I can't believe I'm doing this... seriously! In this video I'm talking about snakes
in Arizona... SNAKES! Because you guys keep asking about them and I want to set the
record straight; but wait I'm not going to be talking about what kinds of snakes
we have in Arizona, or even about which ones are venomous or not, because the
truth is matter is I'm not qualified and more importantly I have never stuck
around long enough to ask one! Nope! I'm the kind of person who couldn't run
to lose a pound if my life depended on it, but if I see a snake I could
basically fly! I do not like snakes. Nope. Nope. Nope. So, instead, I'm going to be
sharing five easy things you can do to live snake free in Arizona, because let's
be honest, that's what you really want to know. They do their thing over there, you
do your thing over here, and all is right with the world.
If this is your first time here, welcome! I'm Lindsay, a proud Anthem resident and
your local REALTOR® with the Wise Move AZ Team at Realty ONE Group. On this
channel we have a lot of fun talking about all things Anthem and real estate,
and we would love to have you along for the ride, so hit that subscribe button
and the little bell icon to be notified when our new videos are released every
single Thursday! Okay, that was kind of a bit, but in all seriousness I absolutely
love that we have such diverse wildlife here in Arizona...
snakes included! In fact, I did a whole video on the different kinds of wildlife
we have here in Arizona. So, if you'd like to check that out click in the cards for
this video. Arizona is an absolutely incredible place to call home
and apparently snakes think so too. We get so many questions about snakes from
folks considering a move. Unfortunately, snakes are a fact of life in Arizona. To
put things into perspective, I don't like snakes, I don't want to encounter a snake,
and Arizona is still hands-down one of my absolute favorite places to call home.
I would take nearly 300 days of sunshine a year and a chance of seeing a snake
every time! Truthfully, I think I've only seen three snakes up close the whole
time I've lived in Arizona. One was in my parent's yard, one was on a hike, and the
other was dead on the road. I guess I've also seen snakes at the Phoenix Zoo, but
those don't really count. Our goal with this video is to make your home and yard
unappealing to snakes. I don't want anybody hurting snakes or
disturbing them, I just want to make it so that when they pass by your yard they
keep going because it's not that hospitable for them. You know how they
say 'don't make your guestroom too nice because your guests will stay too long'?
Yeah! It's kind of like that, but with snakes and my yard. I know you've heard
it a million times, but it's true: They really are more afraid of you, than you
should be of them. Snake bites are rare and there is so much you can do to avoid
an encounter in and around your home. I'll also give you a
tip of what not to do to avoid snakes at the end of this video, so stick around.
Alright, let's talk about the things you can do right now to greatly reduce the
risk of seeing a snake in your yard. Tip #1: Barricade your home and yard.
Don't make it easy for snakes to get into your home or yard in the first
place. Walk around the perimeter of your yard
and see if there is anywhere that they could get in. Our home backs onto a wash
which means we're more susceptible to getting snakes and other wildlife in our
yard. If you're like us, run some steel mesh fencing along any of the view
fencing on your property. If you have block wall fencing around your property
just make sure that it's properly sealed. Additionally, if you have a gate, make
sure that it's as snug to the ground as possible. If you have drainage holes in
your fencing you may want to pile rocks in front or use that steel mesh. If you
put anything in front of the drainage holes, be careful! They're there for a
reason and it's your responsibility to ensure that they're properly diverting
water away from your property in a rainstorm.
Lastly, make sure that you're leaving all of your doors closed when you're not
using them. This includes your garage door. I heard a story of a family that
loved leaving their patio doors open and one night the woman went to the bathroom
to find a snake wrapped around the bottom of the toilet... eek! Tip #2:
Take away their hiding places. Snakes won't want to hang out in your
yard if there's no good hiding places for them. Now that you've secured the
perimeter, walk around your yard and clean up everything you can. This means
trimming any shrubs and bushes up, and removing any dead leaves and branches.
You also want to pick up any toys or tools that are laying around the yard.
Even storage sheds, containers, or outdoor furniture, can provide a good hiding
place for snakes. There was a news story last summer about snakes hiding in the
holes in the middle of pool noodles. Can you imagine?!? You could also consider
adding lights to any paths in the front or backyard to make it even less
snake friendly. Lighting is great because it allows you to see where you're going
and can prevent an unwanted encounter with a snake. Anyways, I definitely still
want you to be able to enjoy your backyard. That's the whole point, but I
encourage you to clean up anything you can. Don't go reaching into any dark
places without checking it first. Tip #3: Take away their food and
water. Snakes aren't going to want to stick around if there's no food or water
in your yard. Firstly, make sure that you don't have any standing water or leaking
water in your yard. It's important to check your automatic watering system for
leaks and make sure that your hose isn't leaking either. Some snakes may be drawn
to your pool if water is particularly scarce. So, I encourage you to check the
traps and edges before jumping in. If a snake gets in your pool you can usually
use the pool skimmer to fling it out or you can call the fire department. As for
food, many snakes eat rodents, so you want to make sure that you don't have any
rodents in your yard. If you have evidence of rodents, you may want to call
an exterminator. If not, just be careful not to leave out trash or anything else
that could attract pests. Additionally, bird feeders attract more than just
birds, so I don't recommend them. Tip #4:
Protect your pups. Your dogs may be more at risk for a snake bite than you.
Thankfully there are things we can do to protect them. There are rattlesnake
avoidance classes you can enroll them in and there are also vaccines. I recommend
that you talk to your vet about both of these to see if either would be a good
fit for your dog. Additionally, I recommend that you keep your dog on
their leash while you're out for walks and avoid walking through any tall grass
or brush where you can't see their paws. You also want to make sure that you keep
emergency contact information on hand in the event of a snake bite. Tip #5:
Pay attention! This is just good advice in general, but when it comes to
avoiding snakes, pay attention! Whether you're walking,
hiking, or just stepping out of the car you could accidentally
get too close to a snake. You want to look around when you're walking
but also listen. Rattlesnakes, for example, may make a rattling noise if you get too
close. Additionally, you may be able to hear a
snake getting out of the way before you see it. If you see a snake, please leave
it alone! They want to hang out with you, about as
much as you want to hang out with them. If possible, get yourself at least 10
feet away and allow the snake to pass. I didn't forget that I promised you a tip
of what not to do to avoid snakes. Don't put a ton of mothballs in and around
your yard. It smells so bad, and I don't think there's much proof that they work
at preventing snakes. I think that the tips we listed in this video will be
more effective and will allow you to still get outside and enjoy your yard,
because that's one of the main reasons you move to Arizona in the first place,
right?! So, there you have it! What do you think? Are there things you can do around
your home to make it a little less appealing to snakes? We've done most of
these things and knock on wood we have never seen a snake in our yard! If you
found this video helpful let me know by hitting that like button, subscribing to
our Channel, and sharing this video with your friends. Also, if you want to make
sure that you're truly prepared for your move to Arizona then you're going to
want to click and watch this video up top with the pros and cons of moving to
the Grand Canyon State, or if you're on a bit of a pest kick you're going to want
to click and watch this video on the bottom with our best tips for preventing
scorpions in your Arizona home. Enjoy those, stay safe, and I'll see you next
Thursday!