Category: Keep Snakes Away

When Will Rattlesnakes Go Away To Hibernate? Details Based on Thousands of Rattlesnake Relocations

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

It’s that time of year when every rattlesnake sighting prompts the question: when will rattlesnakes disappear for the winter? It’s a topic that causes some confusion with many people who believe that reptiles only want heat, and as soon as it starts to cool, they disappear entirely. But like many things with animals, the reality of the situation is much more complicated. Fortunately, after more than a decade of working with homeowners on conflict situations, during this time of year, we have the data to answer this question quite accurately. This observational assessment is based on the frequency, timing, and nature of the more than 15,000 snake relocation calls we have run since 2009.

Late October is peak time for rattlesnake encounters. This is completely normal. While there is no calendar for wild animals, there are some strong trends that are more or less true every year. Even though it’s still hot outside right now, we see no reason to believe this year will be any different. Here’s the timeline:

Throughout October, rattlesnakes are moving. By the third week of October, much of this activity takes place in a short window of time immediately after dark. This may only be an hour, where everything appears to move at once. Encounters with the snakes, may also happen in the early morning, as people see them resting in the temporary location they have selected. This behavior will reach a peak in the last days of October, through the first week of November. By the second week of November, even this behavior begins to wane. By the end of the second week of November, most rattlesnakes are where they intend to be for the winter and the encounter is driven by their traveling and mating. Behavior will have more or less ended. By Thanksgiving, any rattlesnake relocation requests we receive are snakes that are in garage, or other on property hibernaculum, indicating ingress has completed.

A screenshot from our Rattlesnake Activity Forecast tool, driven by real-time data from snake relocation hotline activity. You can watch it at the Rattlesnake Solutions website.

Late October rattlesnake encounters are perfectly normal

As days, go, shorter, and temperatures drop, usually, rattlesnake activity is going to change in a number of ways. First, although some may hunt and continue to do so later into the year, most are in transit. They are moving towards areas that they have selected to spend the winter. Some rattlesnakes like the young of the year or those who have been displaced by construction or other issues, may be in a wandering pattern, looking for a suitable spot. Others, maybe successful adult rattlesnakes that know exactly where to go, and they are moving in a straight line to get there.

Along the way, there may be conflict with humans. This could be, as the snake is crawling through a backyard and, spotted by the dog, forgets held up in a maze of block, walls and stucco. And increasingly, the overwinter destination itself may be on the property. This could be in a garage, under a shed, in the foundation of a home, under slabs of concrete, under air conditioning, or pool, equipment, and any number of scenarios.

The nature of these encounters can be different, because unlike those in the spring, where temperatures and day links were similar, the objectives of the animals may be different. Setting up ambush positions to hunt is no longer a priority, and rattlesnakes may be more likely to rattle out a person or a pet that discovers them as they are in transit. While in the spring time, most rattlesnake encounters at homes may be a snake soundly coiled in a corner, in this time of year it’s usually a snake on the crawl or moving across the surface. With winter, approaching, and the opportunity to hunt in the cool weather, drawing to a close, rattlesnakes are in conservation mode. Essentially, they have the food, energy and water that they have, and it’s time to get to a place for the winter to hang onto it. Remaining above ground, even in otherwise favorable conditions, has no benefit, and may only serve two accelerate the desiccation that may occur in an Arizona dry winter. Rattlesnakes in the low desert may even select overwintering sites that are cooler, to keep a lower, metabolism and slow, the loss of resources.

The fall is also mating, season, again. Wow, much of this behavior happens in advance of moving towards dens, it still occurs up until the end. This can mean that, in addition to traveling rattlesnakes, a homeowner can see pairs in courtship or mating. However, while this behavior is common, it does not seem to drive encounters the same way that it does in the spring time. In March for example if we find an adult female Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, we can often find males in the area searching for her. This is such a strong driver of encounters that in peak spring time, mating season, this might be something that we even expect. In the fall, however, this does not seem to be the case and courtship and meeting may be an aspect of opportunity as snakes continue to come together anyway to group social situations.

Rattlesnakes can still be encountered in the winter

Once snakes are in their dens, it does not mean that homeowners don’t need to think about them during the winter. Please note that I did not use the word “fear” there, as it isn’t necessary or helpful when all that must be done is to remain rational and, take minor precautions. This means that if you live in an area where rattlesnakes can occur, just do as you always would, and follow the basic rattlesnake safety measures you do the rest of the year. Don’t reach where you can’t see, always watch where you walk even on cold days and nights, use flashlights and wear shoes, etc. Just because rattlesnake encounters are much less frequent does not mean they don’t occur, in fact, they often do, so just stay sharp.

Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes using a packrat nest built into a rock pile as a winter den. These situations are often emulated on properties, and rattlesnakes move right in.

Keep rattlesnakes from using your property as a den:

Here are some things that you can do as a homeowner, often relatively easily, to reduce the chances of your property, becoming a rattlesnake den. If this is a concern, devote hey Saturday, and in most cases, you can be done in that time one.

  1. Identify and remove any deep hiding opportunities. This might mean pavers stored along the side, yard, those cinderblocks you meant to do something with, but the project has stalled, the old pool toy box full of deflated floaties, etc. Any items that are stored, long-term and not disturbed can create thermal protection that rattlesnakes and other animals can use
  2. Move the firewood stack to a different location. In fact, do this once a year. It doesn’t need to be far; you can just move it right next to the original location if you choose, but just make sure that it is not a permanent location. Firewood piles are a favorite for rodents and the holes that they dig can be used by rattlesnakes. We often are called to remove rattlesnakes from firewood piles during the winter, and simply moving them, seems to prevent that quite well.
  3. Find and repair any openings into the foundation of structures. These do not need to be large openings, they can even be what look like in minor cracks, going up into the flashing, or a wall joint that has eroded or settled. This can also include sheds or other secondary structures, built on concrete pads that have rodent tunnels going under them or other openings. The quick fix is expanding foam, easily obtainable at any hardware store, while the long-term fix can be arranged.
  4. Learn what a packrat (wood rat) nest looks like and destroy the ones you find on your property. Paquerette nests are favorite homes for rattlesnakes at any time of year, including the winter. Rattlesnakes live alongside these rodents in these often deep and well insulated spaces. To remove a packrat nest permanently, traps, and other rodent control won’t do the trick. Destroy the nest itself. You can do this by flooding it entirely with a garden hose several times, then using garden tools to remove and spread the surface debris and collapse all entrances. Repeat until it is no longer being repaired by the rodent. This single step may be the most important one in this list.
  5. Repair any gaps in garage door seals or call somebody to make sure that gets done. If you see debris and dirt in the corners alongside the edges of garage doors, that means that they are not sealed and animals, including rattlesnakes can get in. You may also want to use this time to get to that long, awaited garage, clean out, and re-organization you wanted to do forever. Cluttered garage are great places for a rattlesnake to spend the winter undisturbed in safety and relative warmth, and they often do. Because it’s a long corners and walls, and reduce the number of hiding spots as much as possible.
  6. Check the areas around seldom visited parts of the yard, like the pool pump, equipment, and air conditioning units. These are often mounted on concrete pads which rodents do you under to create spaces. These are also out-of-the-way locations that people don’t visit very much and as a result, the place where things like bricks and discarded pool toys end up being discarded. Clean up any of these items and fill or collapse any rodent holes going underneath.
  7. If your yard has large and extensive tracts of low-cover landscaping, such as lantana, rosemary, and natal plum, consider upgrading to less rattlesnake-friendly plants. These popular landscape vegetation choices, often create inches of rotting organic material underneath while also retaining moisture We have removed hundreds of rattlesnakes from the situation at homes over the years.
  8. If your property uses riprap, or other piled rock, as decorative or erosion control material, be cautious. The best situation in either case is that the rock is situated to be no more than one or two rock layers deep. This means that each rock in the layer is exposed to the sun and touching the ground. This is not necessarily a useful feature to be a rattlesnake if done like this. If the rock is several layers, deep, however, creating spaces and thermal opportunities within, rattlesnakes, and other animals will, of course find this useful, and perhaps no time more so than in the winter. If this rock area is made of piles of cantaloupe-to-watermelon sized boulders, and several feet thick, you can probably count on rattlesnakes using it. Of course, this rock may be in place for functional needs like erosion control, but if you have an abundance of rattlesnake visits throughout the spring, it may be worthwhile to consider other options
  9. Be especially cautious, when pulling out items from storage that have been there for a long time without being disturbed. Specifically, holiday decorations. It is likely that your plastic Christmas tree and box of tangled lights have been sitting in the same corner of the storage shed without being looked at since you put them there last January, that means by the time you reach for them again in December, they have served only as a potential hiding spot for animals that doesn’t want to be disturbed. This is the same for Halloween, Thanksgiving, New Year, or whatever other holiday or overwinter things you might only look at once a year.
  10. If there has been a dry period for more than two months, and rain comes, rattlesnakes will come out of the den to drink it. This will happen in any temperatures above freezing. That means that if it is the middle of December, and it’s midnight and 35° outside and it starts raining, rattlesnakes will be out. They won’t go far, maybe a few feet to a nearby bush for a little while, but this phenomenon is very reliable. Keep this in mind when going out to get firewood or other activities in such an event.
Stacks of firewood are often used by snakes and other animals as overwinter homes. This can be largely avoided by simply moving the location of the stack each year.
A Western Diamondback Rattlesnake using a stack of roofing tiles as a winter den.

