Venomous Snakes Common to GA and Other Parts of the Southeast

Northwest’s Wildlife Services Team specializes in the exclusion, removal, and control of animal nuisances. Among our specialties are squirrels, rodents, raccoons, opossums, bees, armadillos, and chipmunks. An important wildlife service in the coming warm months is our snake removal! Our Wildlife team uses a Green product that is used to deter snakes.  We also spend a great deal of time educating the customer on snakes.

Georgia is among the states with the highest biodiversity of snakes in the U.S. with 43 different species. They are located anywhere in Georgia from the mountains in the north to the barrier islands along our eastern coast. Below we have pictures and descriptions of the most common venomous snakes. If you spot one of these, call our Wildlife Services Team at 770.436.3362 to get them off your hands, or better yet, remove them very far away from your hands!

Copperhead

copperhead slithering on concrete

Copperhead

Copperheads are fairly large – anywhere from 2 to over 3 feet long! They have brown, triangular heads and elliptical pupils. You likely won’t want to get close enough to be sure, but they have two tiny dots at the center of the top of the head. More distinguishing features include yellow tails for juvenile snakes, and the brown bands that run along their body are in a distinct hourglass shape. They are found mostly in the forested areas of Georgia and South Carolina.

Cottonmouth/Water Moccasin

cottonmouth hiding in the leaves

Cottonmouth

Water Moccasin curled up in twigs

Water Moccasin

Just like copperheads, cottonmouths have large, triangular heads with elliptical pupils. They get the name water moccasin from their semi-aquatic nature and are likely to be found by mostly all types of freshwater habitats.  These are more difficult to identify by appearance because they have a wide range of colors but tend to feature colors that will camouflage them into their habitats.

Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake

Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake nestled in the grass

Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake

Eastern diamondbacks are among the largest of 32 species of rattlesnakes, ranging anywhere from 2.75 feet to 6 feet long. They have large, broad heads with two light lines on their faces. These are easily recognized by their brown diamonds, surrounded by lighter colored brown, tan or yellowish scales. They can be located anywhere from the southern part of North Carolina, but especially in South Georgia and Florida. They like to be in drier, sandy or low cut grass areas and tend to avoid wetter areas, though they are great swimmers and even travel through saltwater!

Canebrake/Timber Rattlesnake

Close-up of a Canebrake-timber rattlesnake

Canebrake-timber rattlesnake

These snakes tend to range from about 3-5 feet in length and are usually gray with a pink, yellow, orange or brown stripe running along their back. They have solid black tails and black chevrons along the back and sides of their body with the point of the (V) pointing forward. They are found in most of the eastern United States, but are somewhat absent from Florida. They can be found in a wide range of areas, but are least likely to be found in highly urbanized or residential areas.

Pigmy Rattlesnake

Pigmy rattlesnake nestled in twigs

Pigmy rattlesnake

This rattlesnake is on the smaller side, usually coming in at under 2 feet in length. This snake has 9 large scales on the top of it’s head and a tiny rattle that can rarely be heard. They have a row of mid-dorsal spots and a bar from the eye to their mouth that ranges from black to brownish. The name is deceptive as they can be gray, tan, lavender, orange, red, or even black. These are mostly located from central Georgia up throughout South Carolina. They also like to be near water sources like creeks, marshes, and swamps.

Eastern Coral Snake

Coral Snake and scarlett king snake

Coral Snake

“Red on yellow, kills a fellow. Red on black, friend of Jack.” These snakes are sometimes up to 4 feet in length with smooth heads with a bright body pattern of black rings in which the red and yellow rings touch each other. These are sometimes confused with king snakes, but these snakes only have the red touching the black rings and are not venomous. These snakes are found all the way from Louisiana to Florida, where they are most prevalent. They are rarely spotted because they hide under ground and spend only a limited time crawling above ground. Unfortunately, because of these secretive habits, coral snakes tend to persist in suburban areas.

