3 Easy Steps to Stop Snakes Nesting in Your Crawl Space

Mice, rats, and various other pests are known to invade crawl spaces, but they’re not the worst kind of animals you can find lurking under your floors. Unfortunately, a crawl space is often an ideal nesting place for snakes.

At Tar Heel Basement Systems, we’ve seen more than our fair share of these slithery creatures hanging out in people’s crawl spaces, so we’ve put together a short list of things to do to keep them out for good.

Although you don’t need to worry about the structural integrity of your home if you have snakes under your floors, an infestation of these reptiles is far from ideal. The safety of your family will be in peril if they continue to lurk in your crawl space. They will breed and lay eggs, slowly infesting your whole property. You might put yourself in danger if you try to act alone. The thing is, snakes will attack you if they feel they’re under threat, popping out between your belongings.  

But why do they enjoy crawl spaces so much? This area is usually dark and damp and can host rodents such as mice and rats. On the other hand, unlike a basement, your crawl space isn’t a place you can renovate into a living space. This means that there’s no one to bother them while they lurk around and look for food and comfort. Simply put, a crawl space is an ideal area for snakes to occupy as it resembles their natural habitat.  

If snakes are living beneath your home, you should first call a pest or animal control expert (obviously, one that’s good and ready to handle a reptile).

While there aren’t a lot of venomous snakes living in suburbia, remember: SAFETY FIRST. Don’t go into your crawl space to try handling it yourself. Leave the snake wrangling to the pros.

Once the snake has been removed, you’ll want to make sure it doesn’t happen again, and that’s where we have some expert tips to help you.

Builders would leave these open to keep the crawl space in supply of fresh air. But this idea isn’t practical in reality. They allow for moisture and pests — snakes in this case — to come inside and cause damage under your floors. You can eliminate this problem by hiring a professional who will install vent covers for you. 

Since snakes enjoy humidity, you should keep it low. The best way to do so is to install a dehumidifier in your crawl space. This device lowers the moisture in the air, making the area under your home less attractive to pests and mold growth. However, just like any other appliance, it requires regular maintenance. Our friendly experts can provide such services for you. They will check the filter and make sure everything is in order, as well as ensure that nothing is blocking the dehumidifier. 

Standard crawl space materials that can be found on the market are usually not moisture-resistant. Wet insulation can cause structural damage as well as attract snakes that will make your life a living nightmare.  Luckily, your local crawl space expert can remove your old insulation and install a new, water-resistant replacement that is more durable.

The first and obvious choice for making it difficult for snakes to enter your crawl space is to encapsulate it.  Apart from reducing humidity in your crawl space and preventing leaks, a vapor barrier liner will create a physical barrier between outdoor pests and your foundation. During the encapsulation process, foundation experts will cover the crawl space floor and walls with sheets of durable polyethylene plastic.  

If you’re concerned about snakes and other pests getting into your crawl space, call Tar Heel Basement Systems! We’re North Carolina’s top authority in crawl space sealing and encapsulation.

During your free inspection, we will assess the state of your crawl space, help you gameplan effective prevention measures, and treat your home with the same care we treat our own. We’re capable of performing a wide range of repairs and fixes to make your home uninhabitable for pests, keeping you and your family safe for years to come.

Tar Heel Basement Systems gives you the most professional care in the Carolinas. Contact us for your free estimate right now and prevent slithery critters from bothering you ever again.