Rattlesnakes in a Heat Wave – What Homeowners Should Know About Snakes In The Summer

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

Each day in July, 2023 has been above 110˚F with no end in sight. What do the rattlesnakes do?

A common misconception is that reptiles love the sun – the hotter, the better, right? Well, not quite. Like all reptiles, rattlesnakes are ectotherms and get their heat from the environment. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have limits. Just like you in the office when whats-his-name down the row keeps fiddling with the thermostat, rattlesnakes prefer specific temperatures. And more importantly, they can quickly die when they get too hot.

How hot is too hot for a rattlesnake? It depends. Generally, if the body temperature gets above 110˚ for even a little while, a rattlesnake will not survive. With ground temperatures hot enough to cook an egg, a rattlesnake caught out in the open for even a minute mid-day in Arizona will not survive. Aside from overheating, prolonged heat can kill off rattlesnakes by desiccation, literally drying out in the Arizona oven while the monsoon takes its sweet time getting here.

Where do rattlesnakes go when so hot?

Rattlesnakes hide away during the hottest and driest time of year in carefully selected retreats in a behavioral state known as aestivation. Think of it as hibernation to escape the heat instead of cold. Each year, rattlesnakes may use the same aestivation den, alongside other rattlesnakes of multiple species. And just like hibernation, these aestivation dens serve as social hubs, as well as survival escapes.

In the wild, these aestivation dens may be a cave in a drainage wall, a deep crevice in a rocky outcrop, packrat nests, or any number of other deep, thermally protected areas. But near developed areas, an even greater resource exists: backyards.

Openings to the foundation, cracks in the concrete leading under the deck, the shaded base pad under pool pump equipment, and more can be ideal aestivation dens for groups of rattlesnakes. Even better, almost all backyards provide easy sources of water. Combine all of this with dense, well-watered lantana or rosemary, and the perfect rattlesnake summer sanctuary is made.

If you find a rattlesnake in the yard right now, it’s possible it has been there awhile.

These Speckled Rattlesnakes are resting a short distance from their aestivation den and will retreat once the sun heats the area. This is a similar situation to aestivation dens found at homes, where homeowners may encounter them on the patio a short distance from the actual den.

“But it’s a dry heat”

Don’t be fooled by this favorite statement of visitors from wetter climates. We’re not talking about feeling sweaty and uncomfortable while you eat BBQ – dry heat kills.

Moisture loss is a significant danger to rattlesnakes when it’s so hot and dry outside. Simply breathing is dangerous, as every molecule of water lost from the body won’t be replaced until it falls from the sky. Any source of sustained water can and will attract rattlesnakes and other wildlife. If there is deep cover nearby to wait out the day until the next opportunity to drink, it makes an irresistible resource.

A group of rattlesnakes I found living under a leaky AC unit behind our home.

For homeowners, now is the time to review the property. Something as simple as a dripping hose or irrigation line that’s a bit too generous may be an oasis bringing venomous snakes to the yard. Eliminate any sources of water possible. View the property as critical habitat, and make careful decisions. If a rattlesnake is spotted few times a year near that over-watered natal plum, it’s time for some hard decisions about that plant.

What happens to rattlesnakes that are relocated when it’s so hot?

This statement doesn’t exactly make us popular, but it’s the truth. Do not call the fire department or the local security guard to relocate snakes, especially when it’s this hot. Even if the fact the snake will likely die isn’t reason enough, a potentially more dangerous situation can be the result. It doesn’t matter who: call a professional with deep snake knowledge. Here is why:

Homeowners are finding rattlesnakes in entryways or in a corner along the back patio and calling for relocation. The trick is, however, that these situations are usually not new. If a rattlesnake is in a yard right now, there are two scenarios that are most likely:

  1. The rattlesnake has been aestivating on the property or immediately adjacent and is being discovered by chance after weeks of undetected behavior.
  2. The rattlesnake was displaced by construction. Or, with increased frequency, botched relocation by the fire department or under-experienced relocator.

Rattlesnakes are often found in small groups aestivating in backyards. When we are called to catch one, we can usually locate the aestivation den, where we look to see if there are more. The homeowner is then educated on what is happening, and how the den can be addressed to prevent future, similar encounters. In these instances, the snake itself is not the issue, but a symptom of a provided resource. Usually, these can be fixed relatively easily.

Rattlesnake encounters in the summer that are due to construction of unexperienced relocation are a more complicated matter, unfortunately. While it is a great thing that there is an increased will out there to not kill rattlesnakes and have them relocated instead, the details matter greatly. If a rattlesnake is captured by the fire department and moved to a nearby bush or released to open ground, one of two things happen: the snake dies, or it panics and manages to escape to the nearest cover. This can be shade at the neighbors’ house, back to the original location, or any number of potentially dangerous situations. Rattlesnakes that are able to behave naturally can often coexist for a lifetime without conflict with humans by careful evasion, but all bets are off when they are forced into a cover-or-die situation.

We are currently seeing a lot of activity on our snake removal hotline. Rattlesnakes and other wildlife are having a tough time in this heat, forcing them to take desperate measures to survive. This increase of conflict is something that can be resolved by working with the natural behavior of the snake. This means that snakes that are captured for relocation must be released directly into a suitable replacement aestivation den. This also means that the individual relocating the snake needs to be able to identify aestivation microhabitat.

Rattlesnake found while doing a snake removal

This Western Diamondback Rattlesnake was found by a snake relocator while searching for a suitable aestivation den to relocate a rattlesnake found at a home. This snake is a clue that the right release site is nearby. This careful release site selection is essential during the summer.

How to keep rattlesnakes out of the yard during the summer

The best way to keep snakes out of the yard during the hot, dry summer months is to reduce critical resources as much as possible. When it is this hot, rattlesnakes aren’t traveling around like they would be during the spring and fall, so the situations where they are found. This means rattlesnake encounters at homes are much more predictable and, therefore, avoidable.

