Snake removal in Columbus, OH A snake in the attic climbed in after the mice.

The climber in central Ohio

The snake in a Columbus attic is usually a gray ratsnake, sometimes still called a black ratsnake. They are nonvenomous, they climb well, and an attic does not bother them if it smells like mice.

Ohio has three venomous species: the copperhead, the eastern massasauga, and the timber rattlesnake. Copperheads and timber rattlesnakes belong to the unglaciated southeast, not to Franklin County attics. Massasaugas are rare and tied to wetlands, not rafters. Still, do not pick a snake up to check the pattern. A photo from across the room is enough.

Remove the reason, not only the snake

If a snake settled in, food settled in first. That might be mice in the garage or a nest in the insulation. Taking the snake and leaving the mice is how you get another one.

We look for the animal, the opening, and the reason it stayed. Sometimes the gap is at the foundation. Sometimes it climbed a wall cavity all the way to the attic. Both can be closed once we see them.

Close a door. Do not be the hero.

If a snake is in a room you need today, shut that door if you can do it without stepping over the animal. Keep pets out. Do not pin it with a broom, and do not bag it if you are unsure.

Tell us the room, about how long it looked, and whether you have also had mice. A blurry photo from a safe distance is better than a close call.

What should you do tonight?

• Do not pick it up, poke it, or corner it.
• Close the door to that room if you can do it without stepping over the snake.
• Keep kids and pets out. Curiosity is how most bites happen.
• Tell us the room, the time, and whether mice have been a problem too.