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Jessica Perry says her family began finding rat snakes in their Salvisa, Kentucky, home within weeks of closing in early August. The family has paid thousands of dollars for mitigation and faces further repairs; a friend started a GoFundMe, while the source of the infestation and the home’s condition after the latest sighting remain uncertain.
A family in Salvisa, Kentucky, says it has found dozens of rat snakes in its home since buying the property in early August, with pest-control efforts and possible structural repairs adding to the cost. Jessica Perry told LEX 18 that her family is still trying to address the problem after recently finding another large snake in the basement.
Perry said she first saw the home on Zillow over the summer and fell in love with it. She and her husband closed on the property in early August. The first few weeks appeared normal, she told LEX 18, before the family began finding snakes inside.
During the first week they realized the home had snakes, Perry said, they found two adult rat snakes and several juveniles in the basement. The family later encountered dozens more throughout the property. Rat snakes are non-venomous constrictors that primarily eat rodents, birds and eggs, according to the WKRC report.
Perry said an exterminator placed traps around the home and a contractor removed the porch to investigate where the snakes might be entering. Beneath it, workers found shed skins near the foundation and multiple eggs. Perry said she believed the area had been a den for a long time. The openings around the home were then sealed, but she reported finding a six-foot snake in the basement recently.
Costs Beyond Pest Control
The infestation has brought both immediate expenses and the prospect of more substantial work for a family that bought the property to live in. Perry said they have already spent a couple thousand dollars trying to remove the snakes. She also said one contractor estimated that significant basement work could cost about $4,000 to $5,000.
Those figures are estimates and expenses reported by Perry, not independently verified totals. Still, the account shows how an unresolved problem discovered after a home purchase can create costs beyond routine pest treatment. The latest reported snake sighting also suggests the family does not yet know whether the measures taken have fully addressed the issue.
A friend has started a GoFundMe campaign to help with the costs, according to WKRC. Perry said the family hopes to keep the home and raise their son there, while working to control the problem.
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From Porch to Foundation
The reported timeline began with the family’s purchase in early August, followed by the first basement sightings within the first few weeks. The investigation then focused on the porch and the home’s foundation, where contractors found shed skins and eggs, according to Perry’s account to LEX 18.
Perry said the previous owner did not disclose a snake problem. She also told the outlet that, in a later conversation, the former owners said the property had been nicknamed “the snake house.” That description is Perry’s account of what they told her; the report does not independently establish what the previous owners knew or when they knew it.
WKRC reported the story from Salvisa, about 30 minutes west of Lexington. The available account describes the family’s experience and repair efforts, but does not provide an inspection report, a pest-control assessment or a legal finding about disclosure.
““We found snake skin sheds going into the foundation of it.””
— Jessica Perry, speaking to LEX 18
The Infestation’s Extent Remains Unclear
It is not clear how many snakes remain on the property, whether the recent basement sighting involved a snake entering from the same area, or whether sealing the openings and setting traps will stop further appearances. The report does not identify a confirmed entry point or provide an independent inspection of the foundation or basement.
The family’s account that the former owners called the property “the snake house” is not accompanied by comment from the former owners or documentation of any prior infestation. The available reporting also does not establish whether a disclosure was legally required or whether any claim has been made against the sellers.
The reported $4,000 to $5,000 basement repair figure is a contractor’s estimate relayed by Perry. The final scope, cost and timing of repairs are unknown, as is the total the family may ultimately spend.
More Repairs and Fundraising
Perry’s family is continuing its efforts to control the snakes after the latest reported sighting, and the GoFundMe started by a friend is intended to help pay for the work. The family may also need to decide how to proceed with the basement repairs once the work required and its cost are clearer.
Further updates would be needed to establish whether pest-control measures have ended the sightings, what repairs are completed, and how the fundraising effort affects the family’s costs. The report does not give a schedule for additional work or state that authorities, insurers or legal representatives are involved.
Key Questions
Where is the home?
The home is in Salvisa, Kentucky, about 30 minutes west of Lexington, according to WKRC.
What kinds of snakes did the family find?
Perry reported finding rat snakes, including two adults and several juveniles in the basement. The WKRC report describes rat snakes as non-venomous constrictors.
What work has been done to address the problem?
Perry said an exterminator set traps, a contractor removed the porch to investigate, and openings around the home were sealed. The family later reported another snake in the basement, so the effectiveness of those steps is not yet clear.
How much could repairs cost?
Perry said the family had spent a couple thousand dollars on efforts to remove the snakes. She also reported that one contractor estimated basement work could cost about $4,000 to $5,000; that is an estimate, not a confirmed final bill.
Has the family taken legal action against the previous owner?
The report does not say that the family has filed a legal claim. Perry said the previous owner did not disclose the snake problem and that the former owners later told her the home had been nicknamed “the snake house,” but the account does not include their response or a legal finding.
Source: local12.com