Here are some things that can be done in a single weekend that can significantly reduce the chances of a summer rattlesnake den in the yard:

  1. Do a sweep of the property for unnecessary water sources. This means fixing the leaky hose, cleaning up the outdoor dog bowl area, and checking on landscaping irrigation and drip lines to make sure they’re in good shape.
  2. Watch areas of AC condenser run-off. You may be able to fix these situations by placing a metal can under them to prevent the ground from getting wet, and allow faster evaporation.
  3. It’s time to get rid of those overgrown, over-watered lantana and rosemary bushes. They come standard with every home in Arizona, but consider native plants that require less water and are less likely to attract rattlesnakes and their prey.
  4. Look into snake fencing as an option to physically prevent entry.
  5. Find and fill any cracks and openings to the foundation of the home and other buildings. Any access to crawl spaces, flashing, under pavement and the driveway, or the foundation can become rattlesnake dens in the summer.
  6. Carefully check seldom-visited sections of the yard: specifically pool pump areas and air conditioning units. These spots are usually hidden away and provide easy, private retreats for rattlesnakes and other animals.
  7. Flood and destroy rodent burrows as they are found.

By this time, when rattlesnakes have already been at their summer retreats for several weeks, it’s more productive to prepare for what comes next: the monsoon activity, where encounters will be at the highest rate of the year.

For more information about how you can make your yard less rattlesnake friendly, take a look at our guide to keeping rattlesnakes away.

What happens to rattlesnakes when the monsoon comes?

Once the monsoon rain comes, several events are kicked off.

First, the abundant ambient moisture and access to water relieve some of the survival pressure. Rattlesnakes will no longer be forced to hide away, meaning they can resume moving, hunting, and other activities. Rattlesnakes encountered in backyards will be less likely to be long-term residents. Aestivation dens are largely abandoned for the year for many species.

Often this is when rattlesnakes shed their skins, too. The moisture can start the shedding process, during which many rattlesnakes remain hidden away for a period of time, regardless of the nicer conditions outside. However, once they shed, they’re off to hunt and more.

Next, it’s time for babies! The moisture kicks off the birthing season. Rattlesnakes either birth in place, or move to special places where babies will be born, called rookeries. Depending on the species, the timing and location of this event varies. For Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes, which make up the bulk of rattlesnake encounters with homeowners, this can be about anywhere with adequate cover.

Questions and Answers about Summer Rattlesnake Activity:

Can I use a garden hose to move a rattlesnake away while it’s this hot?

You can, but it is likely a temporary solution. Rattlesnakes found in the yard right now are likely aestivating nearby, and will remain in the area until they can leave after the monsoon rain brings relief. Also, make sure the water isn’t too hot by spraying it to the side for a few seconds.

Are rattlesnakes more likely to be found indoors during this time?

Yes, but it’s still a very remote possibility. Even though indoors is obviously cooler, very few rattlesnake removal calls are inside homes during this time of year. The majority of rattlesnake in-home calls we respond to are due to doors being left open in the Spring and Fall, which is not an issue when it is above 110˚F outside.

Do rattlesnakes climb trees and shrubs to get away from the hot ground?

Rattlesnakes are often found up off the ground in bushes outside of their aestivation dens when it is this hot outside. A bit of airflow can help a snake keep cool, and they seem to take advantage of it.

How often do we find rattlesnakes that have died from the heat?

In our research of rattlesnakes living in urban islands, it is not uncommon to find rattlesnakes that have died during the hot and dry foresummer. This can be exacerbated by disturbance, such as stress from visitation or poorly performed relocation. An event as simple as a short delay from overnight location back to the den can mean death.

Am I attracting rattlesnakes if I provide water for generally preferable wildlife, such as rabbits and birds?

If this is being done in an area where rattlesnakes can occur: absolutely. Not only by providing water, but attracting prey animals as well. If there’s also an area the rattlesnakes can escape to during the day, it’s an ideal rattlesnake situation.

Where do wild rattlesnakes find water during the heat?

For the most part, they don’t. They are forced into a state of preservation, waiting for the monsoon rain to come. Others may find water at springs, rivers and streams, cattle tanks, and other sources of year-round water. But for many rattlesnakes, this simply isn’t an option.

Can excessive heat cause negatively affect the reproductive success of rattlesnakes?

Yes. Conditions of prolonged heat and drought are difficult to survive for any age of rattlesnake, with newborns being especially susceptible. In the summer of 2020, during a long period without rain and excessive heat, we observed that speckled rattlesnakes more often gave birth at aestivation dens rather than move to typical locations. This was mirrored in birthing events of Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes and others, giving birth in less-than-ideal situations. While these effects aren’t well documented, our observations and anecdotal experience with birthing in urban situations show, essentially: panic.

What do rattlesnakes do on hot ground or pavement when it’s this hot outside?

They die. This is why it is avoided at all costs, and it’s lethal to them when the fire department dumps them into a bush rather than relocate to a suitable area.

Are there any repellents that can be used to keep rattlesnakes from spending the summer in my cooler, wetter backyard?

Unfortunately there are no snake repellents on the market that will keep snakes of any species away, despite claims. The effective alternatives are a combination of habitat and resource reduction and, where applicable, snake fence installation.

Do rattlesnakes mate when it’s this hot?

Rattlesnakes can court and mate at any time of year, but typically the seasons for doing so are in the spring and fall, depending on species.

Is it ok to leave water our for rattlesnakes and other wildlife?

Yes it is! Just be sure that it is clean and does not become a disease vector. Also understand that doing so will indiscriminately invite wildlife to the area, and it’s not possible to pick and choose. Leaving water out for birds and bunnies is the same as doing so for rattlesnakes.

Are there specific scents or chemicals that can be applied to deter rattlesnakes? How about plants?

There are currently no products, operating either by scent or otherwise, that will effectively deter rattlesnakes and would be legally and ethically feasible.

The rumors about plants such as rosemary, lemongrass, mint, and other “snake-repellent” plants are just local mythology. Ironically, some of these, such as rosemary, provide deep ground cover that can actually attract rattlesnakes.

Does the application of lava rock, gravel or other small rocks deter rattlesnakes?

While these materials do not directly deter rattlesnakes, they may provide some protection in some areas simply by being hot ground cover. However, using these materials specifically for rattlesnake deterrent purposes would not be advisable. Remember that rattlesnakes live in very hot, rough environments. Using rocks, even sharp rocks like lava rock, would not have an effect.

How often do rattlesnakes need to drink?

If given an opportunity, they can drink every day. However, they are very efficient and many ways of preserving moisture through their behavior and physiology, and can go for several months without a drink if they must.

What can I do to help the rattlesnakes without causing unintended danger (to either them or me)?

This may seem like a non-answer, but simply having the attitude that rattlesnakes should be kept alive and are important wildlife is an important node contributing to changing culture. Perhaps the best thing someone can do, if they are aware of the potential risks associated and are able and willing to communicate as needed to visitors and others, is to simply leave the rattlesnakes in place.

At my own home, for example, we have discovered an aestivation den of Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes hiding out under the AC unit behind the house. It’s not in an area with immediate concern, but we know it’s there and make sure we behave appropriately. Rather than relocate these, we will allow them to stay there for the remainder of the aestivation period, then will likely repair the leaky AC drip that has caused the situation. We know there are several nearby and suitable aestivation sites in the immediate area, so loss of this one will not have negative consequences for these snakes.

Arizona Rattlesnake Season 2023 Has Begun – What You Should Know

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

It’s really no surprise. After some extended Winter weather here in Arizona, things are starting to look like Spring. Wildflower photos are showing up all over social media feeds … and, of course, rattlesnakes.

Nope, they are not coming out early. If anything this year, they’re a little late. They’re not more aggressive, cranky, or other various local hyperbole. And, most of all: no, you are not in danger.

Before we get into the how’s and why’s, we’ll get right to the action items. Odds are at least some of you will be finding this while there’s literally a rattlesnake right in front of you, so we’ll get this out of the way.

