With the warmer weather, expect to see more snakes out and about

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Snakes are starting to emerge across metro Atlanta as temperatures warm up.

Severe Weather Team 2′s Eboni Deon spoke with a local exterminator who said people should get ready, because they could encounter one if they spend time outdoors.

“We’re seeing them now, and we’re seeing them more in the daytime,” said Jamie Nichols, senior service manager for Arrow Exterminators. “Usually, the warm, humid weather brings snakes out.”

He told Deon snakes enjoy hard surfaces that warm up under the sun and stay warm overnight, like a driveway or sidewalk.

“The first one I saw was, basically, just kind of going across the backyard,” said Jon Greene, who lives in Marietta. “It was non-venomous from my understanding, which is good (because) we do have some rodents here and there, to keep those under control.”

Snakes can be helpful because they eat those annoying insects and bugs, and the larger snakes eat rodents such as rats and mice.

Greene said he has seen a few snakes in his yard and says he appreciates them.

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If you want to keep snakes away, it is a good idea to keep your foliage down, store firewood away from the house and keep debris from piling up.

Nichols said those are all good hiding spots.

Greene told Deon that a snake got a little too close for comfort when his wife was sitting on their patio.

“She thought my friend had kicked her foot, and she looked down, and there was a rather large snake probably about 6 feet long,” Greene said.

Greene put the snake out in the forest. His advice if you see one in your yard: “Just leave it alone.”

Nichols agrees.

“If they’re in your space, you want to push them out with a broom. If you don’t feel comfortable with that, call a professional,” Nichols said.

Nichols said it is always in your best interest to call a professional for help if you spot a snake in your yard and you are not sure what to do.

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