Snakes are coming out in Kentucky

BOWLING GREEN Ky.- Warmer weather brings more guests out to enjoy the sun. Snakes. While not all snakes are venomous, it’s important to begin preparations to keep the family, pets, and livestock safe from the reptiles.

Wildlife removal specialist at A All Animal Control, Vincent Cunningham, explains where snakes like to make their homes during the hot months.

“There’s lots of habitats such as rose gardens or flower bushes, mulch and things like that where snakes will hide. The primary reason a snake is visiting a property is either to feed or to look for a place to reside,” Cunningham said.

Since most snake visits are due to them looking for their next meal, Kentucky Down Under Director of Animal Management, Mick McGill, says eliminating the snake’s food supply is a great way to deter visits.

“Things as simple as setting mousetraps. Most often, venomous snakes when they enter your house are actually looking for mice. Keeping the mice population down is absolutely critical. another thing would be if you see any open holes in closures to close them off. Another key thing is mowing your grass. Keeping your lawn short will help to deter snakes,” McGill said.

If you do find a snake in your home, wildlife professionals recommend keeping them as safe as possible to make sure they can continue to benefit the ecosystem.

To keep the snake safe, professionals say you should call animal control so they can safely remove the visitor.

Chief Naturalist of Lost River Cave, Delaney Rockrohr-Eaton, says it’s important to take into account that snakes won’t attack unless they feel threatened.

“They’re more scared of you than you are of them. To give it some perspective, you’re like Godzilla and you just walked into their house. They perform a very beneficial ecosystem service for us. Would you rather have a snake, or would you rather have mice who could be carrying disease? They’re very beneficial little critters,” said Rockrohr-Eaton.

Some venomous snakes that call Kentucky home are the copperhead, timber rattlesnake, and the water moccasin.