If you need to have a rattlesnake removed from a property:
Call 480-237-9975 in Phoenix or 520-308-6211 in Tucson

If you have a snake that you need to have identified:
Text a photograph to 480-694-3020

What is Rattlesnake Season and when does it start?

While it is true that rattlesnakes can be encountered at any time of year in certain conditions, yearly activity spikes follow certain patterns. We define ‘rattlesnake season’ as the period where rattlesnake encounters with humans jump to peak activity, then die down again just as quickly in the Fall. In southern Arizona, this means, roughly mid-March through early November. This year, with the extra rain and cloud cover, we’re a little behind schedule … but all that is about to change, starting now.

A common situation for Arizona residents – a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake on the front patio.

The trigger we look for each year, according to our call volume and experience, is essentially this: when overnight temperatures stabilize in the 50s with daytime temperatures in the low 70s for a period of 3 or more days: it’s on. Rattlesnakes feel comfortable untethering from the protective dens where they’ve stayed near for the last several months.

You can watch this happen in real-time by watching the number of calls coming into our 24 hour snake removal hotline. We have created a tool to estimate current daily activity by the amount and velocity of snake removal requests. Watch how this changes over the next two weeks!

Rattlesnake Solutions Real-time Snake Activity Forecast

Activity at the time of this writing is still low … but that is about to change.

Why are there so many rattlesnake encounters in the Spring?

For a rattlesnake coming out of hibernation, there is a lot to do. After a long period without eating, rarely drinking, and conserving energy, rattlesnakes are looking to eat and drink as much as they can before things get too hot. This means they’ll be on the move to hunting areas, spending a lot of time on the move over the surface tracking prey and traveling.

This is also one of the mating periods for rattlesnakes. Along with the hunting activities, there are a lot of social tasks to do. Males are on the crawl looking for females to court and mate with … and on the lookout for rival males. Rattlesnakes are very social animals, and these periods of reasonable weather are when many of the activities that help define hierarchy will take place in a short period of time.

But an encounter with a rattlesnake takes two: the snake of course, and the person or pet who encounters it! These same mild conditions are when Arizona residents take to the trails by the thousands to look at flowers and take in all the Sonoran Desert has to offer before temperatures hit triple digits. This is also the time to get to those landscaping and gardening projects, clean out the garage, and all fun stuff that comes with t-shirt weather.

All of this adds up to this: both rattlesnakes and humans are suddenly at peak levels of outdoor activity at the same time. We will, of course, cross paths from time to time.

Learning about rattlesnakes can help fear go away and keep you safe.

If you fear rattlesnakes and dread this time of year, there is good news.

Fear of rattlesnakes is real. You feel it, and there’s not a single thing that someone can tell you that will make that go away.

But, if this fear is not something you want, and you’re sick of feeling like this every Spring, there are things you can do about it. This varies from person to person, of course, but consistently: learning more about the things you fear can help. For many, even looking at a photo of a rattlesnake can invoke panic, but it’s a safe place to start.

Here’s a guide to help the snake-phobic among us get on that path to feeling better about it. We have watched many people go from terrified to fascinated, and it’s possible for you to as well.

Scared of Rattlesnakes? Mental Preparation for Rattlesnake Season

Does rattlesnake season mean I should stop hiking?

Not at all. For as much as we worry about rattlesnakes, the fact is that the situation is nowhere near as dangerous as seems in our minds. Rattlesnakes want to avoid us every bit as much as we want to avoid them, and to that end, you are allies. Accidental bites, where the incident is not provoked intentionally by the victim, are quite rare even in Arizona. Typically, there are fewer than 300 in any given year, and ZERO deaths.

Follow basic rattlesnake awareness and avoidance guidelines and it is not at all hard to be safe during rattlesnake season. For full details, check out our Arizona Hikers’ Guide to Rattlesnake Safety

Remember:

  • Rattlesnakes are not aggressive; they will not chase, jump, or come after you to ‘get’ you. If one is rattling, it’s scared of you and wants you to go away. Do it!
  • Learning about the subject you fear will help make it more reasonable. Do what you can to educate yourself, as you are doing right now, about rattlesnakes and what they do and don’t do.
  • Keep your hands and feet where you can see them at all times. Your eyes are your best tool to avoid rattlesnakes.
  • Stay on trails and avoid bushwhacking whenever possible.
  • Keep dogs on leashes at all times in the outdoors.
  • Don’t wear headphones or listen to music while hiking. Rattlesnakes have a built-in warning system, but it doesn’t work if you can’t hear it!
  • Don’t touch, capture, or kill snakes that you see … and keep others from doing the same.
  • Have a plan. All you need in the event of a bite is to call 911. If that’s not possible, use your satellite messaging device.

What should homeowners know about rattlesnakes?

While hikers and campers might expect to see a rattlesnake out there, most homeowners do not plan on it. Especially for new residents of the state, how to handle the possibility of a rattlesnake showing up on the doorstep may seem daunting.

First, evaluate the actual chances of seeing a rattlesnake in your yard. It’s not just as simple as to assume that houses near the desert have more rattlesnake encounters. Where in the neighborhood a home is can have even more of an effect. For example: homes on the corners and ends of streets can see far more rattlesnakes than those on the interior.

To help describe that and show you where we tend to find more rattlesnakes, take a look at these articles:

House at the end of the street? You’ll see more snakes than your neighbors.
Which neighborhoods in Phoenix have the fewest rattlesnakes?

Homeowners might also want to take note of which snake species can show up at your place. We know not everyone is into nature and spending a lot of time learning all of the different types of snakes in Arizona is just … too much. So, keep this on your phone:

This is also a great time to think about prevention. If you live in an area where rattlesnakes can be, it is likely that at some point one will show up. Things like habitat reduction, rattlesnake fencing, and proper maintenance make a huge difference in the likelihood of rattlesnake encounters at a home.

When will snake activity decrease again?

Just as we might disappear when temperatures climb into the triple digits, snakes will as well. Or at least, they’ll start to become more nocturnal and less likely to be encountered by most people. This is nowhere near the low level of activity that we have in the Winter, but it’s certainly less than it will be in April.

That should happen around mid-May. Rattlesnakes will be moving to aestivation shelters to wait out the hot and dry, waiting for the monsoon rain. During that time, there are still encounters, but it’s quite different, and we’ll provide further updates when we get there.

In the meantime, keep hiking, enjoy the weather, and get outside! It’s great outside and you want to be in it; you and rattlesnakes have something in common.

When do rattlesnakes go away for the winter?

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

Temperatures are dropping, and so is snake activity. Every year, we are asked this question and field hundreds of comments wanting to know when the rattlesnake-phobic can once again breathe a little easier.

Even more common, starting in September, people are surprised that snakes are still active. We get comments like “this late?” and “I thought they were hibernating?!”. The answer is of course a little more complicated, but the answer is easy to find.

When do snakes go away in the winter?

According to hotline activity as an indicator of snake activity, snake activity drops dramatically around the second week of November. While snakes can still be found on the surface here and there, this is effectively the end of “snake season”.

This question can be best answered by looking at the average activity on our relocation hotline. Since this is driven purely by chance encounters by homeowners and businesses, it’s a good indicator of how many snakes the general population could expect to not see snakes out there.

But I heard that snakes are active all year?

Yes they are, but to a much lower extent. You may be told that there is no such thing as “snake season” because rattlesnakes can be found any time of year. While it is certainly true that in the right conditions a snake might make an appearance, it’s not necessarily useful for this discussion.

If a snake is found at your home in the winter, it has likely been there for awhile.

Here’s a better, more detailed article about When snakes “go to sleep” for the winter”:

When do snakes “go to sleep”?
When do snakes “go to sleep” for the winter?

And, similar information phrased differently:

Spring is Here … Bring on the Rattlesnakes

It’s Rattlesnake in the Garage Season – How you can prevent it now.

