Ring-Necked Snake Control(Diadophis punctatus)
Ring-necked snake control is a specialized service that should be handled by a professional snake control professional. Snakes are very unpredictable creatures and some can be deadly. Always consult a professional snake control expert before handling ANY snake! You can find a snake removal professional here!
Ring Snakes are small (10 - 15 inches long), slender snakes that are generally grayish with a yellow or orange band around the back of the neck, and a yellow or orange underside; they have smooth scales and round pupils. As with many snakes, though, there’s a wide range of color variation, and ring-necked snakes range from nearly black to tan. Ring-necked are found throughout the eastern two thirds of the United States from southern Canada to Florida, across the desert Southwest and along most of the Pacific coast. Ring-necked snakes can be found in virtually any habitat but seem to prefer wooded areas. Like other small woodland snakes, ring-necked snakes spend most of their time underground or hidden under logs, rocks, leaf litter, or debris. However, ring-necks can occasionally be found crawling in the open or crossing roads, often at night. Ring-necks are one of the more common species in many habitats and can reach very high densities. Although they are completely harmless to humans, ring-necks have weak venom in their saliva which they use to subdue their prey, which include a variety of invertebrates (including earthworms), amphibians, lizards, and other small snakes.
Ringneck Snake Control
A first step in snake control is to identify what kind of snake you have. This can be difficult, however, for non-experts, because of the snakes’ color variations and differences between juvenile and adult coloring. A knowledgeable snake control company can help with this. If you’re ever bitten by a ring-necked snake, make sure to get it checked out by a doctor. Ring-necked snakes are not venomous, but with any wild animal bite there’s a risk of infection. If you find a ring-necked snake in your home, or if the numbers of this harmless snake on your property are getting too high, two things need to be done: deal with any snakes that are already there (habitat modification); and prevent more snakes from entering your home or building (exclusion).
Habitat Modification
Eliminate tall stands of vegetation, especially close to houses or buildings. Clean up leaf piles, and piles of gravel and debris; store firewood at least 18 inches off the ground.
Ring Neck Snake Exclusion
Follow these steps to keep ring-necked snakes out of homes and other buildings: · Conduct a thorough search for cracks in the foundation, unscreened crawlspace vents and gaps around basement window frames. · Structural gaps and crevices larger than 1/4 inch and within three feet of grade should be closed off – snakes can pass through very small openings. · Crawlspace vents should not have screens with larger than 1/4 inch mesh. · Check clearance under doors, and look for improper sealing where plumbing and utility lines penetrate the foundation of the building.
Ring-necked Snake Removal
If you’re confident that you do indeed have a ring-necked snake in your house, and you want to deal with it yourself, try this: place a trashcan on the side of the snake, and use a broom or a similar tool to gently sweep it inside the trashcan. Relocate it well away from residential areas, and seal up any openings in your house where it can get back in. If you have any doubt about which kind of snake you have, or if you suspect several, a call to a snake control company who can inspect your property, and trap and remove snakes is warranted. A good snake control company will be skilled in snake identification and will be thoroughly familiar with all state, national, and local regulations concerning the animals.
Some Emails we receive about Ring Neck Snakes:
I live in a rather small brick house in Fredericksburg, VA. The house was a distressed property and was empty for several months. It is located in a wooded area. I initially noticed a ring neck snake in the finished basement 3 years ago. I determined that he an others as it turned out were getting into the house under the doors. The door sweeps were not sealed well enough and the snakes could get in. I taped the doors and thought the problem was fixed. However, a year later in August, I found baby ring necks in the house and they made it up to the 2nd story bedrooms. Last year I caught a total of 14 baby ring necks in the house with sticky traps. My exterminator suggested that maybe the ring necks were getting into the house through the weep holes since I have a brick house. So, last November I went around and sealed all the weep holes with a stainless steel mesh. Here is the good part. This last may, my wife noticed an adult ring neck had crawled between a door and door seal. When she went to open the door, the snake fell into the house. I removed it, but noticed yet another outside the door. In the next 3 weeks, I trapped and released several ring necks that were getting into the garage under the garage doors. It is clear to me, that they could no longer get into the house through the door ways or weep holes, so the garage doors were next. I tried sealing a garage door against a snake that is as wide as a pencil., along the way at some point in time, ring necks got into the house and layed eggs. probably between the brick façade and concrete blocks that make up the house, Now, they attempt on a yearly basis to do the same thing. There is a definite pattern. Even with all my attempts to exclude them from the house, I found a young ring neck in the 2nd story bedroom last night. My guess is they are using the plumbing to get around.
I did trap these little guys on some sticky traps, then I poured some vegetable oil on them and then release them a few miles away. But, my patience is quickly fading. Somehow, I have to break the cycle and keep them away from the house. keeping tiny snakes like this out of a house especially if that is what they are trying to do is impossible. I live in VA and the snakes are harmless and have gotten very little help from any local bug control companies. Was hoping you had some ideas.