This Surprising Odor In Your Home Could Mean A Major Snake Problem

There is nothing that can send a spine-curdling shudder down your spine like thinking you might have a snake in the house. Of course, if you live in a part of the country that is prone to snakes, you might not bat an eye. Believe it or not, there is one distinct odor that can clue you in to the fact that there are snakes around, and it's a simple cucumber scent.

In the United States, Texas takes the cake for having the most widely varying types of snake species, topping at 68 different kinds of snakes. However, besides Texas, the states that have the most reported snake bites are North Carolina, West Virginia, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Virginia. 

Even if you don't live in these states, snakes can be found in every state except Alaska and Hawaii, so it's always good to be able to recognize whether snakes are dwelling around your home, in your garden, or even in your toilet.

The smell of cucumber may signal that you may have a snake on the premises, or possibly several snakes. Alarmingly, it's not just any old snake, either. This scent may mean that a venomous snake is lurking.

Some snakes are much like skunks around your home. They don't typically give off a pungent smell unless they feel threatened in some way. Rattlesnakes exude a scent that smells like cucumbers, which may also be because they are hibernating or dying. Similarly, when copperheads are startled or touched, they too unleash a musky cucumber scent.

"A snake has to have a reason to expel its musk. Thus, a copperhead at rest under a rock or alongside a log will have no reason to give off its musky defense," Nicholas Martin, a pest control specialist and entomologist, told Best Life. "You could walk within a few inches of the snake and never know it's there."

If there's an overwhelming aroma of cucumbers or even old rotten cucumbers in a certain part of your home, it's time to call pest control. Snakes can slither their way into your home quite silently and without notice. While there, they can create nests and reproduce, which may be why you suddenly smell that strong odor.

If you happen upon snakeskin, you should avoid investigating it yourself because that's a good sign there's a snake around. A professional exterminator or animal control officer can employ the proper techniques for removing the snakes and/or nests. They can also keep you and your family safe in the process.

If you encounter a snake in your home, get your children and pets away from the area immediately. Get yourself and your family and pets in a safe place where you can wait for animal control or pest experts to assess the situation. If you wait in another room, you might want to line its doors with rolled-up towels to keep the snake out. If weather permits, you can also choose to wait outside.