Gila Monsters Are Not A Danger Unless You Make It Dangerous

Many of you may have seen the recent story of a rare fatal bite from a Gila Monster. Here’s what you should know about that as an Arizona residents who live and recreate where these animals live.

You do not need to worry about Gila Monsters beyond the typical warnings to not pick them up, attack them, or other needless behavior. The individual who was bitten had the animals in illegal captivity, which is a very different situation from seeing one on a trail or walking across your driveway. One of the animals in question was illegally exported from Arizona.

There is no danger if you see a Gila Monster in the wild and do not intentionally choose to interact with it. If you hike with your dog on-leash, there is no danger. Just keep doing the obvious: don’t interact with animals that can deliver venomous defensive bites.

If you see anyone making remarks that Gila Monsters need to be killed or otherwise mistreated due to sensationalism around this incident, please consider providing a reasonable response. It may seem crazy these days, but it was not uncommon, even relatively recently, for people to kill these animals when seen due to fear and misinformation. 

There are a lot of rumors and speculative comments out there as well; everything from assuming an allergic reaction to drugs, poor health, and more. Currently, there is no official word on the cause of death or toxicology, and speculation is neither helpful nor necessary.

Some relevant facts about Gila Monsters:

  • Gila Monsters are venomous, rather than the false rumors about bacteria-loaded saliva and other nonsense. They are the only venomous lizard in the United States.
  • Gila Monsters do not need to “chew” venom in order to evenomate. Even a quick nip can result in an envenomation.
  • Beaded Lizards, though in the same genus as Gila Monsters, are not found within the U.S., despite rumors and colloquial misunderstanding.
  • Gila Monsters, while they do have a venomous bite, do not “spit poison”, have “poison breath”, “sting” or other variations of old cowboy stories that still infect common discussion.
A Gila Monster as they are typically seen, just cruising around doing its own thing without harming anyone. If a person chose to do something stupid here and are bitten, that is a decision and should not be confused with the intent of the animal.

Gila Monsters in the reptile hobby pet trade

Captive Gila Monsters are very often handled inappropriately by those who keep them in captivity. This often means unrestrained handling, as if they are a bearded dragon or similar non-venomous pet, involving a word that has no place in any reasonable venomous protocol: trust. This deliberate activity makes up a significant portion of bites from these animals, and these decisions should not be confused with an accident. While it’s not possible to know if this was the case in this instance, improper handling is the unfortunate standard in the hobby pet trade of Gila Monsters.

Despite the abundance of captive-born individuals out there for the pet trade, Gila Monsters are still unfortunately often poached from Arizona.

No, Rattlesnakes Are Not Coming Out Early

As rattlesnakes start to show up on the surface again this year, a few things are predictable. Some hikers and homeowners will report rattlesnake sightings, complete with photos of usually-sleeping snakes, with various warnings and declarations about warm winters and misreads on words like ‘brumation’.

So we’ll state plainly and to the point: rattlesnakes are not coming out early; it is typical every year for rattlesnakes to begin the early staging portion of den egress in mid-February.

This is based on our relocation data from more than 14 years of operation, as well as field observations from our team over the past 20 years. It’s also just keeping track of when these sightings tend to start each year, which is easier than ever thanks to social media. We can state with complete accuracy that the rattlesnake emergence activity right now (February 2024) is typical and going as planned.

In the next two weeks, sightings will increase, but rattlesnakes will not be out and about just yet. This “staging” part involves a lot of laying around in the sun near the entrance to their den. That might be sleeping in the grass right next to it, lounging under a nearby bush, or coiled on top of a packrat nest. They may make short movements, but are still tethered to the den until springtime conditions stabilize in March.

A Western Diamondback Rattlesnake doing its thing, as they do every February. This snake will hang out, along with a few others, right around the entrance to its winter den for a few weeks before leaving for the Spring. Most people would never see this without intentionally seeking it, so don’t worry.

