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Blog · October 2026
Rat snakes in your Oxford yard: what they say about rodents
A long gray snake stretched along the shed, coiled in the garage, or halfway up a tree. Most Oxford homeowners see one sooner or later. It is usually harmless, and it is usually there for a reason: food. Here is what that reason tells you.
- Usually harmless
- Follows the rodents
- Repellents do not work
- Fix the food, fix the visits
Want the short version? See what the snake is telling you.
Start here
Does a rat snake in my yard mean I have rodents?
Often, yes. Rat snakes are nonvenomous constrictors that mainly eat mice and other rodents, plus birds and eggs, and they go where the food is. Mississippi State University Extension says structures or vegetation that shelter mice and rats attract the snakes that prey on them. So a rat snake that keeps showing up around your garage, shed, woodpile or crawl space is a strong hint that rodents are living close by. Mississippi has 55 kinds of snakes and only 6 are venomous. Repellents such as sulfur, lime and mothballs did not work when tested on black rat snakes. The lasting fix is to remove rodent food and cover, seal openings larger than 1/4 inch, and deal with the rodents. When the food goes, the snake usually moves on.
Meet the rat snake
Meet the rat snake: big, harmless and hungry
Species counts from Mississippi State University Extension; rat snake facts from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
The rat snake most people around Oxford run into is the gray rat snake, which many Southerners just call a chicken snake. It is a large, thick-bodied snake, typically 42 to 72 inches long, and a strong climber that goes up trees to bask or hunt and is often found in barn rafters.
It kills prey by constriction and is not venomous. When cornered, it may coil, strike and vibrate its tail, which in dry leaves can sound enough like a rattlesnake to fool people. It may also freeze in place with its body pulled into a series of kinks.
What it is telling you
What a rat snake near the house is telling you
The snake is not the problem. It is the messenger.
There is food here
Rat snakes mainly eat mice and other rodents. A snake that keeps coming back is finding something to eat.
There is cover here
Woodpiles, brush, board piles and tall grass shelter rodents and the snakes that hunt them.
Feed is spilling
Birdseed under the feeder and pet food in the garage feed mice. The mice feed the snake.
Check the outbuildings
Sheds, barns and garages with gaps at the bottom are prime rodent housing, and prime snake hunting ground.
Check the coop
Rat snakes take eggs and birds. Chicken feed also draws rats, so a coop can attract both.
Look for rodent signs
Droppings, gnawing, burrows along the foundation and greasy rub marks confirm what the snake already found.
Fix the food
Fix the rodent problem and the snake follows
Sealing and habitat steps from Mississippi State University Extension Publication 2277.
Find the rodents
Check the garage, shed, crawl space and foundation for droppings, burrows and gnawing.
Lock up the food
Pet food, birdseed and chicken feed in closed, sealed containers, as MSU Extension recommends.
Clear the cover
Remove brush, weedy fence rows and piles of boards, rocks and leaves. Keep the lawn mowed near the house.
Raise the firewood
Stack firewood away from the house on a rack at least 12 inches off the ground.
Seal the gaps
Close openings larger than 1/4 inch around pipes and wires, and mortar foundation cracks.
Deal with the rodents
Trap what is living there, then confirm with a full quiet week.
Rat burrows by the foundation? Our yard rodents guide shows how to tell them from vole and chipmunk holes.
If you see one
If you see a snake: what to do
Most snakes around homes are harmless. The rule is still: hands off.
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Snake in the yard | Give it room and let it leave on its own. Keep kids and pets back. |
| Not sure what kind it is | Treat it as venomous. Mississippi has 6 venomous species, including the copperhead and cottonmouth. |
| Snake inside the house | MSU Extension suggests sweeping it into a box that can be sealed and releasing it far from houses, if you can tell it is harmless. |
| Cannot find it indoors | MSU Extension mentions a rumpled damp cloth covered by a dry one, checked often, or a glue board used indoors only. |
| Snake keeps coming back | Look for the rodent food and cover drawing it, then fix those. |
| Bitten | Get medical care right away. Do not wait to see if symptoms develop. |
Never grab a snake by the tail, and keep away from its head. Pit vipers have a heat-sensing pit on each side of the face and a triangular head; the coral snake has a rounded head and red, black and yellow bands, according to Mississippi State University Extension.
Rodents draw snakes
Rodents around the house?
Snakes are not our work. Rodents are. Call or send the form and we will find where the rats or mice are living, seal it with metal and trap what is there. The price is in writing before any work starts.
What does not work
What does not work against snakes
Take away food and cover. Nothing you sprinkle on the ground does the same job.
Snake repellents have questionable effectiveness, and none are registered for snake control, according to Mississippi State University Extension. No fumigants or toxicants are federally registered for snakes either.
In tests on black rat snakes, home remedies failed. Mothballs are also a pesticide that should only be used as the label says. Our DIY guide covers what does work against rodents.
- Sulfur: did not work
- Lime: did not work
- Mothballs: did not work
- Cayenne pepper spray: did not work
- Coal tar and creosote: did not work
- King snake musk: did not work
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Straight answers
Rat snake questions
Are rat snakes dangerous?
Rat snakes are nonvenomous. A cornered one may strike and vibrate its tail, so give it room, but it is not a venomous snake. If you are not sure what kind of snake it is, treat it as venomous.
Does a rat snake mean I have rats?
Not always, but often. Rat snakes mainly eat mice and other rodents, and Mississippi State University Extension says places that shelter mice and rats attract the snakes that prey on them. A snake that keeps returning is a good reason to check for rodent signs.
Should I kill a rat snake?
Mississippi State University Extension notes that killing snakes usually serves little purpose, since many snakes help keep rodent numbers down. Removing the food and cover that draw them is more useful.
Do mothballs or sulfur keep snakes away?
No. Sulfur, lime, mothballs and cayenne pepper spray did not work when tested on black rat snakes, and no repellent is registered for snake control.
How do I keep snakes out of my garage?
Seal openings larger than 1/4 inch, keep pet food and birdseed in sealed containers, clear clutter along the walls, and deal with any mice living there.
Do you remove snakes?
No. We are a rodent company. We handle the rats and mice that draw snakes to a property, and we can tell you on the phone who to call about the snake itself.
Keep reading
Related rodent help for Oxford homes
Sources
Last reviewed October 2026 by the Rodent Control Oxford team. Biology and control standards follow Mississippi State University Extension and the CDC. Price ranges are labeled benchmarks; your price comes in writing after we inspect.
- Mississippi State University Extension, Reducing Snake Problems Around Homes (P2277)
- Mississippi State University Extension, Snakes Alive! How to Identify Hazardous Snakes (P3529)
- Mississippi State University Extension, Venomous Snakes: How Can You Tell?
- Mississippi State University Extension, How to Control Snakes Around Your Home
- Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Gray Ratsnake
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