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

Now that evening temperatures are in the 50s for most of the major metro areas of Arizona, with cooler temperatures on the way, rattlesnake behavior shifts yet again. Throughout October into early November, rattlesnakes are on the move, eventually settling into their chosen winter den. For many homes, this den can be the garage.

In fact, during the cooler time of year, one of the only things that will make us put down our egg nogs and various pumpkin spice drinks to grab snake tongs and hit the road are rattlesnakes found in a garage. It’s nothing to be overly alarmed about, but any homeowner living in a neighborhood where rattlesnakes can be found should take note and be aware.

This is also when many of our seasonal residents (aka snowbirds) fly back to their winter Arizona homes to wait out the snow in our perfect weather. If this is you, you may want to pay special attention.

Why do rattlesnakes go into garages?

Rattlesnakes go into garages for a simple reason: to them, it’s just a cave. Not just any cave, but one that’s slightly warmer than the surrounding areas due to the proximity to a larger, heated cave (your home). This cave is also loaded with golf clubs, various boxes of holiday decorations, and dozens of boxes mentally labeled “stuff I’ll deal with later”. When there’s easy access, why wouldn’t a snake use it for a winter den?

How do I keep rattlesnakes out of my garage?

Fortunately, this is relatively easy – it just takes some attention at the right time. That time, as you might imagine, is right now.

The biggest single thing you can fix is won’t cost you a thing, because it’s a behavior change. That is: keep the garage closed as much as possible. Yes, the temperatures are perfect right now and it’s the ideal time to pull those Christmas decorations out even though it’s barely October and the HOA will throw a fit: keep it closed unless you are actively coming and going from the garage. During the early evening and just after dark, rattlesnakes are very actively moving, and if you accidentally leave the door open, even just a little, you’re all but inviting them in.

You can also check the seal on the garage door to see if it’s doing the job. What’s the easiest way to tell? Look at inside corners on either side of the garage door. If you see leaves and debris blown in from outside: congratulations, your door seal is bad. Or you can just look at it (this is the rubber bumper that comes in contact with the garage floor). If it’s frayed, rodent-chewed, or missing the edges so that it doesn’t come into perfect contact with the floor, your favorite garage door company should be called to be replace it. The best part? You’ll not only not see a rattlesnake in there this year, but fewer scorpions and other stuff, too.

Last of the big things to do: clean up the garage. I know, it’s been on the list for years, but if the possibility of a rattlesnake in the garage isn’t a motivator, what is? Rattlesnakes want to stay in a den where they can rest without disturbance, meaning that they need places to hide. A garage with no places to hide is not useable, so let’s do that. That doesn’t mean you need to clear it out, just arrange it differently. Replace old cardboard with plastic storage boxes (with lids), stored right on the ground, without space in between. Pull everything away from the wall a bit, and create space wherever possible.

Spaces along walls that are seldom visited are where rattlesnakes like to hide.

Things you can do to keep rattlesnakes out of the garage:

  1. Keep the garage door closed as much as possible, never leaving it open after dark.
  2. Check and replace, if needed, the rubber seal at the base of the garage door.
  3. Re-organize items stored in the garage to eliminate as many hiding places as possible and create space.
  4. Move stored items away from walls 10+ and avoid loosely-placed items, especially in corners.
  5. Reduce the overall usefulness of your property to rattlesnakes by following our end of season rattlesnake checklist
  6. Have your garage and property inspected by a professional to get insight on specific features that should be addressed, and look for signs of resident rattlesnakes.
  7. Avoid using products like poisons, glue traps, and snake-repellents (these don’t work and give false peace of mind – you want to remain aware)
Debris in the corners means your garage door isn’t sealed, and rattlesnakes (and other animals) have easy access.

How can I tell if a rattlesnake is already in the garage?

Here’s an easy trick we’ve learned over the years to tell if a rattlesnake is using the garage, even if it’s hidden somewhere in the back, with relative accuracy. Check the corners! Rattlesnakes don’t just crawl into the back of the garage and stay put – there is actually quite a bit of lateral movement. This staging behavior often puts rattlesnakes in the corners nearest to the garage door. Even if temporarily, this can leave distinctive tracks that can indicate whether or not a rattlesnake may be elsewhere in the garage.

In every garage, these corners have dust, leaves, and various stuff. This dust is very useful – a rattlesnake will leave a circular print in the corner, pushing larger debris to the edge. If you see this pattern, it could mean that a rattlesnake has either visited the garage recently or is still in there. If you see it between November and February, the odds of a rattlesnake visitor are higher.

Look for this circular pattern in dust and debris in garage corners to see if a rattlesnake may be using the area.
Any leaves, dust, or debris in the corners of the garage can reveal their presence, even long after they’ve gone.

How long are rattlesnakes in garages?

Though we can find rattlesnakes in garages all year, typically this period of cool weather that the rest of the world calls “winter” is when it happens. You can expect that rattlesnakes will be where they intend to spend the winter by about the second week of November. Rattlesnakes will start to explore and make small movements outside by late February, through early March. By April 1, it’s most likely that any rattlesnakes hiding in the garage over the winter have gone out to do all the stuff they do in the spring.

What about the rest of the yard? How do I keep rattlesnakes away?

That’s a larger topic, but fortunately, we’ve already written a long list of things you can do to keep rattlesnakes away in great detail. You can also take a few extra steps before family shows up for the holidays to make sure your property is as safe as possible.

How to Keep Snakes Away from Your Home – The Ultimate Guide

Avoid using zip ties or wire to attach snake fence

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

Avoid using wire ties or plastic zip ties wherever possible. Instead opt for a more permanent and removable solution, like self-tapping screws.

Why should you avoid using zip ties or wire on your iron fence? Simply: it’s less effective and can damage the fence. The reason we know the zip tie method has issues is why we’re there to begin with: more often than not, it’s because there was a rattlesnake in the yard. Obviously, something isn’t working as it should.

Some installers or DIY guides may suggest using zip ties or wire. They may say that these are cheaper options and easier to take on and off. But in reality, this isn’t the case. Plastic degrades quickly in the Arizona sun, and wire ties can rust through in a few years, leaving large gaps in fencing that can easily allow a rattlesnake entry into your yard.

When is it justifiable to use wire ties?

There are some circumstances where this is simply the only option. Fence that can’t take a screw, like chain link or rebar, need to be wire-tied or welded. Some HOAs also require wire ties – if this is a regulation in your community, send them the video below and see if you can get that one changed.

Here’s a short video showing some examples and further explanation.

It’s Almost Rattlesnake Time Maintenance Check

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

Starting in early March, rattlesnakes will again be a part of our lives in Arizona! While we’re excited, you may not be as much 🙂 Even when a rattlesnake fence is installed perfectly, things happen; rodents dig, branches fall, gates shift: we’ll make sure you’re good for Spring.

To make sure your yard is as good as it gets before things start getting all rattlesnakey out there, we’re offering a check-up and maintenance service to our Rattlesnake Fence customers through the end of February. 

  • Inspection of rattlesnake fence, and up to 1 hour of repair and maintenance (materials included!)*
  • Full property inspection, checking landscaping, snake-hiding spots, to look for possible snake dens and advise on potential trouble areas
  • Removal and relocation of any snakes found, both in and outside of the protected areas
  • Spot-check garage, storage shed, etc (checking corners and walls for snake tracks and signs of activity)

Booking through the end of February for $200. (You don’t need to be there, but you’ll get more out of it if you are). 

If you’re NOT a rattlesnake fence customer, we’ll add an 1-hour credit of labor and materials to an estimate for a new rattlesnake fence, good for anytime in 2021.

Email fence@rattlesnakesolutions.com or call us at 480-565-7824 to schedule.

* Repairs not related to workmanship or materials requiring more than 1 hour of labor/materials may be performed at additional cost, with your approval

Which neighborhoods in Phoenix have the fewest rattlesnakes?

