Snakes turn to homes, garages to escape summer heat
Jun 7, 2013, 11:41 AM | Updated: 11:42 am
PHOENIX — The sizzling heat has hit and we’re all trying to stay cool and so are the rattlesnakes.
When it gets this hot they look at homes and garages as a big cave.
“People leave doors open while they’re having a barbeque or the garage door open while they’re working on a car,” said Rattlesnake Solutions owner Brian Hughes. “Snakes come right in. It’s a cool place out of the sun with goodies and that’s the place they would want to go.”
Backyard bushes and rock piles are another favorite hideout, especially near swimming pools.
“That’s practically an oasis to them and they will show up there because it’s useful to them.”
Hughes said his company is responding to about six calls on rattlesnakes per day.
“A guy from Scottsdale called me who thought he had a single snake in his garage,” he said. “I went in there and found five of them sitting in the dark.”
What do you do if you find a rattler in the garage or backyard? Hughes says do nothing on your own. Call an expert.
Snake removal runs up to $150, a much cheaper option than the medical bills that can result should an untrained person attempt to handle a rattlesnake.
