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Snake Removal in Lafayette
Most snakes found around Lafayette homes are harmless and beneficial. A few are not, and the difference matters.
Coulees running through neighbourhoods bring snakes with them. Most are harmless and worth leaving, but cottonmouths are genuinely present near water here and identification is not a formality.
Snakes in Lafayette Parish: who does what
Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries is explicit that it does not remove nuisance wildlife. It permits individuals to do it for a fee. A Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator permit is issued to a person rather than a company, every individual doing the work must hold one in their own name, and getting it requires a Louisiana trapping licence, a basic hunting licence, and 80 per cent on the department's exam. The permit also lists exactly which animals may be taken, raccoon, squirrel, opossum, skunk, armadillo, beaver and nutria among them.
For identifying an animal or damage before anyone is paid to look, the LSU AgCenter, Lafayette Parish office is at 1010 Lafayette Street, Suite 325, Lafayette, LA 70501 (office page).
What Louisiana law says about snakes
Louisiana lists native snakes that may not be killed or taken without a department permit, among them the eastern hog-nosed snake, harlequin coralsnake, eastern diamond-backed rattlesnake and rainbow snake; the Louisiana and black pinesnakes are federally listed. Releasing a captive or wild reptile without department approval is unlawful. All Louisiana rules →
Sources: Louisiana Administrative Code Title 76 (wildlife and fisheries); Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Nuisance Wildlife Control and Removal. Checked October 2026.
Signs, and why they matter
- A shed skin in a crawlspace, garage or shed
- A snake seen in the garage, laundry, crawlspace or under a step
- Rodent activity that suddenly stops: snakes follow their food
- Venomous species do occur in this region and misidentification is common in both directions
- Any suspected venomous bite is an emergency: call 911, do not attempt to catch the snake
How removal works
Identification first, then physical removal with proper hooks and tubes. Longer term the answer is habitat and rodent control; a house with no mice is far less interesting to a snake.
Snake questions
How much does snake removal cost in Lafayette?
$150 – $400 for removal of a single snake, depending on access and whether young are present. After a long stay in an attic the cleanup is often the bigger bill (attic restoration).
Is there a wrong time of year to deal with snakes?
Peak activity in spring and autumn, plus hot spells when snakes move into cool crawlspaces and garages.
Request a quote
We read every request and pass it to a licensed wildlife operator covering Lafayette where one is available. We are still building our list of operators here, so we cannot promise one is available or say how quickly they will respond.