What To Do If You Find a Venomous Snake on Your Property

Finding a venomous snake on your property is one of those moments where your heart rate spikes and your brain goes blank. It’s a reasonable reaction — venomous snakebites, while rarely fatal with prompt treatment, are painful, expensive to treat, and genuinely dangerous to children, pets, and the elderly.

Here’s what you need to know.

Step One: Don’t Panic, Don’t Approach

The vast majority of snakebites occur when people try to handle, kill, or move a snake themselves. If you see a venomous snake, the safest thing you can do is back away slowly and create distance. Snakes are not aggressive — they’re defensive. If you don’t threaten them, they generally won’t strike.

Keep children and pets away from the area. If the snake is inside a structure (garage, shed, crawl space), close the door and call for help.

Identifying Venomous Species

In most of the United States, there are four groups of venomous snakes to be aware of:

• Rattlesnakes: The most common group, identifiable by the rattle on the tail, triangular head, and heavy body. Multiple species across the country.
• Copperheads: Copper/tan colored with distinctive hourglass-shaped bands. Common in the eastern and central U.S.
• Cottonmouths (Water Moccasins): Heavy-bodied, dark-colored, found near water. Often confused with non-venomous water snakes.
• Coral Snakes: Brightly banded in red, yellow, and black. Small and reclusive, but with potent venom.

If you’re not sure whether a snake is venomous, treat it as if it is. Don’t get close enough to make an ID.

When to Call a Professional

Call for professional removal if:

• The snake is inside or under a structure where people or pets frequent
• You’ve seen multiple snakes in a short period (suggests a den nearby)
• The snake is in an area you can’t avoid (near a doorway, in a garden, along a path)
• You have young children or pets who use the area

What We Do

When we respond to a snake call, we identify the species, assess the property for habitat features that attract snakes (rodent populations, debris piles, gaps in foundations), and safely remove the animal. We also provide recommendations for making your property less attractive to snakes in the future — because removal without habitat modification is a temporary fix.

If you’ve encountered a venomous snake on your property, give us a call. We’ll respond quickly and handle the situation safely so you can get back to using your property with confidence.