Snake In The Attic

Click here for a nationwide list of 100's of professional snake trappers!

People often worry about snakes living in their attics. I am frequently asked by people who have a snake phobia (ophidiophobia), whether or not I think snakes might be living in their attic. I always tell them no, because such a thing is very rare. However, on occasion, a snake will be found in an attic. This is no cause for concern, because I've only witnessed three species of snakes in attics - all members of the rat snake family, which are good climbers, and completely harmless. The snake I've seen most commonly in attics (only 5 times in my life) is the Yellow Rat Snake. I've also seen Red Rat Snake (Corn Snake) in attics.

In every single case of a snake in the attic, the attic also had a heavy rat infestation. Thus the snakes are probably following the scent of rats into the attic, looking for food. People ask me whether or not snakes are looking for a good place to nest in an attic. It's true that many mammals like to have a litter of young in a warm, safe, attic, but I'm not sure about snakes. I have observed just one case in my lifetime in which a snake laid a clutch of eggs in a house. The occupants caught 27 baby Yellow Rat Snakes in their home over a period of two months, so I must conclude that a large adult Yellow Rat Snake laid eggs either in the attic or somewhere in the house. This event is rare, and this specie of snake is completely harmless.


I went into the attic of this home, which was full of rats, and lo and behold, found a Yellow Rat Snake going about its business. I quickly grabbed both the snake and my camera, and took this photo.


When I got out of the attic, I had the homeowner take this photo for me. He actually suspected he had a snake in the attic, because he heard odd "circular slithering noises" up there, and he had an "eerie feeling" about his attic. And oh yeah, he added, the previous night he observed the snake had crawled down the wall, poked its head out of a hole, and gone back up.

You can also catch snakes in the attic with a special trap, by clicking below:

AAAnimal Control is a professional nuisance wildlife control company located in Orlando, FL We offer solutions to wildlife problems throughout the Greater Orlando Florida area. Services include animal trapping, capture & removal, plus animal damage repairs and preventative measures. We also offer biological cleanup and many other services. Give us a call at 407-729-6946 any time to discuss your wildlife management issue and schedule an appointment. You can always browse this site for more details and info, and you can even check out prices ahead of time. If you live elsewhere in the US and have found this site and need a local trapper in your area, click here for a nationwide list of 100's of professional wildlife control experts.