Venomous Snakes Can Make Your Home Smell Like This
Unless you’re at the zoo or you have exotic
pets, locking eyes with a snake is never a pleasant experience.
Unfortunately, these slithering reptiles are known to wander into
people’s homes in search of either food or shelter from the elements. In
many cases, you won’t know that there’s a snake in your home until you
find it. But there is one warning sign of a venomous snake in your home
you can sniff out - Literally. Watch out for the smell of this common
vegetable if you live in an area where venomous snakes are common.
Pest controls experts state that a strong
smell reminiscent of cucumbers can mean you have either a copperhead
snake or a rattlesnake in your home. Both copperheads and rattlesnakes
are especially common in the Southeast, but rattlesnakes can be found
almost in every state of the continental United States.
Both copperhead snakes and rattlesnakes are venomous, and they are also
the most likely to bite humans. One article reported that of the average
45 thousand snake bites reported annually across the US, “Most
hospitalized victims ate bitten either by rattlesnakes or copperheads or
by unidentified snakes.”
If you're worried about being intentionally attacked by a snake, don't -
copperheads and other snakes don’t see humans as prey and will only
bite people to protect themselves when someone steps on them or tries to
grab them. Some snakes, including copperheads, have a special gland at
the base of their tails that produces a musky odor that some people
confuse with cucumbers.
According to the Missouri Department of
Conservation (MDC), this musky, cucumber-like odor is the snake’s
defense mechanism, and it usually means that the snake is frightened,
angry, or startled. Therefore, sensing this smell is NOT a good sign.
The best way to prevent a snake encounter in your home or garden is to
snake-proof your home by repairing any gaps in the wall, mowing the lawn
regularly, and getting rid of a rodent problem as quickly as possible.
If you do notice a snake in your house or yard, never try to handle it
on your own or hurt it. Try to isolate yourself from the reptile and
call an animal control expert who will remove the snake from your home.