The short version
Around Memphis, TN, most snakes are harmless. Venomous snakes in Tennessee include copperheads, cottonmouths, timber rattlesnakes, and pygmy rattlesnakes. In Memphis, keep your distance, never try to kill or catch one, and seal the gaps, clear the cover, and control the mice that draw them in.
- Most snakes around Memphis, TN are harmless and beneficial; only about 30 of roughly 150 U.S. species are venomous.
- In Tennessee, the venomous snakes to know are copperheads, cottonmouths, timber rattlesnakes, and pygmy rattlesnakes.
- Never try to kill or catch a snake around Memphis, TN — most bites happen that way.
- Seal every gap larger than a quarter inch on a Memphis, TN home.
- Clear cover and control mice around Memphis, TN; snakes follow both.
For anyone in Memphis, TN who has seen a snake on their property, found a shed skin, or keeps running into the same signs and wants to know what to do. If someone has already been bitten, call 911 first.
What to look for
Snakes don't move into a Memphis, TN yard by accident. Around Memphis, TN, they follow food (mice, rats, frogs), cover (woodpiles, tall grass, rocks), and a way in through any gap larger than a quarter inch. Snakes around Memphis, TN are active most of the year, with the busiest stretches in spring and fall, and most you'll see are harmless — but a few are worth identifying before anyone gets close.
- 1In Memphis, TN, the clearest sign is seeing the same snake — or the same size and color — in the same spot more than once.
- 2Find a shed skin in a Memphis garage, crawl space or garden bed? A snake has been living there.
- 3S-shaped drag marks in loose soil around Memphis reveal a snake's path and usually the gap it uses.
- 4Mice, rats and frogs around a Memphis home draw snakes in; their presence is an invitation.
- 5A musky smell in an enclosed space like a Memphis crawl space or shed can mean a snake has been disturbed there, sometimes repeatedly.
- 6Rustling under floors or disturbed insulation in a Memphis attic is worth checking, since rat snakes climb after mice.
Why it’s worth acting soon
- Waiting in Memphis, TN means another day a venomous snake could bite — and most bites happen when someone tries to move or kill it.
- A snake that found a way into a Memphis, TN home can find it again until the gap is sealed; the opening doesn't close itself.
- One snake in spring around Memphis, TN can become a litter by summer, since several common species give birth to live young.
- The cover and food that drew a snake to a Memphis, TN property keep drawing the next one until you change them.
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Snake Activity by Season
Spring
Activity begins as temperatures rise.
Summer
Peak season — populations grow fast.
Fall
Pests seek shelter; prevention matters.
Winter
Reduced activity; indoor risk remains.
Treatment options and typical costs
Identification and risk check
$100–$250
A pro confirms what you're dealing with in Memphis, TN and walks the property to spot the gap it used and any rodent sign.
- Time
- 45–90 minutes
- Best for
- Any Memphis, TN sighting where you couldn't tell what it was.
Safe removal and relocation
$150–$450
A licensed operator captures and relocates the snake where state law allows; in Tennessee several species are protected, so a good Memphis pro knows which can be moved and where. Around Memphis, tWRA reports copperheads court and mate in spring and fall, with females giving birth in late summer or early fall.
- Time
- 1–2 hours
- Best for
- A snake inside a Memphis, TN home, garage, or crawl space now.
Exclusion and entry sealing
$300–$600+
Sealing every opening larger than a quarter inch in a Memphis, TN home — door sweeps, vents, drains, and utility gaps — so the next snake has no way in.
- Time
- Half day to a full day
- Best for
- Repeat sightings or a snake found inside a Memphis, TN home.
Habitat and prey reduction
$150–$400
Removing the woodpiles, brush, and rodent activity that make a Memphis, TN yard attractive to snakes — the root fix in the humid subtropical climate.
- Time
- 2–4 hours, then ongoing
- Best for
- Memphis, TN yards with cover, woodpiles, or mouse activity.
Prices are typical published ranges. Ask what’s included before you compare quotes.
Keep mulch thin, fix dripping taps and clear clutter near the house.How snake treatment works in Memphis, TN.
- Habitat: mowing, clearing cover, and controlling mice. Ask which of the three a pro's quote actually covers. - Exclusion: door sweeps, vent mesh, and sealing every gap over a quarter inch; in Memphis the usual entry is a garage door gap or a crawlspace vent. - Removal: a hook and a lidded container, done by someone trained. In Memphis, - Snake treatment around Memphis, TN is not a spray — there's no effective pesticide for snakes. In Memphis, it's three physical jobs: capture and relocate the snake, seal the openings it used, and remove the rodents and cover that attracted it.
