Experts offer advice as rattlesnake season gets underway in Arizona

Experts offer safety tips as rattlesnakes wake from hibernation

Scottsdale fire officials say they are getting three to four calls on average to remove snakes from homes and backyards, and they are giving advice on what people can do to stay safe during rattlesnake season. FOX 10's Marissa Sarbak reports.

PHOENIX - In Arizona, rattlesnakes are waking up from their winter hibernation, and are coming out into the sunlight.

Officials with the Scottsdale Fire Department say rattlesnake season is certainly ramping up, as they are getting three to four calls a day on average to remove snakes from homes and backyards. They say there are a few things people can do to make sure their properties are not snake-friendly.

"Remember, we’ve moved into their territory, so we’re building homes into the desert, just give them their space," said Scottsdale Fire Captain Dave Folio. "One of the big things around your home is clear your area of rodents, big wood piles out back. Be really careful because right now, as it’s heating up, they’re coming out from the desert."

Cpt. Folio said hikers are also more likely to see a rattlesnake this time of year, and he says people should stay on the marked trails.

"A lot of our people that get bit, they’re not on the trail," said Cpt. Folio. "They go off the trail, and they get bit in one of the bushes, or they’re reaching down or they put their foot on a rock."

According to rattlesnake removal expert Nick Schantz, snakes can sense people by smell.

"If you get bit by one, the best thing to do is call 911, and as silly as it sounds, just sit down and try to stay as calm as possible," said Schantz. "There’s nothing you can do on the spot that can help yourself."

For snakebite victims, the quicker they can get to a hospital, the better. Experts say above all, people should do what they can to avoid them in the first place.

"Just be cautious with where you’re stepping. They’re just as afraid of you as you are of them," said Schantz.

Schantz said typically, snakes have a bite range of half their body length, so if a snake is 6 feet long, people should stay three feet away from them.