe identification of the snake species
• Careful removal from the home, garage, shed, or yard
• Checking for attractants like rodents, clutter, or moisture
• Recommending exclusion or habitat changes to reduce future sightings

The goal is not just removing one snake. The goal is making the property less inviting so the problem does not keep returning.

How to Make Your Property Less Attractive to Snakes

Homeowners can reduce snake activity by removing food, shelter, and access points.

Helpful prevention steps include:

• Keep grass cut short around the home
• Remove brush piles, leaf piles, and stacked debris
• Store firewood away from the house and off the ground
• Seal gaps around foundations, crawl spaces, garages, and sheds
• Reduce rodent activity around the property
• Keep garage doors closed when not in use
• Remove standing water or damp hiding areas
• Keep landscaping trimmed away from the foundation

The cleaner and less sheltered the property is, the less appealing it becomes to snakes.

When to Call a Wildlife Professional

You should call a professional if:

• The snake is inside your home
• The snake is in a garage, shed, or crawl space
• You cannot identify the snake
• You have pets or children nearby
• You are seeing snakes repeatedly
• You suspect rodents are attracting snakes
• The snake is near an entry point or high-traffic area

Fast, safe removal helps protect your family while reducing the chance of repeat encounters.

Serving Middle Tennessee and North Alabama

Kirkland's Wildlife Trapping provides safe snake removal and wildlife control services throughout Middle Tennessee and North Alabama. If you are seeing snakes around your home, garage, crawl space, or property, contact us for professional identification, removal, and prevention recommendations.