PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — Everyone is enjoying the nice weather in the Valley right now, and that means more people are hanging out at parks and going for a hike. But we’re not the only ones. March is the beginning of snake season.
“If you like to be outside and you’re comfortable, snakes are probably going to feel the same way,” said Nicholas Massimo.
Massimo is the owner and operator of Snake Guru, LLC. He said snakes will start slithering out of hibernation when Spring is near.
He explained there are about 57 native snake species in Arizona. “In our state, we only have a few species of snakes that people really do have to be worried about that can actually have a significant health impact. Rattlesnakes are those snakes,” said Massimo.
He said all rattlesnakes are venomous, and we could bump into them while hiking or outside our homes. Massimo has already been getting calls for his snake removal and relocation services.
“Right now, people are basically calling and reporting seeing snakes after they’re coming out from their winter hibernation,” he said.
At homes, Massimo recommends checking for any small opening to your garage and any broken concrete slabs around the house that a snake could get into. “That kind of mimics what snakes are finding in nature: rock shelf, really deep and stable temperatures all winter long,” said Massimo.
Right now, as temperatures are starting to stabilize, Massimo explained snakes won’t venture out too far from their burrows. Therefore, if you spot a snake on your property, it’s likely their shelter is feet away.
He recommends people call licensed and insured professionals to help remove and relocate the snake. He advises people against trying to handle the snake on their own.
The best thing he said someone could do is to remain calm and walk away. “Snakes get a really bad reputation. They probably see a human as something that’s huge and scary and have no idea what to think of it. And they want nothing to do with us,” said Massimo.
If anyone is bitten by a snake, Massimo said they need to get to a hospital right away. He does not recommend for people to try and suck out the venom. He explained people could have cuts in their mouths for the venom to enter. He says people should remove jewelry, tight clothes and belts due to the swelling that occurs after someone is bitten.
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