|
Page Update: 11/30/09 2:20 pm | Page Accessed: 7812 Time(s) Why Do Snakes Come into Homes and Yards
To answer that question you need to know the snake's basic needs which are food, water and shelter.
The main reason is food. Human habitations attract mice and rats that feed on human food and garbage. The snakes follow their prey into homes like a natural rodent trap. They are more efficient than traps and cats because they are thin enough to follow the rodents right into the places they hide such as walls, drop ceilings, crawl places, attics, basements, etc. If it was nąt for snakes we would be knee-deep in rodents.
Mice: Females may breed up to six times, with an average litter of six, and start producing litters aged 2 months. Mice can also be harmful pests, damaging and eating crops and spreading diseases through their parasites and feces. Deer mice are a primary vector of Hanta viral infections which cause hemorrhagic fevers. Mice transmit disease in a number of ways including biting, infecting human food with their droppings or urine, indirectly via the dog or cat and bloodsucking insects. Mice may infect food with their droppings transmitting such organisms as salmonella and the microscopic eggs of tapeworms. Mice and rats transmit diseases to poultry, hogs and other animals. They consume and contaminate feed, and their constant gnawing causes extensive structural damage to buildings, including fires. All resulting in financial losses to you. To compound the problem, rats and mice breed at an alarming rate. Livestock and other farm facilities provide ideal conditions for rodents to breed with abundant supplies of food, water and shelter. A small population of rodents, left unchecked, could explode to thousands in just a few months.
Now that you know those nasty facts about rodents which would you rather have in your house? I know the answer will be neither one, right?!
To help keep snakes out of your house you first have to make it so rodents find it harder to gain access to your house. Since mice can enter any opening larger than 1/4 inch, making it virtually impossible to completely mouse proof a building, but by making efforts to seal off any entrance ways you can help to keep both out of your house.
Going on to another basic need, water, during times of very hot and dry weather, snakes will often seek out leaky water pipes and swimming pools to gain access to a water supply. It's best to let them get a drink of water and leave them alone as they will move off once they get that.
Now on to shelter, snakes seek shelter in homes especially in areas where natural shelter is at a minimum such as housing developments, urban areas, places where food is easily available. Snakes seek out places to sleep, to breed, and to hide from the weather, just like humans do. An artificial den is just as good as a natural den. Your basement or attics provide protection for them and a warm secure place.
It's important to remember that human development and habitat destruction force animals to adapt to living with us. The more new houses are built; the more common encounter with all wildlife become. They were here first. Many new homes are being built in the snake's environment, in their natural territory or even on their migration and hunting routes and trails. (This is true of nearly all animals) New human developments are blocking their way. So it's good to remember when you want to move to a rural or suburb you WILL encounter wildlife.
|