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

If you’re looking to move to Arizona, this question may be on your mind. Rattlesnakes seem to be everywhere in the state, so where can you buy a home and know what to expect? Fortunately, rattlesnakes are creatures of habit and where they are found tends to be fairly predictable. This is our overview of what we know about rattlesnakes and where they can be in the city, and a new tool we’ll be using to help communicate this to new Arizona residents.

Check the rattlesnake removal records!

While we will never make any information about an address or community public, we do share information based on zip code. Our removal activity log is available to the public, and is now searchable by zip code. If you’re curious about an area, pop in the zip code and you can see what kind of snake activity has occurred there. Keep in mind that zip codes can be large, so what happens at one house could be literally impossible just a couple of miles away. However, we won’t get more specific than this only to protect the privacy of our customers.

Welcome to Arizona!

The further you are from native desert, the fewer rattlesnakes are found.

Rattlesnakes are specialized desert reptiles, which means that they aren’t great at new things. While a Sonoran Gophersnake or Kingsnake might be found deep into the valley, making use of well-watered lawns and a growing roof rat problem, rattlesnakes are different. Without the presence of native desert habitat, rattlesnakes will not be found.

If you select a home on the interior of the valley, more than a half-mile from the nearest native habitat, your chances of seeing a rattlesnake in your yard are exceedingly low. That doesn’t bar a freak happening, like a snake that hitches a ride in a truck or someone releasing one, but those aren’t meaningful considerations.

The 5-year “Snakey” scale

The easiest way to look at it would be to use this general formula. It’s based on an estimation from our experience and data collected from relocation calls over a 10 year period. It’s not exact, but can be used as a general guideline that is accurate enough to help make home-buying decisions. If you want to go deep on a lot of this, here’s peer-reviewed research using our relocation data to shows some of the reasons how and where contact zones occur.

The scale I will use here is how many rattlesnakes a homeowner may encounter per 5 year period of occupancy. For example: a score of 1.5 means that a homeowner can expect 1.5 rattlesnake encounters per 5 years of occupancy.

Score: 4 on the Snakey Scale. From the nearest native desert habitat, the first row of immediately adjacent homes has the highest chance of encounters, at greater than 100% chance if occupied per 5 years. This group includes, specifically, homes found at the corners or street-ends, where the highest rate of encounter occurs. Homeowners in this situation should to see a rattlesnake about every year or every other year.

Homes on the corner or end of the street, closest to direct access to native desert habitat, have the highest rate of encounter. Generally, each home or street from there decreases the rate of encounter.

Score: 3 on the Snakey Scale. From there, the second home or row (across the street) has a pretty high rate of encounter, but not nearly. Rattlesnakes tend to stick closer to access points. While they may be more inclined to just pop around the corner and stick to the wall, we nearly as often see them use the entire side of the first house into the second yard, and across the street as well. Homes in this situation will likely see a few rattlesnakes in a 5 year period of occupancy.

Score: 2.5 on the Snakey Scale. Any home in the first street row backing up to the desert. The likelihood in these instances is that the snake could come from both sides, regardless of the placement of the wall. Fortunately this can be easliy fixed, which may dramatically reduce that figure.

Score: 1.5 on the Snakey Scale. Homes across the street from the row immediately next to the edge of the desert may expect to see 1 or 2 rattlesnakes in the yard during a 5 year time period.

As you go further from access to native desert, the likelihood of seeing a snake changes quickly. However, it’s seldom this simple.

Score: 0.7 on the Snakey Scale. Homes on the first 2 (or so) interior streets could encounter a rattlesnake at some point, but it’s also possible to not see one at all during a 5 year occupancy.

Something as simple as an opening, or a drainage “park” as we commonly see them in Arizona, can dramatically change things for the neighborhood.

Score: 0.3 on the Snakey Scale. Homes greater than 2 streets in from native desert habitat, but closer than 5 streets may see a rattlesnake in their yard at some point, but a slim majority will not.

Score: 0.1 on the Snakey Scale. Homes more than 5 streets in, but less than 10, from the nearest native desert habitat could see a rattlesnake, but it’s not entirely likely. If it is one, it would more likely be due to construction, displacement, or a wandering baby rattlesnake. Around 1 in 5 homes will experience a rattlesnake in the yard in a 5-year stay.

Score: 0.05 on the Snakey Scale. Homes that are more than 10 streets in from the nearest desert habitat will most likely never encounter a rattlesnake in their yard. However, it’s still a possibility, and homeowners should continue to be on guard and follow all of the available safety precautions.

Score: 0 on the Snakey Scale. Homes on the interior of the city, more than a mile from the nearest native desert habitat, have almost no chance of seeing a rattlesnake in the yard. Having to cross numerous roadways, a maze of walls and fences, and limited access would make it incredibly hard for a rattlesnake to find its way there. In addition, there’s probably just nothing there that the snake would want, so it wouldn’t be all that motivated to make the journey.

But of course, it’s not that simple. Rattlesnakes are part of a dynamic system.

It should be stated about using this method, too, that there are many variables at play that have nothing to do with location. This is just a general guideline that we use ourselves when evaluating a property for likelihood of rattlesnake encounters. They can usually be mitigated by preparation and snake fencing, and ongoing education. This is also not an indication of how many rattlesnakes actually visit the property, but of how many may be encountered. If you’re a gardener, have a dog, or spend a lot of time in your backyard, you can expect a greater rate of encounter than someone who seldom goes back there.

This is also specific to rattlesnakes. Each group of snakes will have its own scale, based on what it needs and prefers. However, since they’re not harmful, we’re just talking about rattlesnakes here. However, you can use the same guide to loosely estimate similar results for other species, with the knowledge that it’s an entirely different ballgame for more adaptable species.

Additionally, this is based on natural rattlesnake behavior and excludes factors like construction or artificial placement, botched relocation jobs from the fire department, and other activity that more or less isn’t what a rattlesnake would choose to do. This list should not in any way be taken as a guarantee that you’ll never see a snake if you follow these general guidelines.

Most of the time, snakes like this Western Diamondback Rattlesnake use places like this because of easy access and provision of resources. But, as with most things, there are always exceptions to the rules.

How do I know if it’s native desert, or where this scale should start from?

That can be tricky, since neighborhoods are not so black and white as described here. For instance, a 2-acre patch of desertscrub a couple miles into the city just doesn’t have the same quality or snake-carrying capacity as untouched saguaro and Sonoran desert at the edge of the valley … so be subjective.

A good rule of thumb: if you see cactus that wasn’t planted there by someone, you can count on that as being native habitat, and rattlesnakes probably live there. Especially with the presence of rodent holes, you can count on there at least being a strong likelihood of rattlesnake presence.

Watch the washes!

One particular feature to watch for are washes. To our friends moving here from outside the desert southwest: a wash is our word for “stream” or “creek”, or basically a drainage without water in it for most of the year. These areas are one of the most important features for rattlesnakes of most species, and much of their activity is centered around them. Think of washes like desert highways, where animals can travel, find food, and generally find quite useful.

In most of the neighborhoods at the edge of the desert, there are washes that snake deep into the interior of the community. This can’t be avoided – these washes are natural waterways and necessary to prevent flooding and other issues. However that does mean that these homes have a higher saturation level of contact with natural desert habitat than other neighborhoods might. In some areas, washes are common enough that there really aren’t any homes found that don’t score relatively high on our Snakey Scale. If you’re overly concerned with rattlesnakes (or snakes in general, really) the further your new home is from a wash, the better.

But, should you avoid your dream house if snakes are present? No!

Just like moving to the northeast might mean that ticks are on your list of concerns, or moving to Alaska might put bears on your radar, Arizona has snakes. For the most part, you made a pact with Arizona the moment you decided you’re moving here: snakes are here, but they might be part of your life.