How to avoid rattlesnakes in the staging period of den egress

Hikers can avoid rattlesnakes right now by simply staying on the trails. If you notice, most of the posts from hikers on social media where a rattlesnake is spotted are off-trail, climbing boulder piles or other situations where seeing a rattlesnake might even be expected. In comparison, a trail with people coming and going is not a place that most rattlesnakes will want to deal with for these sensitive situations, and will avoid them. Put your dog on a leash if it isn’t already, and it’s time to put the headphones away for the year.

Homeowners who see rattlesnakes in February should know that they’ve likely been there for months at this point, and it’s possible there are others on the property. If you’re doing any work like a garage cleanout, using a grill island, anything involving the pool equipment area, or general yard cleanup, be aware that this is when rattlesnakes might show themselves. And if you do see one, AVOID the fire department’s version of “rattlesnake relocation”, which is to dump it on the other side of the fence … which this time of year would guarantee an immediate return to the place of capture or a neighbor’s property.

Rattlesnakes may be visible, but prime rattlesnake encounter time is still a month or more away

Think of what they’re doing right now like this. It’s that part of the morning where you’re getting up and pouring some coffee. Maybe you’re checking some email or texts from overnight, but you’re not getting into all that right now. You’ve got that 45 minutes or so to let your brain adjust to daytime, and those sweat pants aren’t going anywhere for now. Think of rattlesnake activity in February like this, and for many of us, it will make perfect sense.

You can keep an eye on how the overall rattlesnake season is progressing by looking at our Rattlesnake Activity Forecast: based on real-time snake relocation information coming into our hotline. As you can see for today, it’s not something to really concern yourself with.

Some easy responses to common comments about rattlesnakes in February:

“OMG they’re out early!”

No, this is very normal. Every year, rattlesnakes start the den egress process in favorable conditions starting as early as January.

“I’m done hiking for the year!”

That’s unfortunate! While the fear of rattlesnakes may be real, the danger is relatively easy to mitigate. If hiking is something you enjoy, working on learning to feel ok out there to keep hiking the other 9 months of the year may be worthwhile.

“They never go away for the winter”

Sure they do. Being on the surface at the den is part of the larger, complex behavior of hibernation. While it’s true that in some conditions rattlesnakes can be seen in specific locations at any time of year, this behavior is largely predictable and to compare behavior over the winter months to, say, April, is simply inaccurate.

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

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.

Arizona Rattlesnake Season 2023 Has Begun – What You Should Know

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.

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:

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.

Rattlesnake spring emergence – ultimate guide for homeowners

In the past few days, I’ve been to a multiple homes to catch rattlesnakes in garages. That’s normal and right on time. Which brings up the topic: when do rattlesnakes start moving again, and what should homeowners expect?

When will rattlesnakes come back? Our predictions, based on 11 years of relocation hotline activity:

Early February (you are here): Rattlesnakes will start to “stage”, or move closer to the entrance of, their winter dens. We will start to receive calls to remove small groups of rattlesnakes from garages, storage closets, sheds, and other out-of-the-way structures. Rattlesnake removal calls will frequently be multiple animals.

Late February: Rattlesnakes will start to appear out in the open near their selected dens. Garage removals will be more common. However, there will be an increase of calls to pool pumps, courtyards, and homes with rip rap and rock pile erosion control.

Early March: Snakes will start to make short movements from dens to hunt, drink, and engage in social behavior. They will be highly visible on the surface with peak activity occurring mid-morning before returning to the den or other nearby staging area. Mating activity is high, and multiple snake removal calls will be common.

Late March: Rattlesnake sightings will become common as they leave dens entirely. Peak activity will be between 3pm and 5pm.

April: Very high rattlesnake activity and sightings will be common. At this point they have entirely left the dens and sightings are more likely to be random encounters.

New! Rattlesnake Activity Forecast

We have a brand new Rattlesnake Activity Forecast tool! It’s based on real-time snake removal hotline activity. You can also check your zip code to see what kind of activity has happened in your area in the past.


