I found a small black snake in my basement today, a little larger than a nightcrawler. How can I make this thing come out in to the open and get rid of it?

I found a small black snake in my basement today, a little larger than a nightcrawler. How can I make this thing come out in to the open and get rid of it?


You can use a hose to flush it out or wait until you see it again.

You can use a hose to flush it out or wait until you see it again.

Unfortunately there is too much stuff stored in the basement that could be damaged by using a hose...

Unfortunately there is too much stuff stored in the basement that could be damaged by using a hose....


Then I think you either move things until it reappears or wait until it comes out by itself.

Then I think you either move things until it reappears or wait until it comes out by itself.

Do you know of anything I can use it to "attract" it out, and what is the best way to capture it?

Why not let it stay and eat cockroaches and tiny mice? Not sure how to catch it but it is probably a black snake which is harmless. How many inches long is it, tiny right?

Why not let it stay and eat cockroaches and tiny mice? Not sure how to catch it but it is probably a black snake which is harmless. How many inches long is it, tiny right?


Probably because the little snake in the basement, eating cockroaches and tiny mice (I don't know where/how you live, but I don't have cockroaches and mice in my basement) will turn into a bigger snake eating cockroaches and bigger mice.

I don't like to kill snakes, who live on mice.
But I understand your concern about the snake coming upstairs! You can buy all types of traps, or make your own out of a funnel - search YouTube.

If the snake is that small I would think that it is very likely that there are more brothers and sisters in proximity.
There is a trap available with an extremely sticky surface that will trap them if they crawl across it. I believe it is fatal if they get stuck to it but don't know that for certain. I don't like to kill harmless snakes either but looking for them every time I go in the basement (or elsewhere in the house if they decide to travel) creates an unacceptable situation for most people.
A professional varmint exterminator might be able to give an opinion on the likelihood of how many more might have access to the house.

If it worries you that much, either get an exterminator or try a rat glue trap, placing it where you saw the snake last. You need to look for holes in the walls to see where it got in.

I don't like to kill snakes, who live on mice.
But I understand your concern about the snake coming upstairs! You can buy all types of traps, or make your own out of a funnel - search YouTube.


Note to self - be vigilant when visiting Joypulv.

Here is a good resource: Wildlife Damage Management (http://icwdm.org/handbook/reptiles/NonpoisonousSnakes.asp). I learned from Snake-Removal.com (http://www.snake-removal.com/basement.html) that rodent urine is used in snake traps (http://www.amazon.com/Snake-Trap-Humane/dp/B00348H2OW). I also learned that snakes are drawn to moist areas, from - NC State (http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/gaston/Pests/reptiles/snakecontrol.htm).

A glue trap (http://www.snakeguard.com/movie.html) seems much too cruel. (although I did see advice on the internet to use vegetable oil or cooking spray to pour over a stuck snake, to dissolve the glue)

Look for a pest control company that can live trap a snake. You might get advice from your local animal control dept, game warden, fish & game biologist, or agriculture dept.

I like the funnel trap idea. Apparently snakes like to crawl beside walls or vertical surfaces, so traps are placed there. You do have to consider whether your snake is poisonous, because how are you going to deal with a captured live snake? There is a video on Youtube about building a funnel trap: How to make a snake trap - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L11IQoDr5Wg)

Here's an idea: Seal off all the entry points into your basement - with door thresholds (http://www.thehardwarehut.com/door_bottoms.php), weatherstripping, screens on vents/drains, expandable foam, etc. but leave one hole open where the snake can sneak out. Sprinkle a layer of flour on the outside at that last open exit. During the day turn off all the lights, (make it dark inside). A diurnal snake might move towards the light. During the night turn on all the lights in the basement. A nocturnal species might move towards the air movement coming from the hole. Check the flour; you might see the snake's tracks, and when you do, close off that last exit. If this doesn't work, at least you will have made your basement more vermin-proof.

To handle a live snake... If you aren't brave or foolish, buy a Catch Pole (http://www.animal-traps.com/catch-poles.html) or Make your own catch pole (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzX2UES00M0). Snake tongs are available from Tomahawk Traps (http://www.livetrap.com/index.php?dispatch=tags.view&tag=Snakes)

I'd be wary of staying at Papillon's house!