 

Melissa Brown
[email protected]

Sources:

http://georgiawildlife.com/node/497

https://uga.edu/srelherp/snakes/index.htm

http://srelherp.uga.edu/snakes/pics/agkcon210.jpg

http://srelherp.uga.edu/snakes/pics/agkpis210.jpg

http://srelherp.uga.edu/snakes/pics/agkpis4.jpg

http://srelherp.uga.edu/snakes/pics/croada210.jpg

http://srelherp.uga.edu/snakes/pics/crohor3.jpg

http://srelherp.uga.edu/snakes/pics/sismil210.jpg

http://www.petmd.com/sites/default/files/coral_snake.gif

 

Swarm Season

When the season starts getting warm, the termites start to swarm! So what does that mean for homeowners?  If homeowners spot fully grown winged adults (swarmers), then the damage may already be done. If the swarmers are found within the home, there may be an infestation in or around the house. Once termites swarm, they may cause structural damage to your home which can lead to serious issues. Damaged door termites

Why is it that termites may arise unexpectedly and cause damage? Well, that may be because that they usually have nests underground where they thrive, usually in the wood of your home. Southern states are very likely to get termites. In Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama and South Carolina, where we service, the chances are extremely high.

termite map

It’s not just important to get rid of termites, it’s also important to prevent them. Getting rid of the termites you already have may eliminate the initial problem, but will not prevent termite activity in the future. Northwest Exterminating offers liquid pretreatments, borate pretreatments and Sentricon baiting in order to prevent termites from infesting a home.  In addition, these treatments come with a 5 year repair and retreat warranty that guarantees up to one million dollars in structural damage.

Melissa Brown
[email protected]

Source:

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/Urban/termites/pdf/termiteswarmers.pdf

Trust A Professional – Video

The National Pest Management Association has a short video explaining why is best to trust the professionals when it comes to keeping pests out of your home.  It helps explain why pests can be bad for your home and family, the damage they can do, why it’s better than DIY options, and why more isn’t always better!

If you are looking for an experienced pest company in your area…look no further.  Northwest Exterminating has locations in Georgia and Tennessee that are in prime locations to treat homes and businesses across Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, and South Carolina.

Call us today if you would like more information on our professional exterminating services.  888.466.7849

Northwest Exterminating and Builders Team Up

Builder ServicesBuilders in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, and South Carolina can rest assured knowing that they have Northwest Exterminating in their corner during the termite pretreatment phase.  Time is money in the new construction business and Northwest’s New Construction Team helps make sure that your projects stay on track.  We are dedicated to providing superior services to the builder market.

Northwest’s New Construction Team is a department that is dedicated specifically to builders and their needs:

  • Prompt Scheduling
  • Online Scheduling
  • Online Letter Ordering
  • Quick Response Time
  • High Quality Service
  • Accurate Paperwork
  • 24 Hour Online Service
  • Damage Repair Warranty
  • Centralized Scheduling and Billing Department
  • Convenient Emailing of Closing Documents
  • Termite Treatment Options: Sentricon, Borate Wood Treatment, and Soil Treatments

A Northwest Exterminating New Construction representative will meet with you and customize a pretreatment plan to meet your needs.  We also continue this same great service once the home has been sold.  We take care of pest control, termite control, wildlife, commercial, TAP, lawn care, mosquito, fire ant, and bed bug solutions for homes and businesses.  Builders and homeowners alike can Trust the Mouse.

 

Armadillo: Cool Creature or Creepy Critter?

Out of the 20 known species of armadillo, only the nine-banded armadillo has strayed out of Latin America. During the 1880s, the animal appeared in Texas and has been pioneering into new dwellings ever since. Lately, the nine-banded armadillo has actually rooted itself as far east as Georgia & South Carolina and as far west as Illinois.  The animals are occasionally noticed in Indiana and Iowa. A few researchers have proposed that escalating temperatures because of weather change might be permitting armadillos to expand toward further habitats.

The gluttonous critters can create their homes in woodlands, grasslands, and even suburbs. Furthermore, fruitful females start breeding at barely one year old and can have litters of four babies every year. An armadillo’s dense frame is uncomplicatedly modified skin that acts as one approach that this abnormal animal shields itself. When an armadillo encounters a threat, it commonly dashes, digs, and bears down in the ground to stop them from being turned over. The three banded armadillo is the only species that can roll up into a ball for its own safety and its teardrop-shaped head plate fuses the gap so there are no cracks in the protective covering. Domestic dogs, wild cats, birds of prey, and humans are just a few of the threats to armadillos.

Our Wildlife Services Team specializes in the exclusion, removal, and control of wildlife nuisances. So if you see see or hear the scurrying of an armadillo, or another unwelcomed creature, our Wildlife Services Team can assist you in getting rid of the wildlife in your home! Call the Mouse! 888-466-7849

Now that you know a little more about Armadillos, do you think this armored animal is cool or creepy?

Cara Carver
[email protected]

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