It is a nice day to go swimming, it’s hot, the sun is shining. You got the grill going, and you want to try out your new swimsuit. And suddenly you found a snake in your pool. Now your refreshing dip is ruined until it is gone. But what if there is more? What is it doing in there? How do you remove it? And most importantly, how do you make sure that this doesn’t happen again.
Why Is It in There?
– Water Helps Snakes Shed Their Skin
Shedding isn’t as easy of a task as one would think, and snakes would like some help making shedding easier. A simple soak in water can moisten the dead skin making shedding easier as it sheds in one go rather than in disjointed pieces.
Due to this, a pool is a great place to go and shed their skin. However, their eyesight isn’t that great, and they can misjudge how deep the pool is. And gets trapped as a result, unless there are stairs or other easy ways to get out of the pool.
– Moist Environments Attract Snakes
Snakes are usually seen as land-dwelling creatures, but there are a few that love water. Especially the venomous Water Moccasin or also known as the Cottonmouth. So if a snake is in the water, it may be enjoying itself, although the chlorine probably isn’t doing it any favors.
During periods of heavy rainfall water-dwelling snakes could start wandering as they now have an easier time traversing the land. And then found a huge abundance of water to dwell in.
– Wandered in Accidentally
The snake in your pool could have easily gotten in there by accident. They could be chasing prey and fell in, or they could have fallen from a nearby tree and into the water.
There are truly quite a few snakes that are strong swimmers, but not all of them can swim well or long. So if you find a live snake in your pool, it would be best to get them out quickly so it doesn’t drown.
How to Get Rid of It
If you have a pool skimmer then getting the snake out is rather easy. Just don’t try to catapult it out, you may accidentally hit your neighbor or loved one with a falling snake and get bit. If you don’t have a skimmer then any long tool can help. Just don’t try to pick it up with your hand if you don’t know it’s venomous. If the snake is venomous like the Copperhead or Water Moccasin, then get professional help and call us. You may try to save money, but it is safer (and cheaper!) to call someone to remove it than to go to the emergency room for a snake bite.
How to Keep It Out
The standard snake exclusion is the best way to get them out. Simply, keep your lawn mowed, and trim your hedges so they don’t have a place to hide. If you have bushes and shrubbery near your pool, think about moving them somewhere else, so they don’t have a place to hide and a water source.
Another way is to maintain your pool’s chlorine levels. Snakes do not like chlorine as the smell can irritate them, and drinking chlorinated water can kill them. So if the chlorine levels are maintained then snakes will not go into your pool willingly.
Adding a fence around your pool can also help, that way snakes, pets, or children won’t fall into it. Make sure that your fence is tall, and made of smooth materials so that the snake can’t climb over the fence (Yes they do that!).
Call Virginia Snake Removal today for a free inspection at (866) 642-4155