Proactive solutions, like having snake fencing installed, can still make it possible to live safely in any area of the state.

However, that isn’t nearly as bad as most people feel it is, and it’s generally easy enough to work with and be totally safe. You can have your dog trained, for instance, to avoid rattlesnakes, and you can make landscaping decisions that make the yard either inaccessible or unuseful for rattlesnakes. Additionally, you can help yourself feel much more comfortable around snakes simply by taking the time to learn about them. In fact, if you’ve read this far into this article, you’re probably the exact type of person who would continue that education and dissolve the fear of snakes.

If you find the perfect home, be careful not to rule it out because of snakes. For the most part, it’s just not the threat most people believe it to be. Even though the fear of them is certainly real, even that can be challenged and defeated in most cases. To either end, if you need any help to sort through it all, feel free to contact us about any area and we’ll tell you what we can. While we obviously can’t divulge any activity that’s actually happened at a house, we can advise on the general area and work with you to be comfortable … or to high-tail it to the center of the city!

Winter is the best time to take care of rattlesnake prevention.

Posted on by Bryan Hughes
Why winter is the best time to have rattlesnake fencing installed.

Getting rattlesnake prevention done in the winter means it will be cheaper, better, completed faster and more smoothly, with the best customer service possible.

Cooler temperatures are here and rattlesnake activity is slow. Plans for your backyard that may have included preventative actions to keep rattlesnakes out of your yard are giving way for other stuff – holiday decorations or new patio furniture to enjoy Arizona’s perfect cooler season.

But don’t get too distracted – there are several reasons why the cooler months are actually the best time to take care of rattlesnake prevention. If keeping rattlesnakes out of your life is on your long term to-do list, you’ll want to read this to the end.

1. Pricing is as good as it gets – take advantage of winter discounts!

Like any business working with seasonal demand, the need for snake fence installation ebbs and flows alongside rattlesnake activity. If you know right now that keeping rattlesnakes away from your back patio is something you want to do, take advantage of this fact.

Snake fence installation companies almost always offer off-season discounts to help keep the schedule filled, and employees happy. If you wait, as most people do, until rattlesnake activity is at its peak in April – you can expect to pay full price and have less haggle room on the details. It’s classic supply and demand, and when you come in hot looking for snake fencing in December, it’s a buyer’s market.

Winter is a buyer’s market for snake fencing. Take advantage of it!

2. Almost no waiting – Winter has the shortest wait times to have snake fencing installed, and faster completion.

Just like pricing, the winter buyer’s market means that you’ll almost certainly be waiting a lot less time to have your snake fence installed. During peak season (April or so), snake fence providers are absolutely flooded with calls. That means that they’re usually booked out to capacity, sometimes weeks in advance.

Odds are that you’re like most people, and are looking for snake prevention services because of something that happened – a scare with a rattlesnake in the yard, or an incident with a pet – and you need it done right now just to feel at ease in your own yard.

Unfortunately, if you’re waiting for such an event before taking action, you’re in the same boat with everyone else, and may have to wait in line. You can beat the rush by taking advantage of the natural winter slowdown. In most cases, if you shop for snake fence installation in the dead of winter, you can have it installed as early as the next day.

Even better – without the brutal conditions of an Arizona summer, the installers can work longer hours. That means your snake fence will not only be completed sooner during the winter months, but the actual installation time itself will be shorter.

In the winter, you have the time to be proactive. Don’t get caught panic-shopping after an encounter like this one.

3. Being proactive about something as important as rattlesnake prevention can make a huge difference for the safety of your family and pets

Most people tend to wait until there’s an incident before finally biting the bullet and taking action. That incident is often just seeing a rattlesnake, but more unfortunate situations are also common.

As rattlesnake fence installers ourselves, we have a front-row seat to some very scary and sad encounters that have prompted action. Too often, we are called because a dog has been bitten by a rattlesnake, or in some cases, a family member.

Just like any other type of preventative action, rattlesnake fencing installed proactively can prevent the incident that would otherwise invoke action. If snake fencing is something you know you want to do at some point, don’t wait until an accident happens to get it done.

If you live where rattlesnakes do, proper and professionally installed snake fencing is your best insurance policy, and you can save yourself a lot of stress by getting it done early. While everyone else is panicking on Facebook over a snake seen in the neighborhood, you’ll rest easy knowing you’ve already taken care of it.

If you saw a rattlesnake at your place this year, you have the best opportunity to stop a repeat of that encounter right now.

Why wait for a second encounter before taking action?

4. There is a much lower chance of a snake being trapped in the yard

Rattlesnake fencing works both ways – when rattlesnake fencing is installed initially, there’s always some chance that you already have a rattlesnake in your yard, which would now become trapped. Obviously, you’d want to avoid this.

During the cooler months, from late October through late March, rattlesnake activity away from the den is at its lowest levels. More or less, rattlesnakes aren’t traveling very much.

Even then, the occasional rattlesnake den does happen! With milder temperatures and, frankly, more time on our hands, the installers should be able to do a much more thorough search of the property than they may otherwise be able to. Since you’ll want to work with a company that cross-trains snake fence installers in advanced snake detection and removal methods, they’ll be able to make sure your yard is truly snake-free.

During prime rattlesnake season, there’s a higher likelihood of already having a snake in your yard. In either case, you’ll want to make sure the installers are professionally trained to find and capture them.

5. The best customer service of the year is in the cooler months

This one is just about time! You should see our rattlesnake prevention team in April – driving from house to house as fast as they safely can and making phone calls in between, trying to keep up with the flood. It’s an exciting time and we all love it, but sometimes we just don’t get to spend as much time as we’d really want to with each property.

During the slower winter months, a rattlesnake prevention specialist simply has more time to be available. As a result, you may have a more relaxed and attentive experience. It’s certainly not that someone who calls in April is any less important, but the odds greatly increase that it could go to voicemail than be answered on the first ring.

By having your rattlesnake prevention done during the winter, you’ll be one of a handful of clients at the time and will likely get even more attention from the staff. Not only that, but you’ll probably have more time to ask a lot of questions that have less to do with snake fencing and prevention, and more to do with increasing your general knowledge on the subject. As with most things, the more you know about how rattlesnakes may be interacting with your property, the better prepared you’ll be and the better you’ll feel about living in your home.

6. Rattlesnakes are never truly “gone” in Arizona.

As I mentioned earlier, when it cools down, rattlesnake activity is at its lowest point. For the most part, they are settled into cover in small groups, and sometimes alone. However, this does not mean that you can’t still get a rattlesnake in the yard. Especially if you live at the edge of the desert, it’s possible to have an encounter any day of the year.

In areas of urban conflict, we’re unfortunately not exactly on nature’s schedule for activity. Every time ground is broken on a new development, rattlesnakes there are displaced – sometimes into adjacent neighborhoods. Despite being slower, our rattlesnake relocation hotline is active and receives calls for service throughout the winter.

Most of these winter rattlesnakes are due to construction, but even smaller projects can do the same. If the neighbor a few houses down tears down the old shed, any rattlesnakes using it need to find new cover in a hurry. If the HOA decides to clear brush along the shared viewfence wall, you can expect the same. Regardless of the natural behavior of rattlesnakes, human-caused variables keep our rattlesnake relocation team active all year. There is truly no time where getting a snake fence is a frivolous effort.

Even on cold days, rattlesnakes may be active and encounters do happen.

The most important reason – the people you care about.

This article has some no-brainer reasons why it’s better to take care of rattlesnake prevention during the slow months. However, the biggest factor has nothing to do with cost or convenience.

The holidays and early new-year are when we most often host visitors. This is when we all get together (in a normal year, that is) to celebrate whatever needs to be celebrated, and guilt one another into eating way too much pie. It’s when we have our first backyard grill party, and invite co-workers over to watch the superbowl.

