Most holes you find in your yard weren’t made by snakes. Snakes don’t dig their own burrows. They move into holes created by rodents, chipmunks, turtles, and other burrowing animals, sometimes after eating the original occupant. So while a snake may be living in a hole in your yard, the hole itself was almost certainly made by something else.
That said, snakes do use these existing burrows as shelter, and knowing how to identify an occupied hole, deal with it safely, and make your yard less inviting can save you a lot of worry.
How to Tell if a Snake Is Using a Hole
Holes that snakes occupy tend to be small, ranging from the size of a coin to about two inches in diameter. One visual clue: snake-occupied holes usually have smoother edges, worn down by the snake’s body sliding in and out. Rodent holes, by contrast, tend to have rougher, more jagged edges with loose dirt and debris scattered around the opening.
The most reliable signs of snake activity aren’t the hole itself but what’s around it. Look for shed skins nearby. Snakes shed several times a year, and a discarded skin close to a hole is strong evidence one has been in the area recently. Snake droppings are another giveaway. They look like thick, dark brown smears with a white chalky deposit at one end, and you may see remnants of the snake’s diet inside them: insect parts, small mammal hair, or tiny bones. Smooth, S-shaped tracks in soft dirt leading to or from the hole are also a clear indicator.
What Animals Actually Dig These Holes
If you’re seeing holes pop up across your lawn, the diggers are almost always rodents, moles, voles, chipmunks, or ground-nesting insects like cicada killers. Mole tunnels create raised ridges across the surface. Chipmunk holes are clean and round, about two inches wide, often near foundations or garden beds. Vole holes are smaller, usually surrounded by worn runways through the grass.
Snakes are opportunists. Gopher snakes and bullsnakes in North America are commonly found in ground burrows, as are various rat snakes and kingsnakes. In warmer climates, more dangerous species like copperheads or rattlesnakes may also use abandoned rodent tunnels for shelter. The species depends entirely on your region, but the behavior is the same: they find an empty hole and move in.
How to Safely Check a Hole
Never stick your hand into a hole in your yard. Use a long stick, broom handle, or lawn rake to probe dark openings before reaching near them. If you need to work around areas where holes are present, wear thick gloves and boots. A snake’s fangs have a harder time penetrating heavy leather or rubber.
Most snakes strike only when they feel threatened, but they can be quiet about giving warnings, and you may not hear a hiss or see movement before it’s too late. If you spot a snake near a hole, the safest approach is simply to back away and give it space. It will generally move on once it no longer feels cornered.
How to Fill a Snake Hole
Before filling any hole, confirm it’s unoccupied. Watch the hole for a few days, checking for fresh tracks or new shed skin. If you cover a hole while a snake is still inside, it will become trapped and die.
Once you’re confident the hole is empty, pack it tightly with hard-packed dirt. On firm ground, snakes can’t reopen or re-dig a filled hole. You can also use wire mesh, netting, or burlap to cover the opening before filling. The important thing is to keep the fill flat and level with the surrounding ground. Piling up loose material around the hole actually creates new hiding spots, which is the opposite of what you want.
Making Your Yard Less Attractive to Snakes
Snakes need three things: food, shelter, and warmth. Remove those, and they’ll move elsewhere.
Start with the food source. Snakes follow rodents, and rodents follow easy meals. Take down bird feeders during spring and summer, since spilled birdseed is one of the biggest rodent attractors in residential yards. Secure garbage cans and clean up fallen fruit from trees. Fewer rodents means fewer snakes, and also fewer new holes being dug in your lawn.
Shelter is the next priority. Snakes hide under anything that gives them cover:
- Tall grass and weeds: Keep your lawn mowed short. Long grass gives snakes cover from predators like hawks, which makes them feel safe enough to stick around.
- Rock and wood piles: Remove or relocate stacks of bricks, firewood, brush, and loose rocks. These are prime hiding spots.
- Loose stone walls: Replace them with tight-fitting concrete block or timber. Snakes crawl into the gaps between loose stones, which also absorb heat and warm their bodies.
For areas right next to your house, seal any cracks or gaps in the foundation larger than a quarter inch. Snakes can’t chew, so basic caulk is enough to block them permanently. Do the same around outdoor steps, patios, and where siding meets the foundation.
If you want a physical barrier, fencing or screening with openings smaller than a quarter inch will keep snakes out of a specific area. For a less invasive option, sharp lava rock placed in beds two to three feet wide and five to six inches deep along building foundations has been shown to discourage snakes from basking in those spots. It’s one of the only deterrents with any evidence behind it. Mothballs, sulfur sprays, and commercial snake repellents do not work.
When the Problem Is Bigger Than One Hole
A single hole with no signs of activity is probably nothing to worry about. Fill it, flatten it, and move on. But if you’re finding multiple holes, spotting shed skins regularly, or seeing snakes frequently, the real issue is likely a thriving rodent population underground. Addressing the rodent problem, whether through traps, bait stations, or professional pest control, solves both problems at once. Once the rodents leave, the snakes lose their food supply and their ready-made housing, and they move on to find both somewhere else.