Other good rattlesnake safety stuff to keep in mind:

  1. Don’t worry. This is totally normal, even February sightings (don’t listen to the local news about “coming out early” stories).
     
  2. If you’re a hiker or outdoorsy type, you’re still not likely to see a rattlesnake in February. Be more watchful and aware in March, however. 
     
  3. Now is the best time to get to any maintenance or prevention activities you have on your to-do list. Landscaping, debris removal, fixing the snake fence, having the dog trained … get it done before the snakes show up.
     
  4. Rattlesnakes often den in the garage. If you are using these last mild-weather days to get to “that” side of the garage, use extra caution.

Educating yourself is the best way to stay safe and feel better about the whole situation

As with most things, fear of rattlesnakes is mostly in our heads. Not the fear itself of course, that’s a real thing, but most of what we believe about rattlesnakes as a culture is simply false. Down to the idea that they are aggressive, or territorial (in the way that people use the word) and more, most of us just haven’t had an opportunity to learn factual information.

If you fear rattlesnakes, spend an afternoon going through these resources and watch what happens 🙂

Videos of early-spring rattlesnake captures and info:

The spring emergence of rattlesnakes is a big topic with homeowners and hikers – obviously we’ve discussed this in the past quite a lot! Here are some of those articles that can help make sense of it all.

When do rattlesnakes go away for the winter?

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” for the winter?

And, similar information phrased differently:

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

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 get a snake out of a glue trap

In Arizona we have scorpions, and lots of other little things that we don’t want inside our homes. A common way to deal with that is to lay down sticky glue traps in the garage and wherever they seem to be getting in. It works great for their intended target, but there are often some unintended victims.

Every year we are called to examine remains of snakes and lizards that crawled into the glue and died. While most wouldn’t care about this kind of thing, plenty of others (most likely like you, since you’re reading this) would rather the sticky stuff stick to scorpions and the leave the other critters free to go.

If it’s a venomous snake or you aren’t sure, don’t do anything yourself.

If a snake is venomous, it’s not worth the risk. Call a professional to assist. If you’re not sure if it’s venomous or not, take a photograph to send them.

Getting rattlesnakes out of a glue trap is not for the inexperienced.

How to get the snake free (no, you don’t have to touch it)

There’s a very simple answer that any house will have on-hand – non-stick cooking spray! The oil neutralizes the glue of the trap, allowing animals caught in the glue to work themselves free. Here’s how you do it:

  1. Move the spray trap to a place where the animal can get away when it gets off the glue. If it’s a rattlesnake, don’t use your hands. Make sure it’s not moved into the sun or to a hot surface.
  2. Lightly spray non-stick spray onto exposed glue in places where the snake hasn’t touched. This prevents it from getting re-stuck when it escapes.
  3. Very carefully spray all around the animal, covering it in oil. Be extra careful around the head to not spray too much right onto the face of the snake if at all possible. If it is a rattlesnake or you’re not sure what it is, keep as much distance as you can. It may take a few minutes for the snake to work itself free, but there is no need to take any chances.
  4. The snake will wriggle free and crawl off, smelling like popcorn.

Most of the time the snake will survive. Don’t worry about the snake being covered with oil. Dirt and dust will stick to the snake and it will be clean in a few days with no lasting damage.

These baby Groundsnakes were unfortunately caught in a glue trap. We were able to save all but one using the method described here.

Do glue traps even do the job?

Aside from the obvious issues of unintended victims, there’s the question of whether or not glue traps even help your situation at all. It needs more investigation, but it very well be the case that removing predators like geckos and whiptail lizards from the environment may leave you with even more scorpions and spiders than you could possibly catch in a trap.

Be mindful of rattlesnakes hiding in Christmas decorations

Each year, we receive several calls during the weekend after Thanksgiving to capture and relocate rattlesnakes found in the garage or shed. The reason they are discovered? It’s that time of year to pull out the old Christmas decorations and shake out the spiders to once again staple a frayed fire hazard to the roof for a few weeks. As mentioned in another article, rattlesnakes love to use garages as winter dens. They’re warm (relatively), quiet, and free of predators. Even better, they’re often full of stuff that only gets touched once a year. Perfect!