In Arizona, the cool months are the time when you’re most likely to have the people you care about in your backyard, and you will want to know they are safe. Above all else, thinking ahead and getting out in front of prime rattlesnake season will be the best thing you can do to keep yourself, your family, and your pets safe.

When your relatives from the midwest come to visit and get out of the cold, you’ll want to make sure they’re safe, and feel that way too.

End of Rattlesnake Season Checklist – 8 Steps to Make Your Yard Rattlesnake Free this Winter

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

Summer has left us, and cooler temperatures are on the horizon. Yet, rattlesnakes are still incredibly active. In fact, the pre-hibernation flurry of activity means that encounters will be on the rise for a short amount of time.

In just a few short weeks, rattlesnakes need to eat and drink as much as they can, find mates, and travel long distances to their selected winter refuges. That can put them in conflict with people and pets, both on the trail and at home.

Here are some easy things you can do right now to get your property in shape so that any rattlesnakes that might be eyeballing your place as a winter den will keep on crawling.

1. Take care of that long-neglected landscaping project.

We all have one … that overgrown bush along the back wall that just never gets priority treatment, or that messy stack of agave that’s firmly on the “take care of that someday list”. Well, now’s the time! These may be opportunities for rattlesnakes to find the thermal protection they need to den for the winter.

Lantana is a rattlesnake’s best friend.

Over the years, we have removed hundreds of rattlesnakes from overgrown lantana, rosemary, and others. Any plants that tend to drop a lot of leaf-litter are suspect. That deep layer of organic material retains moisture and provides thermal protection.

Time for a yearly deep-maintenance landscaping check in. The rule of thumb: if you can see the ground under a ground-laying bush from above, it’s properly maintained.

2. Make any repairs to, and clean up, the pool equipment areas.

As we’ve mentioned many times, pool equipment is a favorite rattlesnake den for the winter. Concrete pads with rodents, combined with relatively high ambient moisture and a little vibration every time they turn on and off, means the formation of caves. These caves, even though they don’t look like much, can go deep, and be the perfect home for rattlesnakes and other animals.

This situation is what we encounter all winter – these often-neglected spots are perfect for rattlesnakes to camp out over winter.

The back corner of the property, complete with the little wall that usually hides it, is made to forget. For that reason, it often doubles as a graveyard for deflated pool toys, pavers, and old buckets.

Spend a little time this Saturday filling in any holes you find with gravel, repairing any concrete you need to, and cleaning it out. If there are no tunnels, the area is useless for rattlesnakes.

3. Bulk pickup day!

If you’re like most of us, you have a stack of roofing tiles or pavers someone on the property. We stack them there to deal with later, maybe have them around just in case a tile breaks or … whatever. But let’s be honest with ourselves; it’s been years and we haven’t touched them.

Time to go! Especially if stored near a wall or against the foundation of the home, as they tend to be, rodents will use them. These situations where rodents create tunnels under a stack of bricks are absolutely perfect for rattlesnakes to use during the winter. Fortunately, it’s as easy to take care of as posting “free pavers! come and get em” on Facebook Marketplace.

Free rattlesnake house!

Any other debris, too, has to go. You’d be surprised to learn how many winter rattlesnakes we pull out of situations like debris from the previous-summers kitchen remodel, old pool toys and unused stuff of all kinds. If you need a little motivation to finally kick this stuff to the curb, here it is: RATTLESNAKES WILL LIVE IN YOUR YARD IF IT’S THERE. Feel free to use that with your spouse this Saturday. You’re welcome.

4. Get snake fencing installed already.

If you live in Arizona, snake fence installations are probably something you’re familiar with. It’s a physical barrier that is designed and installed in such a way that it keeps them out of an area. If done properly by a reputable company *cough cough*, you could make rattlesnake heaven in the backyard and they’d not be able to come in.

Unlike the other items on this list, this one isn’t free. However, it is the most effective way to go, and removes the subjectivity. While everything else will have a high likelihood to decrease the chances of seeing a rattlesnake, snake fencing all-out prevents it.

If getting a snake fence installed has been on your list for awhile, right now is the best time to do it. It’s also near the end of the season, so discounts may be available. Here’s a massive and detailed guide of what to look for in a snake fence provider to help you in your snake-free journey.

You can barely see it, but this viewfence has snake fencing installed.

5. Seal up and clean out the garage.

If someone told you about a spacious, comfortable house … kept nice and warm (or cool), secure and safe, with free food … oh, and free … would you move in? Rattlesnakes say “YES”! The house we’re talking about is your garage. Every winter and early Spring, we get many calls for rattlesnakes who’ve found a comfy garage to spend the cool months.

That stack of boxes along the back wall? That’s cover. To you the garage may be highschool yearbook and christmas tree storage, to snakes it’s a furnished condo. If possible, find another spot for storage. Especially along the walls, rattlesnakes will take advantage of easy hiding spots.

If you are storing in your garage, use plastic boxes with lids so that rodents and snakes can’t use them, too. You can also get storage shelves (easy to buy and install from Amazon and other places) so that they’re up off the ground at least 5 or 6 inches. These actions help reduce the thermal protection that is attractive to snakes.

This Western Diamondback Rattlesnake found a nice place to hide in the corner of this garage. The leaf litter in the corner is an indication that the seal should be replaced.

You should also seal it up! It doesn’t take long for hot weather and rodents to make short work of the rubber seal on the garage door. If your garage door doesn’t close to allow no greater than 1/4″ at any point, you should consider calling a garage door company out to get it replaced. They may have a seal option that is made to keep bugs out, which would work just fine for rattlesnakes as well.

6. Fix any cracks or openings in the foundation

Not only for homes, but external garages and sheds, too. If there’s access under the home, animals will find it and use it. Rattlesnakes certainly do, too. If you notice that there’s a way in or under the foundation of your home, don’t wait to get it fixed.

Walk the property perimeter (this only takes a few minutes) and identify any potential issues. If you want to fix them quickly, you can get something from Home Depot to quickly seal it up. Or, have a concrete repair company make the repairs … you’ll want to get on that quickly, though.

Any opening into the wall or foundation may be used by a rattlesnake. Fortunately, it’s often an easy fix.

7. Attend to the wood pile!

It’s almost firewood season! Unfortunately, rattlesnakes are excited, too. The pile of debris at the side of your house that you haven’t touched since last year is a dream scenario for rodents and snakes alike. It’s basically a free log cabin.

Firewood maintenance can help avoid this sitation.

Fortunately, there are a couple of easy fixes here:

  1. Use a stand or lift to keep the firewood up off the ground at least 6 inches. This will eliminate much of the thermal protection and make it useless to snakes.
  2. Move the location of the woodpile each year. Even if it’s to the spot immediately next to it, it will help. When a woodpile has been in the same location for years, it invites rodents, often has tunnels under it, rotting material, and all the good stuff that they like.

8. Go deep! Go through the full checklist

The steps you take to keep rattlesnakes away from the yard are really not different than you’d do in other times of year, though the priority may shift to those potential den situations. If you want to do more, that’s always better. Review the Ultimate Guide to Keep Rattlesnakes Away and follow all instructions that apply.

What to expect.

If you take care of these items, and have an overall perspective of keeping habitat opportunities to a minimum, you will likely never see a rattlesnake in the winter. The spots that they choose are very specific, allowing them to survive and wait for Spring. If none of these spots are offered, your yard is simply not useful.

Usually, based on call volume to our snake relocation hotline and surveys, rattlesnakes are more or less where they intend to be for the Winter by the second week of November. That means that October will be busy. You can expect the most activity to occur in the late afternoon until about 1 hour after sunset. It’s important to keep your garage doors closed during this time, even as weather finally becomes more reasonable.

If you’re a seasonal resident, be sure to check out our Snowbird’s Guide to Rattlesnakes.