The snakes you're most likely to see in Memphis.
Around Memphis, the snakes you'll see most are rat snakes, garter snakes, black racers, and king snakes — harmless to people and useful, since they eat rodents. In Tennessee, the venomous species to know are copperheads, cottonmouths, timber rattlesnakes, and pygmy rattlesnakes, and a professional can tell the difference fast.
Light under the garage door means a gap a snake can use. A new seal fixes it.When snakes are active around Memphis.
Memphis is with around 70% average humidity and summer highs near 91°F. Snakes around Memphis, TN are active most of the year, with the busiest stretches in spring and fall — spring brings them out to bask, and fall is when they look for winter shelter.
Why snakes come to Memphis homes.
Snakes don't move into a Memphis yard by accident. Around Memphis, snakes follow food, cover and an opening: mice and frogs, woodpiles and tall grass, and any gap over a quarter inch. Remove food and cover and close the gap around Memphis, and snakes stop coming by.
The three jobs of snake control in Memphis.
- Remove the reason around Memphis: cut the cover and food that made the property worth visiting. A removal quote usually covers only the first job — ask which of the three a pro covers before you sign in Memphis. - Close the door on the Memphis home: seal the gap it used, so the next one can't follow. - Get the animal out of the Memphis property: capture and relocate it, safely and legally. - Every snake problem around Memphis comes down to three jobs, in order.
The quarter-inch rule for Memphis homes.
If a gap is wider than a quarter inch, a snake can use it — and around Memphis, the usual suspects are the bottom of exterior doors, crawl-space vents, and gaps around pipes and wires. Around Memphis, fix each one the right way: door sweeps that meet the threshold, quarter-inch hardware cloth over vents and drains, and caulk or steel wool in foundation gaps. One thorough afternoon on a Memphis home does more than a season of spraying anything.
What removal costs in Memphis.
In Memphis, ask for a written quote that spells out visits and the warranty. In Memphis, the four things that move the number: whether it's venomous, where it is, whether sealing is included, and how many snakes there are.
If someone is bitten around Memphis.
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What affects the price
- Whether the snake in Memphis, TN is venomous — safety protocol and insurance push that price up.
- Where in Memphis, TN it is — an open yard is quick; inside a wall or attic is not.
- Whether entry points on a Memphis, TN home need sealing on top of the removal.
- How many snakes are involved around Memphis, TN, and whether there's evidence of breeding.
- Timing in Memphis, TN — same-day and after-hours calls usually cost more.
- Whether rodent control is folded into the Memphis, TN job.
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What's your biggest concern about snakes?
When to call for help
In Memphis, TN, call when you can't identify the snake with confidence, when anything rattles or has a triangular head with vertical pupils, or when it's inside the house, garage, or crawl space. In Tennessee, the ones to know are copperheads, cottonmouths, timber rattlesnakes, and pygmy rattlesnakes. Around Memphis, TN, call too when the same snake keeps appearing in one spot — that's a resident, not a visitor, and removal alone won't end it.
What you can do yourself
Plenty of snake work around Memphis, TN is safely yours: mow the grass short near the house, move woodpiles and rocks off the foundation, seal gaps under doors, and deal with mice. Those steps cost almost nothing in Memphis and matter more than any product on a shelf. What isn't yours is the snake itself in Memphis. If you're certain a snake around Memphis is harmless and out in the open, a broom and a lidded trash can will move a garter snake along. If you're not certain around Memphis, TN, hire it out — a dead rattlesnake can still bite by reflex, so even the "handled it myself" version of this story is where the accidents happen.
Snakes in Memphis
In Memphis, if you can't tell what it is, keep your distance and call a pro. In Memphis, the harmless snakes you'll see most are rat snakes, garter snakes, black racers, and king snakes. In Tennessee, the venomous species to know are copperheads, cottonmouths, timber rattlesnakes, and pygmy rattlesnakes. That shapes when snakes are out — around Memphis, TN, they're active most of the year, with the busiest stretches in spring and fall. Memphis is a city founded in 1819, with summer highs near 91°F.
Snake safety tips
Look from a distance, and don’t guess
Many harmless snakes look a lot like venomous ones. Around Memphis, Tennessee, keep well back, take a zoomed-in photo, and compare it with your state wildlife agency’s guide.
