Copperheads account for roughly nine out of ten venomous snakebites in North Carolina, and their camouflage is good enough that most bites happen to people who never saw the snake. Most snakes you will meet here, though, are harmless and genuinely useful.
The foothills have healthy snake populations, and most of what turns up in garages, crawlspaces, and flowerbeds is nonvenomous; a rat snake in the barn is free rodent control, and it can climb straight up brick and tree bark to get where the rodents are. The species worth respect here is the copperhead: common, superbly camouflaged, and fond of exactly the mulch beds, woodpiles, and stone borders people put next to their houses.
If you can safely take a photo from a distance, text it to me and I can usually identify the species on the spot, which sometimes ends the emergency right there. When removal is needed, I capture and remove the snake. A venomous snake inside a living space gets treated as the urgent call it is; Alexander County has two wildlife officers covering the entire county, and a copperhead in a bedroom cannot wait in line.
A snake in or under the house is following food and cover, and that usually means mice. The gap that admitted the snake admitted the rodents first. Part of the visit is identifying what drew the animal in and what openings need sealing, and I will tell you honestly which of the popular snake repellents are worth your money, which is none of them. Sealing and removing the food source are what work.
I handle snake calls in Taylorsville, Hickory, Bethlehem, and throughout Alexander, Iredell, Catawba, Wilkes, Caldwell, and Burke counties.
Look for hourglass or Hershey-kiss shaped crossbands, wide on the sides and narrow across the spine, on a tan to copper body. Several harmless species get killed on suspicion every year, so when in doubt, take a photo from a safe distance and text it to me at (828) 352-8266.
If you can do it safely, shut it in the room by closing the door and putting a towel along the gap, then call me. Do not try to pin or handle a snake you cannot identify; most bites happen during exactly that attempt.
No, the evidence behind them is poor, and I will not sell you any. What works is removing food and cover: controlling rodents, sealing gaps, and cleaning up the mulch, wood, and stone piles snakes hunt in.
Request an inspection and I will follow up to schedule a visit, or call or text (828) 352-8266.