Snake FAQ

It is true that some species of snakes are venomous, but they are actually very rare in the United States. And remember, none of them will EVER chase you down and bite you. Almost 100% of snake bites occur when people try to mess with snakes. Just leave 'em alone! Walk away, and they are never dangerous.
NO! Most cases of snakebite occur when people attempt to kill snakes. Just walk away. You try to kill it, with shovel or gun or whatever, you've just increased your chances of getting bitten a great deal. I knew of a fireman who lived near me who shot a rattlesnake, then later went to pick up the dead body, and the snake reflexively bit him in the hand after it was dead. The fireman died.
If you must remove snakes, safest bets are to hire a pro or to use a trap that safely holds the snake. If you want to remove it yourself, you'd better be able to identify it first, and then safely remove it with a snake tool, by sweeping it into a box, by using thick gloves, etc.
The internet is a great resource. Just type in a description of what the snake looks like, and where you live, and you'll probably see a picture of it in search images. That said, I have photos of most of the common snakes in North America here on my website, including the venomous ones. You can also ready my How to Identify a Snake page.
Absolutely not! If they did, fine, that'd be great. But hell no, there's no spray, powder, mothballs, ammonia, predator urine, high-pitch sound machine, or any device or substance that will alter snake behavior at all. If you want to completely keep snakes at bay, your best bet is a super fence around the entire property, or to pave all the land. Otherwise, if you've got acceptable habitat, you may have a snake come by every now and then.
Actually, yes. There are a few manufacturers out there, and all snake traps utilize a glue pad that the snake gets stuck on. You can then bring the snake in trap to a new location, spray cooking oil on the snake and glue pad, and it'll work itself free. It's fun!
Basically, whoever can get to your property quickly, sounds decent, and charges a price you can afford. If no one can come to your house in a speedy manner, many professionals will set snake traps on the property. I actually do recommend the list of wildlife removal experts listed on the website wildlife-removal.com, but you can certainly do your own research.
There's a good chance. I have personally trained a bunch of snake removal experts, such as in these major US cities: Here are some Reader Emails on the subject of snake removal. I don't feel like writing any more FAQ right now, but I do like the old FAQ that was on this site before I purchased the domain name. Funny guy, the guy who wrote it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many species of snakes are there?
Over 2700 worldwide.

How many species of snakes are native to the USA?
Over 115.

How many cases of snakebites are there in the USA every year?
45,000.

How many cases of envenomation by venomous snakes are there in the US every year?
Between 6,000 and 7,000

How much does it cost on average to treat an envenomed snakebite in the US?
$15,000 to $20,000 unless there are complications (which occur in nearly half of all bites).

Are snake repellants sold?
There are substances purported as being snake repellants sold to countless uninformed consumers every year.

Do any of these substances work?
If they did, we would incorporate them into our service – right after we tripled our rates.

Are you saying that selling or treating with these products is fraud?
That's a little harsh. We would say so only if the seller actually knows anything about snakes.

Why does Snake Removal ®TM only work with Snake Problems?
For the same reason that a reputable surgeon limits themselves to surgery. Most people would presumably be somewhat hesitant entrusting the medical well-being of a family member to someone who billed themselves as being a roofer, accountant, rodeo clown and surgeon. It is the very same reason that reputable members of fields unrelated to snakes (such as pest control, carpentry and trapping) limit their activities to their own fields.

IF YOUR PROBLEM INVOLVES A NON-EMERGENCY SNAKE SITUATION YOU HAVE CALLED THE RIGHT PLACE.