If someone is bitten
Get medical help right away for any snakebite. Move away from the snake and don’t try to catch it. Don’t use a tourniquet, cut the wound, suck out venom or apply ice.
CDC: snakebite first aidBased on guidance from the CDC and university extension services.
How we check our sourcesLocal research
Snakes in Memphis, TN: what the public record shows
Before you compare quotes, it helps to know which snakes actually live in Tennessee, when they are busiest around Memphis, and what the state figures look like. Everything below links to the agency or university page it came from.
Snake species recorded in Tennessee
- Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) — Statewide in Virginia and common in gardens and woodlots; the most common venomous species in the Mid-Atlantic. In Florida only the western Panhandle.
- Timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) — State endangered in Virginia (canebrake population in the southeast); northern Florida only as far south as Gainesville.
- Pygmy rattlesnake (Sistrurus miliarius) — Throughout Florida; small but common in suburban yards.
When snakes are busiest around Memphis
TWRA reports copperheads court and mate in spring and fall, with females giving birth in late summer or early fall.
No coral snake occurs in Tennessee; TWRA's snake list names only four venomous species.
Rules that apply in Tennessee
For context, nationally
- 7,000-8,000; about 5 deaths — Venomous snakebites per year in the U.S.. CDC/NIOSH
- 10-44 percent — Rattlesnake bite victims with lasting injury. CDC/NIOSH
Sources: Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency; CDC/NIOSH; Nuisance wildlife: Snakes; Recognizing Florida's Venomous Snakes (WEC 202/UW229). Figures are quoted as the source prints them. How we check our sources
Simple ways to keep snakes away
- Around Memphis, TN, seal every gap larger than a quarter inch in the foundation, siding, and roofline.
- Add door sweeps and screen vents to a Memphis home, especially over the crawl space.
- In Memphis, TN, mow short near the house and clear brush, woodpiles, and rock piles that give snakes cover.
- Store firewood off the ground and away from the house around Memphis, so it isn't snake shelter.
- In Memphis, TN, control mice and rats — remove birdseed, pet food, and other attractants snakes follow.
- Trim shrubs up from the soil and tree branches back from the roof on a Memphis property.
- Around Memphis, TN, fix dripping taps and standing water, which draw the frogs and the snakes that eat them.
Ask what kind of snake it is, where it'll be released and whether sealing is included.Did you know?
Around Memphis, TN, the snakes you're most likely to meet are rat snakes, and they're harmless.
A snake in Memphis reads your yard with its tongue — scent, not sight, is its main sense.
In Tennessee, identification matters before anyone acts, since several species are protected by law.
Questions people ask
Are there venomous snakes around Memphis, TN?
In Tennessee, the venomous species to know are copperheads, cottonmouths, timber rattlesnakes, and pygmy rattlesnakes. Around Memphis, TN most snakes you'll actually see are harmless, but if you can't identify one with confidence, treat it as venomous and keep your distance.
When are snakes active around Memphis, TN?
Snakes around Memphis, TN are active most of the year, with the busiest stretches in spring and fall. Spring brings them out to bask, and fall is when they look for winter shelter — which is when they turn up in Memphis garages and crawl spaces.
What should I do if I find a snake in my Memphis home?
In Memphis, don't try to catch or kill it — call a professional to remove it and ask where it got in. Close the room's door in your Memphis home if you can, and block the gap underneath with a towel. Stay calm and keep children and pets away.
What should I do if someone is bitten?
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Do snake repellents or mothballs work around Memphis, TN?
Around Memphis, TN, snake control is physical: capture the snake, seal the openings, and remove the rodents and cover that attracted it. In Memphis, there's no registered pesticide that kills or drives off a snake, and mothballs are both ineffective and toxic. No.
How much does snake removal cost in Memphis, TN?
In Memphis, published benchmarks put a typical removal around $350 and relocation around $300, with venomous or attic removals around $500. For a Memphis, TN property, those are planning numbers, not a quote — your price depends on the snake, the location, and the pro.
Is it legal to kill a snake on my Memphis, TN property?
It depends on your state and the species. Several states protect certain snakes, and around Memphis, TN relocation through a professional is the safer and usually legal route.
Why do I keep seeing snakes around Memphis, TN even after removing one?
Because the thing that attracted it is still there. If the food, cover, and entry point on your Memphis, TN property don't change, each removal just makes room for the next snake.
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Sources (10)
The facts in this article come from the public sources listed above. Every home is different, so ask the company you talk to about pricing and what’s included. Published by Snake Exterminator · Updated October 13, 2026 · How we write these guides