Will copperheads come in your house?

Copperheads entering homes is a common concern for many homeowners, especially those living in areas where these venomous snakes are found. While copperheads prefer to avoid human contact, they may sometimes find their way inside unintentionally. Understanding copperhead behavior, knowing what attracts them, and taking preventive measures can significantly reduce the chances of copperheads in your house.

Table of Contents

Do copperheads come inside houses?

Copperheads can and do sometimes enter homes, but it is not common behavior for them. Here are some key facts about copperheads entering homes:

Copperheads prefer to avoid humans and will not deliberately enter occupied homes.
They may enter open garages, crawlspaces, or basements by accident while seeking food, water, or shelter.
Baby copperheads may find their way inside while exploring new territory away from their den site.

Copperheads are most active at night or in the early evening, so encounters often happen at these times.
Copperheads enter homes more frequently in rural areas near suitable habitat than in urban or suburban neighborhoods.

While copperhead home invasions do occur, they are relatively uncommon. Copperheads will not hunt for food inside your home and do not view houses as prime habitat. Simple preventive measures can discourage copperheads from entering in the first place.

Why do copperheads come into houses?

Copperheads enter homes infrequently and typically do so by accident while seeking shelter or resources. Here are some reasons why copperheads may end up inside houses:

Seeking shelter – Copperheads may slip into open garages, crawlspaces, or basements when searching for a safe place to rest or regulate body temperature.
Following prey – They may follow rodents or insects inside while hunting.

Breeding behavior – Male copperheads searching for females may end up indoors by mistake.
Displacement – Habitat loss or destruction can displace copperheads closer to neighborhoods and homes.
Curiosity – Baby copperheads are prone to explore and may find their way inside through small gaps.

Copperheads do not intentionally target homes as places to live and hunt. Their presence is usually accidental and temporary. Preventing access points, reducing attractants like rodents, and caution during active seasons can limit encounters.

What attracts copperheads to houses?

Certain conditions around a home may inadvertently attract copperheads and other snakes even if they prefer to avoid human contact. Here are some common factors that can draw copperheads near homes and increase the chances of an indoor encounter:

Rodents – Access to mice, rats, or chipmunks brings copperheads close while hunting.

Insects – Large numbers of crickets, roaches, or other prey may lure copperheads inside.
Water – Outdoor faucets, dripping ac units, or pet water bowls provide drinking sources.
Shelter – Debris piles, woodpiles, or uncovered window wells offer refuge and hiding spots close to the home.

Warmth – Heat radiating from the home or outbuildings may attract them on cold days.

While copperheads do not view homes as ideal habitat, the resources some homes provide can draw the snakes near unintentionally. Preventing access, controlling pests, and removing attractants makes contact less likely.

What time of day are copperheads most active?

Copperheads are most active during the evening and nighttime hours in the warmer months. Here’s an overview of copperhead activity patterns:

Most active at night, dusk, and early evening from spring through fall.
Occasionally active during the day, especially in spring and fall.
Primarily nocturnal in summer to avoid hot daytime temperatures.

Take refuge underground or in sheltered areas during the day.
Become mostly inactive during winter months.

This means most home encounters occur in the late evenings, nights, and early mornings when copperheads are on the move. However, copperheads may also move around on warm days in spring and fall looking for food and mates. Remaining vigilant year-round is important, but particular caution is advised during peak activity periods to avoid surprise encounters.

What areas of a house are copperheads most likely to enter?

Copperheads typically gain indoor access through low, dark, and sheltered areas. Here are the most likely entry points and locations to find copperheads inside homes:

Crawlspaces or basements with cracks or gaps in the foundation
Garages, especially with frequently open doors or pet doors

Attics with entry points through vents, gaps, or walls
Laundry or storage rooms near the home’s perimeter
Under porches, decks, or stairs abutting the home’s exterior walls

Around windows with damaged screens or loose fittings
Through pet doors, holes in siding, or open bulkhead cellar doors

Copperheads gravitate toward lower levels of homes and sheltered areas near the home’s outer walls. Watch for signs like shed skins, droppings, or rodent prey to identify problem entry points. Keeping these areas sealed, installing door sweeps, and checking for gaps in foundations can prevent access.

What time of year are copperheads most active around homes?

The seasons when copperheads are most active and prone to enter homes are:

Spring – April and May, when copperheads emerge from hibernation seeking food and mates.
Summer – June through August, the main breeding season with increased movements at dusk.

Early fall – September and October, when newly born copperheads start dispersing and seeking shelters.

Peak activity tends to occur April – October in most of their range. Colder climates may see slightly shorter active periods. Daily and nightly activity is highest in spring and fall when temperatures are mild. In summer, more nocturnal behavior occurs to avoid daytime heat.

While copperhead encounters can happen any time of year, exercising caution during the spring, summer, and fall months provides the best prevention. Keeping garage doors closed, sealing holes in foundations, and removing debris limits the chances of copperheads gaining indoor access during active seasons.

What areas are copperheads likely to be found?

