Snake control in Al Shubaikah, Makkah

Targeted, not broadcast

Product goes into cracks and runways, never sprayed across open surfaces.
Told before we start

What we will use, where it goes, and what to cover or move before we arrive.
A follow-up visit

We return after the first treatment, because what survives it does not show on the day.
Homes and businesses

Apartments and villas, and kitchens and stores that need a record of each visit.

Why they keep coming back in Al Shubaikah

Snakes in Al Shubaikah typically travel along the main lanes or hide in tight gaps between houses rather than staying in a single home for long. The method is set out in full on our Snake control service.

The first reason

Alleyways as pathways for travel and feeding

The narrow lanes between old houses provide safe routes for snakes to move about searching for rodents without exposure to bright light or open space. A snake may use the same path every night, making it possible to predict its movement and locate it reliably.

The second reason

Gaps between adjoining houses and weak old foundations

Old adjacent houses have tiny gaps between their walls and weakened foundations that allow snakes to pass through with ease. The gaps may be so small they are invisible from outside, yet wide enough for a snake's body to move through.

The third reason

Proximity to Jabal Omar and external sources of snakes

Al Shubaikah borders Jabal Omar, which may be home to wild snakes. Snakes from the hill may descend into the coastal quarter hunting for rodents and water, especially in seasons when resources on the hill run short.

Al Shubaikah on the map

Al Shubaikah sits about 0.5 km from Al Hajlah and about 1 km from Al Tandabawi.

Open in Google Maps

Before treatment

What the site tells us before we start

Narrow alleys between old houses, proximity to the hillside and open spaces nearby provide natural passages for snakes to move about hunting for rodents throughout the district.

A shed skin

A shed skin is left in tight gaps between houses and the dark corners of the alleys themselves.

A winding trail across fine sand beside a wall

The track in the sand

Tracks are clear along the lanes between houses, where soil and dust have accumulated over centuries.

Concrete blocks stacked against an exterior wall

Block and rubble piles

Block and rubble from the historic district lie in corners and confined gaps between the old buildings.

A closed metal gate with a visible gap beneath it

The gap under the gate

The gap beneath old doors and the ground allows snakes to enter from the alleys directly into houses.

A burrow opening in dry soil beside a garden

Rodent burrows

Rodent burrows are numerous under ancient foundations and in the voids beneath and between tightly packed dwellings.

A drip irrigation line leaking onto garden soil

A leaking irrigation line

Water seeping from old pipes and natural springs in the alleys provide drinking water to both rodents and snakes.

How we work

1
Inspect and locate

We work the perimeter, the garden and the service rooms with a torch and a mirror, reading the tracks, the skins and the burrows to establish whether it is still on site and where it came in.
2
Safe removal

It comes out on a hook and tongs into a closed container and is released away from buildings where that is possible, with no chasing it around a room.
3
Close the routes, take away the shelter

A strip under the gate, sleeves around pipe entries, tight covers on the floor drains, and the blocks and palm fronds moved off the wall line.
4
Cut the food, then come back

We treat the rodents and the geckos on the perimeter, then return once that activity has settled to check the sealed points and look for any fresh track.

What snake control includes

A recorded site inspection

Perimeter, garden, service rooms and pipe entries, with tracks and skins recorded before anything is applied.
Drains and entries closed

Tight covers on floor drains, sleeves around waste and air conditioning pipe runs, and the weep holes in the boundary wall closed.
Rodent work around the building

Closed bait stations on the rodent runs, because cutting the prey is what makes the site stop suiting them.
Perimeter treatment down the food chain

Insects on lit walls hold the geckos, and geckos feed some species, so we treat the chain from the bottom up.
A perimeter housekeeping list

What to move off the wall line, how low to cut the ground cover, where the lighting sits, and what to do if you see another one.
A scheduled follow-up

A set date to check the sealed points, the rodent stations and any new track in the sand.

Landmarks of Al Shubaikah

Al Shubaikah lies enclosed between the historic Al Shubaikah Cemetery on one side and the Grand Mosque on the other, and snakes may move freely through the tight lanes connecting these landmarks. A thorough search starts at the cemetery perimeter and ends with sealing houses facing Harat Al Bab.

The Grand Mosque
Al Shubaikah Cemetery
Jabal Omar
Khalid ibn Al Walid Mosque
Ibrahim Al Khalil Street

Questions about this district

Do snakes in Al Shubaikah come from Jabal Omar or do they live permanently in the quarter?

Snakes may come from the hill and also be established residents of the quarter. The narrow lanes and old houses provide permanent shelter, but the adjacent hill provides a repeated source of new snakes descending in search of food.

Does facing the Grand Mosque mean snakes may come from the Haram direction?

The Haram itself has its own monitoring and maintenance systems, but snakes may arrive from voids under the roads leading to it from various directions. The short distance between you and the Haram may conceal unexpected passages.

In narrow alleys, is it possible to seal all entry points from outside?

The alleys themselves are public space, and the snake may enter from any point along the lane. Effective sealing focuses on entry points to your own house, not on the public lanes.

Are the rodents in the tightly packed old houses enough to keep a snake in the district long term?

Yes. Tightly packed old houses provide many rodents because of the numerous gaps and old underground networks. A snake may stay in the quarter for a long time as long as rodents remain available.

If I treat the rats in my house, will the snake go to my neighbour's instead of leaving the quarter?

Very likely. The snake will hunt for food in neighbouring houses that harbour rodents. Treating rodents across several adjoining houses, or even across the whole quarter, is far more effective than a single household acting alone.

Does reporting the problem to the Al Shubaikah administration or district office help with snakes?

Local authorities may help treat rodents at district level or in public spaces, but effective control starts with direct action in your house and coordination with your immediate neighbours.

How much does snake control in Al Shubaikah cost?

It is set after the inspection, because the price follows the type of infestation, the size of the space, how far it has spread and the number of visits it needs. Send a photo and a description on WhatsApp and we will give you an estimate before we reach Al Shubaikah.