Massachusetts Snake Identifation & Removal
Are you concerned about a snake living on or inside your Massachusetts property? Don't worry, we specialize in snake identification and removal services to ensure the safety and peace of mind of our customers.
Snake Species in New England
In Massachusetts alone, we have 14 different species of snakes. And based on your location, you are likely only to cross paths with a few of these snakes species as they all have different habitat requirements.
The most common snakes seen around homes are garter snakes (often called garden snakes by mistake), but occasionally you may cross paths with the much smaller ring-neck snake, or larger species such as milk snakes, black racer or eastern racer snakes, rat snake, or northern water snake.
Cold-blooded reptiles
Snakes are cold blooded, meaning they do not produce their own body heat. This means they need to regulate their body temperature using the sun, and escape the cold and hibernate for the winter.
In the springtime, snakes are seen sunbathing on rocks, in the grass, or nearby some shelter. In the summer, some snakes find foundation gaps and end up in basements as it is much cooler and may be attracting food sources such as mice and insects. In the winter, snakes are sometimes found in basements as they are trying to hibernate.
Snakes are generally solitary but because they use communal den sites, you can sometimes find several snakes in an area that has a suitable den site.
Venomous snakes in Massachusetts
Two of the fourteen species of snakes in Massachusetts are venomous - the Timber Rattlesnake and the Northern Copperhead. They are both endangered and require very specific habitats to survive.
They don’t travel very far away from rocky, sloping mountainsides, and so it is very uncommon to run into one of these species around your property. However, if you do, please call immediately and do not try to move, capture, or kill the venomous snake as it is illegal.
All the other species of snakes are non-venomous, and most snakes including these two species would prefer to be left alone and will go the opposite direction when confronted by a human.
We Seal for Snakes
We do offer removals if a snake is in your building. Sealing entry points is the most effective way to prevent snakes from entering. These entry points are typically around the foundation, but can often be higher up when dealing with more arboreal(spending time in trees or higher up) species such as eastern rat snakes.
Regular property maintenance is a good way to eliminate habitat that would attract them, like rock piles or stone walls, wood piles, tall grass and shrubbery are all attractive areas to a snake. We also offer deterrents to help lower the chance of crossing paths with snakes.
Read more on Snakes
