Snake Removal & Prevention
Snake removal and prevention for East Valley desert properties
Cummings Termite & Pest has safely removed snakes from Fountain Hills, Scottsdale, and surrounding desert communities since 1972. Our certified technicians identify the species, remove the animal safely, and address the habitat conditions drawing snakes to your property.
- Family-owned since 1972
- Certified & fingerprinted techs
- Free inspections
- Residential & commercial
Overview
Professional snake removal & prevention in Arizona
Snakes are a natural part of desert life in Fountain Hills, Scottsdale, Mesa, and across the East Valley — but finding one near your front door, in your garage, or in your yard is a serious concern, especially when children or pets are present. Arizona is home to several rattlesnake species, along with non-venomous but often startling gopher snakes and kingsnakes. Telling them apart under pressure is difficult, and handling any unknown snake yourself puts you at real risk.
Cummings Termite & Pest provides professional snake removal and habitat modification for residential and commercial properties throughout the East Valley. Our certified, fingerprinted technicians assess the situation safely, remove the snake using proper equipment, and document the species so you know exactly what you were dealing with. We then walk you through the site conditions — brush piles, rock walls, rodent activity — that made your property attractive in the first place.
Because snakes follow their food supply, rodent activity is almost always part of the picture. Cummings takes a whole-property approach: remove the snake, reduce the habitat, and address any underlying rodent pressure so the same problem is less likely to return. Customized treatment plans mean the recommendations fit your specific yard, not a generic checklist.
Why it matters here
The Arizona factor
Our desert climate creates pest pressures you won't find in most of the country. Here's why timely treatment matters locally.
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Arizona has more rattlesnake species than almost any other state in the country. The Sonoran Desert habitat that makes Fountain Hills, Carefree, Cave Creek, and Paradise Valley so appealing to homeowners also provides ideal cover, warmth, and prey for western diamondbacks, Mojave rattlesnakes, and several other pit vipers. Warm nights from spring through fall keep snake activity elevated, and new construction on desert-edge lots regularly pushes wildlife closer to established neighborhoods.
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Desert landscaping — the rock features, dry creek beds, and native plantings common across Scottsdale and the East Valley — offers exactly the kind of thermal cover and rodent habitat that attracts snakes. Properties that back up to natural desert washes, undeveloped land, or golf course rough are at higher risk, but snakes move through irrigated suburban lots as well, following the rodent populations that thrive wherever humans store food, birdseed, or garbage.
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Children playing in yards, dogs in outdoor runs, and homeowners who store equipment in open garages all face elevated exposure in Arizona compared to most of the country. A non-venomous gopher snake can cause injury if it strikes in defense, and misidentifying a gopher snake as a rattlesnake — or the reverse — is a common and understandable mistake. Professional removal removes the guesswork and the risk.
Our approach
How Cummings treats it
A clear, proven process — no guesswork, no upselling. Every plan starts with a free inspection.
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Free inspection and species identification
A Cummings technician visits your property, locates the snake or confirms the area of activity, and identifies the species. Knowing whether you have a venomous rattlesnake or a non-venomous kingsnake shapes every decision that follows, including the urgency of removal and the right communication for your household.
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Safe, professional removal
Our technicians use proper snake hooks, tubes, and containment equipment — never bare hands. Venomous snakes are not handled casually, and we do not recommend that homeowners attempt removal themselves. Once secured, the snake is transported and relocated or handled according to current Arizona Game and Fish guidelines.
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Habitat and entry-point assessment
After removal, we walk the property to identify conditions drawing snakes in: rodent activity, excess ground cover, open water sources, gaps in block walls, and unsealed entry points into structures. This step is what separates a one-time removal from a lasting reduction in snake pressure.
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Customized prevention plan
Based on the assessment, we build a tailored prevention plan that may include exclusion work around entry points, recommendations for clearing harborage, and coordination with our rodent control service to cut off the food supply. No two desert properties in Mesa, Gilbert, or Chandler are identical, so the plan reflects your specific layout and risk level.
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Follow-up and ongoing support
Cummings stays in contact after service to confirm the issue has resolved and to schedule follow-up visits if snake activity continues. Commercial properties and HOAs in high-activity areas can arrange regular monitoring and prevention maintenance throughout the active season.
Where we work
Snake Removal & Prevention across the East Valley
We treat homes and businesses throughout Fountain Hills, Scottsdale, and the surrounding communities.
FAQs
Snake Removal & Prevention questions
Answers to what Arizona homeowners ask us most. Don't see yours? Just reach out.
Yes, rattlesnakes are common throughout Fountain Hills, Scottsdale, and the broader East Valley, particularly on and near desert-edge properties. Western diamondbacks are the species most frequently encountered by homeowners, and sightings increase significantly from March through October when temperatures are warmer.
You should not attempt to handle or remove any snake you cannot positively identify as non-venomous, and even non-venomous snakes can bite if threatened. The safest course is to keep people and pets away from the area and call a professional. Cummings technicians have the training and equipment to remove snakes safely without risk to your household.
Reliable identification requires training — head shape, rattle presence, and scale patterns can all mislead an untrained observer, especially under stress. If you see a snake and are uncertain, treat it as potentially dangerous, give it space, and call Cummings for a professional identification and removal.
Snakes follow their food supply, which in most East Valley residential settings means rodents — mice and rats that live near structures, compost areas, or stored materials. Removing the snake without addressing the rodent activity or the habitat features providing cover will often result in more snakes returning. Cummings addresses both the immediate removal and the underlying conditions.
Yes. After removing a snake, we assess your property for the conditions attracting them and put together a customized prevention plan. This can include exclusion work, harborage reduction recommendations, and ongoing rodent control service to eliminate the food source snakes are following onto your property.
Contact us at 480-994-9599 and we will work to schedule service as promptly as possible given the nature of the situation. Our service area covers Fountain Hills, Scottsdale, Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, Paradise Valley, and surrounding communities, and we prioritize calls involving venomous snakes near occupied structures.
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Get a free, no-obligation inspection for snake removal & prevention. Family-owned and serving Arizona since 1972.