What can you do?

Just keep the usual safety precautions in mind while digging into the holiday stuff:

  1. Never reach into spaces that you can’t see. You may have to move boxes out to create a clear, visible space before reaching for them.
  2. Never bring boxes with broken sides openings in them into the home, and be extra careful sorting through them initially.
  3. If you do see a snake, leave it alone and call a professinal *ahem* to remove it safely and humanely.
  4. Proceed with assaulting the neighborhood and local powergrid on that ladder that you really should have thrown out after last year’s incident.

Remember that rattlesnakes are just trying to stay out of the cold and are not actively trying to invade your space. If a door is left open, your shed or garage becomes just a cave to the local wildlife, so if you know you had the door open for a few days during September and October, be extra cautious.

If you do see a rattlesnake, call us at 480-237-9975 and we will be there before you can say “raisins in stuffing is an abomination”. Really though, we’re open for the holiday and can help if needed.

Out of town visiting guests may need a quick refresher

If you have family or friends visiting from cooler places where a rattlesnake showing up for Thanksgiving dinner isn’t really something that happens, it may be good to quickly let the kids (and uncle Steve) know to keep an eye out and leave any snake they see alone, no matter how many tv shows they’ve watched. It’s not common to see rattlesnakes in the open during this season outside the garage or shed situations described earlier, but as our call log proves, it does happen each year. If necessary, use the threat of a very distant possibility of rattlesnakes showing up to discourage certain family members from showing up.

This is one of the most seen rattlesnake videos on YouTube at the time (2010), with the snakes found in a garage as mentioned here. I get asked about it a lot, so here’s the story. Warning: it’s not as exciting as it may seem.

First, the video. It’s best viewed with the sound way up and watching very closely.

The story

I got a call from a realtor who was trying to get this house rented out. It was in a desert neighborhood in North Scottsdale, Arizona, where rattlesnakes are quite common. I was told there were two rattlesnakes in the garage. I got my gear and headed out. When I arrived, I searched the entire structure outside, then inside, before going into the garage. I searched the entire 4 car garage, cabinets and all, before finally going back to the entryway to check one last closet. I took a peek inside, and there were 5 sleeping diamondbacks. I closed the door and did a second sweep of the garage just to make sure the capture would go smoothly. The rest, is as you have seen.

Of course this looks pretty scary, and I admit that I did jump back (you can hear me gasp), but I was not in danger.

First, most of the time that I spend working with rattlesnakes is in the dark. The top comment is always, why didn’t you just turn on the lights? To be simple, there was no power in the house and the door opener wasn’t going to work. Yes, I could have disengaged the chain and opened it manually, but really, I did not feel there was a need. There’s a whole part before I started the video recording where I did a systematic check of the entire area to make sure I knew where everybody was before actually moving in. There were 5 sleeping rattlesnakes in that very cold garage, and they weren’t going anywhere. Rattlesnakes strike at me all the time. No, it is not a safe situation, but I have enough experience to handle the situation.

Second, the phone adds some distance. The strike didn’t come nearly as close to me as it looks. I had a good 2 feet between the danger zone and myself at that time. The snakes, while not predictable, are not capable of some of the amazing feats they are often attributed. Mainly, once awake, they moved into defensive patterns, leaving me free to work with the bucket and capture them one at a time.

I regret having not handled them more gently. My concern was, only having one bucket, was to capture them as quickly as possible. While I am happy with the result, I should have put the phone down and concentrated more on the moment.

That night, after the video hit 150,000 views and hit the front page of Reddit.com, the news called me and wanted to come out and hear about what happened.

What happened to the snakes?

They were kept in similar conditions in my garage (in secure, buckets), and released to suitable habitat as soon as temperatures were such that they would be able to survive. They were all in just as good a mood as they crawled into the small cave I found for them to live in.

Which neighborhoods in Phoenix have the fewest rattlesnakes?

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!