Copperheads inhabit a diverse range of habitat types, but do show preferences for certain features:

Rocky outcroppings with access to shelter and thermoregulation
Hillsides and slopes bordering forests or meadows

Along streams, creekbeds, ravines, or other riparian areas
At the base or edges of mountains, bluffs, or hills
In thick underbrush, leaf litter, fallen logs, or other natural debris

Under flat rocks, boards, and similar sheltered cover

Ideal copperhead habitat provides plenty of shelter options, access to prey and water, and the ability to thermoregulate by moving between sun and shade. Areas with heavy brush, rocky features, downed wood, and forest edge environments suit their needs well and increase likelihood of encounters if precautions aren’t taken.

Can copperheads climb walls or trees?

Copperheads are accomplished climbers and can scale many surfaces with relative ease:

They readily climb trees, shrubs, and wooden structures like walls, fences, and barn exteriors.
Older juveniles and adults can ascend vertical walls and rock faces using protrusions and rough textures for grip.
Their triangular head shape allows them to wedge into narrow crevices while climbing.

They are agile enough to navigate smaller branches and shrubs with ease.
Climbing allows access to prey like birds, eggs, and tree-dwelling rodents.

So while they spend much time on the ground, copperheads are very capable climbers. This allows access to trees and upper levels of buildings when needed for thermoregulation, foraging, or escaping threats. Preventing access to overhanging branches or walls can limit unwanted climbing intrusions.

Do copperheads live under houses?

While copperheads do not deliberately establish dens under houses, they may use crawlspaces or foundations temporarily:

They will utilize pipes, debris piles, or gaps in the foundation as temporary shelters.
Pregnant females may occupy foundation areas while gestating in summer.

Males may seek shelter under homes when searching for mates.
Young snakes may spend a few days under homes while dispersing.
They will not create permanent dens or reproduce under occupied homes.

Accessible crawlspaces with plentiful small prey may entice copperheads sporadically. But they prefer natural rock crevices or underground burrows for permanent dens, not the noisy vibrations of an active home. Sealing foundation gaps, installing wire mesh, and keeping crawlspaces clean and dry discourages temporary occupation.

How do copperheads get in houses?

Copperheads gain indoor access through small vulnerable points along a home’s exterior perimeter:

Through unattended open doors, especially garage or basement doors.

By entering pet doors or gaps in door frames or siding.
By climbing over windowsills of open windows or damaged screens.
Through vents, ducts, or gaps in exterior walls.

By coming up through cracks or holes in foundation walls and crawlspaces.
By hiding under porches or decks and entering through poorly sealed access points.

Identifying and sealing any gaps larger than 1/4 inch, installing door sweeps, closing exterior openings at night, and checking window screens for damage are the best ways to copperhead-proof a home. This forces them to remain outdoors and is more effective than attempts at trapping or removal after they gain indoor access.

How do you keep copperheads away from your house?

Here are some effective tactics for deterring copperheads and keeping them away from homes:

Remove brush, debris piles, and ground clutter near the home’s perimeter.
Relocate woodpiles and compost bins farther from house foundations.

Seal any gaps, holes, or access points into crawlspaces and basements.
Install weather stripping beneath exterior doors and door sweeps.
Use copper mesh or hardware cloth to seal foundation vents.

Trim back vegetation and tree branches overhanging the home.
Control rodent populations by securing food sources and limiting shelter.
Put up snake deterrent fencing around crawlspace vents.

Habitat modification around the home discourages copperheads from approaching while sealing vulnerable entry points prevents indoor access. Controlling rodents also makes the home vicinity less attractive. Combined deterrents provide the best defense against copperheads entering living space.

How do you find copperheads in your house?

Locating copperheads that have already gained indoor access can be challenging but these search tips may help:

Inspect along baseboards, in corners, and under furniture for coiled shapes.

Check areas near walls, heat sources, and potential hideouts like closets.
Use a flashlight to peer behind appliances, in crawlspaces, and under sinks.
Follow shed skins, musky odor, or droppings to possible locations.

Listen for warning hisses or vibrations from movement at night.
Tap areas gently with a broom to prompt movement.
Consider using a snake hook or tongs to safely lift debris piles.

Exercise extreme caution and do not attempt to grab or corner copperheads when spotted.

Calling a professional wildlife removal service is recommended if an indoor copperhead goes undetected. They have specialized tools and training to locate and extract snakes safely.

What should you do if you find a copperhead inside your house?

If a copperhead is encountered indoors, here are some dos and don’ts:

DO back away slowly and leave the room calmly.
DO shut doors behind you to isolate the snake.
DO call animal control or a professional removal service for assistance.

DO keep pets confined until the snake is removed.
DO NOT try to trap or kill the snake yourself.
DO NOT block potential escape routes for the snake.

DO NOT attempt to touch or handle the copperhead.

Venomous snake bites can quickly become medical emergencies, so professional assistance is strongly recommended. Never attempt capture by hand. The primary goal is to safely contain the snake until it can be removed by experts.

Conclusion

While copperhead encounters inside homes do occur, they are relatively uncommon events. Maintaining vigilance, modifying landscaping to remove snake attractants, and sealing potential access points provides the best prevention. Understanding copperhead habits and behavior patterns allows you to exercise sensible caution rather than unnecessary fear. With proper snake-proofing and awareness, copperheads in the home can remain a rarity rather than a routine concern.