The recent heat means greater potential for rattlesnake sightings, something a man from Del Mar Heights found out last week.
Michael Umbro found two snakes at his home on Friday, within hours of each other.
“That was surprising,” Umbro admits, “usually it’s spaced out. But we do see several snakes every year.”
Umbro says he found a rattlesnake on his neighbor’s front yard on Friday, and then a few hours later he noticed something moving inside his home by his front door.
His 11-month-old son Rocco was crawling and playing with his toys, and it turns out one of those toys was actually a tiny garter snake. As soon as he discovered the snake he put it in a plastic bin and placed it in the backyard.
“It’s scary but you just got to be careful on where you’re walking and what your kids are playing with,” he said.
According to San Diego County’s Department of Animal Services, the best way to keep snakes away from your property is to remove their food source, like mice or rats. Avoid leaving out dog or cat food, bird seed or fallen fruit because that is what attracts rodents.
Also make sure to clean up piles of debris in your yard, because snakes may hide in them for shelter.
