A lot of people tend to be terrified of snakes, and for good reason. The bite of a snake can cause serious pain, even if the snake itself is non-venomous, not to mention expose you to a worrying array of bacteria and serious diseases.
This is why smart homeowners will err on the side of caution, and do everything in their power to snake-proof their basement, as well as the rest of their home, well ahead of time. In order to do this successfully, you need to understand what’s attracting snakes to your basement, in the first place.
1. A leak
Like most other wild animals, snakes necessitate a constant source of water in order to thrive. This is why basements with a leaky pipe, or a generally damp atmosphere may seem appealing to snakes, as well as other unwanted wildlife.
If you’re struggling with snakes because of a leaky pipe, you can attempt to fix the problem yourself, or find a professional help near you for snake control, to figure out what’s wrong with your basement.
2. Storage
Another important reason why snakes love hanging out in basements is that we typically use them as storage. This means there’s a lot of piles, blankets, boxes, and other storage items down there that provide an ideal hidey-hole for snakes. The more stuff there is in your basement, the harder it is for you to spot a snake while down there, which makes them a lot safer.
In order to correct this, we recommend that you regularly clean out your basement, and try to reduce the amount of things you keep down there.
3. Wood log piles
A lot of homeowners use the space in their basement to store wood pile logs for the winter. Unfortunately, these piles create ideal nesting ground for a snake, and so lead to the same problem as above.
If you’ve got no other option than storing the piles (or other items that might appeal to snakes) down in your basement, consider using a snake repellent. While there’s some doubt as to their efficiency, snake repellents can at least deter snakes from approaching.
4. Mice and rats
It’s quite common for rodents to seek out basements as attics, as winter approaches, as these are readily available sources of food and shelter for the little rodents. The problem here, however, is that their presence will also attract other, larger predators like snakes (who typically feed on small mammals).
So what you can do in this situation is hire an expert like Critter Pro. They will be able to remove your rodent problem, as well as advise you on snake-proofing your basement for the upcoming winter.
5. Entry points
The number one reason why a wild animal will move into your home is that they found a way in, to begin with. Regularly checking for cracks and holes in the walls, roofing, and foundation of your home can save you a lot of grief when it comes to wildlife invasions.
Now, the biggest issue here is that, to the human eye, a lot of cracks and unsealed spaces seem pretty small. We can’t possibly imagine how an animal might squeeze through there, so we don’t often bother to seal them up.
Which is precisely how wild animals such as snakes get in, in the first place. See, while the gap may seem insignificant to you, for a snake, it provides ample space to squeeze through, since many of them are quite slim. What you need to do here, of course, is inspect for entry points, and seal them.
Story by Jessica Loticus
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