How To Catch Snakes

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Option 1 - You can hire a professional in your area. Look on the internet for a company, or your local yellow pages, or you can find someone in your town from my directory that I list on this website. This method is the most reliable, but the priciest.

Option 2 - You can purchase a snake trap. These work, but they won't always catch the snake. If you do want to buy a trap, I recommend the model featured on this page: how to trap snakes

Option 3 - You can catch it yourself. However, this can be risky for novices - almost ALL cases of snakebites occur when people attempt to catch or kill snakes. Read more about snake safety tips here.

Click here for my nationwide list of 100's of professional snake trappers serving all 50 states.



How to catch snakes - Before you figure out how to catch snakes, you need to ask yourself why you want to catch snakes. Snakes are very helpful around a home no matter how much a homeowner wants to deny the fact. Snakes keep insect and rodent populations down, and prevent infestations in your home from animals that would do significant damage. Yes, snakes can be startle you and even kill you, but knowing when to catch a snake and when to let one be is the key. Many snakes are just passing through your yard. If you’ve discovered a snake, give it a few days before you call in a professional or try to trap the animal. If it is a venomous snake and does not leave after a few days, your best bet is to call in a wildlife remover. A snake trap will work for a venomous snake, and certain models will even let you be as hands-free as possible; however, if you are uncomfortable handling a poisonous snake, leave the removal process to an expert. Nonvenomous snakes can be trapped with special glue traps, or, if you’re feeling brave, can be trapped with the use of gloves and a pillowcase. In both situations, the live snake needs to be relocated into an area with sufficient shelter.



Snake in the house - When dealing with a snake in the house remember that the animal has no desire to see you anymore than you want to see it. Most snakes that wander into a home wish to wander right back out but lose their way. These snakes will often hide out under furniture or appliances until they are removed from the home. Before you attempt to handle a snake inside of the home, you need to identify the animal. If it is venomous, it needs to be removed by a professional. There are a good number of venomous snakes in the world, and many of them can kill you with a single bite. Because the snake is already frightened, it will not take much effort to persuade it to strike. Even with nonvenomous reptiles a bite can be problematic, bleeding excessively and remaining open to secondary infection. If you are going to pick up the snake with your hands, heavy gloves are advised. Be sure to have a pillowcase handy to place the animal in once it has been picked up. The lack of visual stimuli within the fabric will keep the snake calm until you reach a relocation area.

Catch snake in house - It can be difficult to catch a snake in the house if the animal has access to multiple room and spaces beneath furniture. Before you scare the serpent and chase it from room to room, confine it to a single space and spend time blocking off the areas within that area where it might try to hide. You should not bother the snake until you are ready to pick it up. If it feels threatened from constant harassment, your chances of getting bit are substantial. A nonvenomous snake, confined to a room, can be picked up with the aid of gloves or blankets and placed inside a pillowcase. If you think the snake inside your home is a venomous snake, there is no reason why you should try to remove the animal. There are many agencies in cities around the country that offer professional assistance with venomous snake removal. You should still try to confine the snake to a single room, but do not enter that room or harass the snake for any reason. Most snake bites occur because humans were trying to pick up the animal or were having fun at its expense. A deadly bite is one heck of a way to learn a lesson about respecting wildlife.

How to get rid of snakes around the house - Snakes around the house are there because of food or shelter and often because of both. When you think about the reasons food might be abundant, you will realize that the cause of a rodent or insect surplus is the root of your problems. Rats, mice, and insects all like thick vegetation. Un-mowed grass and lush gardens will attract insects and rodents and then snakes. So, the key to getting rid of snakes around the house is to keep the property around the house as manicured as possible. There is no way to completely eliminate snakes; you need to understand that fact. Snakes live in almost every region on the world, and they are able to climb, swim, and slither just about anywhere they please. If you are unwilling to tame your gardens, take the first step and mow your grass shorter than normal. Short grass means exposing any small animals that like to hide in it. A snake, even though it is a predator, will not want to remain out in the open long. A variety of birds look for snakes wiggling in the grass. If you find this step beneficial, perhaps it will convince you to trim the gardens. You can still have flowers, but there is no need to have excessive ground cover.

Read about What Should I Do With A Snake After I Catch It?

Here are some other snake links:
How To Trap Snakes
What Animals Kill Snakes
Color Rhyme for Coral Snakes
How Can You Tell if a Snake is Poisonous
How to Kill Snakes
Snakebite Aftercare
Snake Safety Tips
How to Catch Snakes
How Do You Keep Snakes Away
Do Mothballs Keep Away Snakes
Eastern Coral Snake
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
Snakes in the Attic
Photographs of Snake Poop

Go back to my main snake removal page for more general snake info.