Rat snakes are common, non-venomous constrictors found across North America. They play a beneficial role by managing rodent populations. While their presence indicates a healthy environment, homeowners often seek to prevent them from entering living spaces. The most effective strategy involves removing attractants and installing physical barriers, making the property less appealing to these reptiles.
Identifying the Appeal: Why Rat Snakes Visit
Rat snakes are primarily drawn to residential properties by food and shelter, often unintentionally provided by homeowners. The largest attractant is a stable food source, consisting mainly of rodents (mice and rats), birds, and their eggs. A rodent infestation, often indicated by droppings or chew marks, signals an easy meal and encourages snakes to linger near the home.
Shelter is the second major factor, as these cold-blooded animals seek cool, dark, and secluded places to regulate body temperature and hide from predators. Common hiding spots are found near the foundation, such as under dense shrubs, debris piles, or stacked firewood. Water also attracts snakes, especially during hot periods, drawing them to leaky spigots, bird baths, or poorly draining areas. Eliminating these core attractants is the foundational step in any exclusion strategy.
Physical Barriers: Sealing the Property Structure
The most reliable method for keeping rat snakes out involves installing physical barriers to seal all potential entry points into the structure. Snakes can squeeze through surprisingly small openings, requiring a thorough inspection of the foundation and exterior walls. Any cracks in the foundation, gaps around utility conduits (like pipes and wiring), or openings near vents must be sealed completely.
A highly effective material for sealing these gaps is hardware cloth, which should have a mesh size no larger than 1/4 inch. This size ensures the exclusion of both snakes and their primary food source, rodents. Vents, especially those leading to crawl spaces or attics, must be covered with this galvanized steel or aluminum mesh. Securing the bottoms of doors with weather stripping and installing door sweeps eliminates common gaps that snakes exploit to gain access to basements and garages.
Habitat Modification: Making the Yard Undesirable
Beyond securing the immediate structure, making the surrounding yard uninviting is a powerful long-term deterrent for rat snakes. This involves reducing or eliminating the hiding spots and food sources that attract them to the general property area. Woodpiles, rock piles, and construction debris should be removed or relocated away from the house and stored at least a foot off the ground.
Landscaping practices should be adjusted by keeping grass mowed short, as tall grass offers cover and makes snakes feel secure. Trimming dense shrubbery and vines away from the foundation creates a buffer zone that reduces hiding places directly against the home. Controlling rodent populations is paramount, as snakes are drawn by prey. This includes securing all outdoor food sources, such as pet food, bird seed, and compost materials, in tightly sealed containers.
Evaluating Deterrents and Safe Encounter Protocols
Many commercial products, including chemical and ultrasonic devices marketed as snake repellents, have shown limited to no scientific evidence of effectiveness for long-term exclusion. Substances like naphthalene (mothballs) and sulfur are not proven to deter rat snakes and may pose environmental or health risks. The most effective deterrents remain habitat modifications and physical exclusion barriers that target the snake’s natural needs for food and shelter.
If a rat snake is encountered on the property, remain calm. They are non-venomous and generally non-aggressive, preferring to escape rather than confront. If the snake is outdoors and needs to be encouraged to move, a gentle spray from a garden hose can prompt it to leave the area without causing harm. For a snake found inside the home, the safest removal method is to gently sweep it into a large container using a broom, then release it into a natural area away from the house. If a snake cannot be safely identified or removed, contact a local professional wildlife removal service.