New homeowner moves in, finds snakes hidden in walls

CENTENNIAL, Colo. — A Colorado woman who moved into a new home last month found some unwelcome guests -- snakes slithering behind the walls of the four-bedroom, two-bathroom home.

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Amber Hill, 42, of Centennial, said that buying her first home as a single mother of two was “amazing,” KDVR-TV reported.

That changed while she was moving items into the home.

“I was trying to unpack, and my dog crouched down and he started walking over here really slow,” Hall told KMGH-TV, pointing to a door along the back wall of her garage that leads to the yard. “I came over to see what he was looking at, thinking it was like a spider or something, and there were two little holes right here and I saw snakes slither up the wall. So, I panicked.”

Hall said that since her initial discovery, she has found the reptiles behind drywall and underneath the patio of the home, KDVR reported. She added that she has spent more than $1,000 on purchasing traps and getting professional help. She believes the reptiles are garter snakes, but added that they were large.

“The snake wrangler that caught some snakes for me said the snakes he caught look to be about 2 to 3 years old, so he imagines they’ve been here for a long time and there’s a lot more,” Hall told the television station.

Hall said that none of the snakes have been killed, KMGH reported. But she said it has been difficult to enjoy her new home.

“I can’t unpack any of my stuff because I’m definitely afraid that there’s snakes in the boxes or under the boxes,” Hall told the television station. “It’s like you crawl into bed, and if the sheet brushes your foot or something, you immediately rip the covers off or jump out of bed to make sure nothing’s in there.”

KMGH spoke with the realty company that helped Hall buy the home, and a spokesperson said the company would have told her if anyone had seen any snakes. The spokesperson added that it was the first time that had heard about a snake infestation in any of their listed properties, according to the television station.

According to the Colorado Association of Realtors, Hall could sue the company if she can demonstrate damages and proof that the seller had actual knowledge of the condition, KDVR reported.

Hall has not said what she would do, but she admitted the idea of slithering snakes in her house has her “petrified.”

“I don’t feel like I’m the first one to find them, but I don’t think that anybody would ever say that they knew they were there,” Hall told KMGH. “It’s rough. I’m 42 years old, and this is my first home. I’ve worked my whole life for it, and I can’t enjoy it. My kids can enjoy it. I’m scared to death.”