Early warm temperatures are bringing an early start to rattlesnake season across the Central Valley.<\/p>\n
“As the temperatures start to warm up, they’ll start to come out,” professional rattlesnake remover Eric Allen said.<\/p>\n
This abnormally warm March is making the perfect environment for rattlesnakes from the foothills to the delta.<\/p>\n
“They like to find water,” Allen explained. “If it gets really hot, they like to seek some kind of shade and they really like to be found underneath things. So people that have a lot of brush and stuff, they tend to find those areas and just get underneath things.”<\/p>\n
Allen said his rattlesnake removal website is getting more views since the heat picked up. This means locals are starting to spot them much earlier than normal.<\/p>\n
“Like May, June, July would be the time,” Allen shared. “That’s the breeding season, too. The temperatures are right and they’re very active.”<\/p>\n
Some neighbors in Tracy haven’t seen any rattlesnakes yet, but worry about them slithering around their neighborhood, especially with pets and other animals around.<\/p>\n
“There’s a lot of wildlife here,” said Mike, who lives in Tracy. “It’s surprising because I haven’t seen rattlesnakes, but I wouldn’t be surprised to know that they’re here. It’s nothing but farmland. There’s plenty of mice if they’re after mice, that’s for sure.”<\/p>\n
Rattlesnakes typically linger in garages, under piles of debris or other small structures to stay cool, or lounge by the pool for water.<\/p>\n
While bites are rare, they can happen. The best advice is to stay clear.<\/p>\n
“In general, they kind of keep to themselves. They don’t want anything to do with people,” Allen continued. “If you get too close and they recognize you, they’ll start to rattle. It takes a surprising amount of agitation, usually, to get their rattle going.”<\/p>\n
When Allen and his team at Eric Allen Rattlesnake Removal come out to capture these creatures, they take them away within a few miles of where they were found to not disrupt their habitat.<\/p>\n
Allen recommends homeowners cut back plants and brush near their home and remove any other items that provide shade, which creates a perfect habitat for rattlesnakes.<\/p>\n