Snakes coming into local homes

(7/14/06 - KTRK/FT. BEND CO., TX) (KTRK) -- The recent rain in our area has resulted in very green lawns cross out area. But the rain brought something else out of the ground -- snakes.

It was mid May when Ellie Damiano went downstairs after hearing the dog bark.

"I heard a hissing sound and knew something was in the house," she said.

Luckily, her children were not in the play pen, because a 16-inch snake was.

"I saw a snake in the Pack-N-Play and it was lunging at my dog," said Damiano.

Damiano thinks the serpent got in through the front door, which was open for about an hour that day after a fresh coat of varnish. It was later identified as a non-venomous eastern hognose.

Right now, snakes are moving to higher ground. Recent rains have increased their food source and a cooler than normal July has made them more active.

"They're going to come around the houses or anywhere the food source is," said Clint Pustejovsky with Texas Snakes and More.

A quick check around Damiano's house produced another small Texas brownsnake.

"Fifty percent of the time, when I search a home, I find a snake," said Pustejovsky.

The two most common types found in homes or yards are the Texas brownsnake and the rough earthsnake. They're both non-venomous. You may not be able to keep them out of your yard, but you can keep them out of your house.

Use spray gap fillers, like Great Stuff, to fill in your air conditioning connections. You can also use a mesh screen to fill in gaps in bricks and siding. Also make sure you have fresh weather stripping under all the outside doors.

"I've had people who would not get off their furniture, people who have been locked in the bedroom until I could get there," said Pustejovsky.

If you happen to encounter a snake, don't mess with it on your own. Call an expert.

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