Snake control in Al Tandabawi, 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 Tandabawi

Snakes in Al Tandabawi climb from old drainage systems and historic underground channels, hiding in gaps between stones, walls and repeated floors. The method is set out in full on Snake control in detail.

The first reason

Old drainage and tightly packed urban fabric

Al Tandabawi is very old, drainage lines are outdated and underground channels are broken with constant leaks, buildings are tightly packed and shared sewers connect the entire quarter. A snake enters the drainage and moves beneath the close-set houses.

The second reason

Narrow lanes and tight gaps between houses

Streets are very narrow and buildings stand close together, small gaps and cracks in old stone provide safe passages for snakes and rodents. A snake may enter a house from its neighbour via a tight gap or crack.

The third reason

Cafes, small hotels and food scraps

Cafes and small hotels in Al Tandabawi hold food and beverage scraps, drainage from these outlets leaks into shared foundations, rodents are abundant and snakes follow the prey.

The character of Al Tandabawi

Historic district: close-set buildings, narrow lanes and ageing services

Tightly packed old neighbourhoods with close-set houses and historic underground channels mean multiple hidden gaps, requiring thorough inspection of every house and precise sealing of all gaps, cracks and shared openings with neighbours.

Before treatment

What the site tells us before we start

An old Makkan suburb near the central zone, tightly packed lanes like Al Makwar and Harat Al Yaman with Al Mansour Street on its western edge. It holds a medieval street pattern with dense traditional buildings now threaded with newer structures, cafes and small hotels.

A shed skin

Shed skin is left on damp walls and dark corners between houses, or around gaps and cracks in old stones.

A winding trail across fine sand beside a wall

The track in the sand

Tracks appear in soil and sand in tight gaps between houses and narrow streets, around old drain openings and channels.

Concrete blocks stacked against an exterior wall

Block and rubble piles

Rubble piles from ongoing demolition and construction around Jabal Omar and the central zone offer temporary shelter.

A closed metal gate with a visible gap beneath it

The gap under the gate

Gaps between tightly packed houses and deep cracks in old stones and walls are the main entry points.

A burrow opening in dry soil beside a garden

Rodent burrows

Rodent burrows in gaps between houses, cafes, hotels and old underground channels attract snakes.

A drip irrigation line leaking onto garden soil

A leaking irrigation line

Damp from leaking drainage and broken channels and dark gaps dampens walls and foundations.

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.

What is different about Ajyad Sub-Municipality

Ajyad sub municipality takes in the districts that press against the Grand Mosque from the south and west: Ajyad, Al Hajlah, Al Shubaikah, Al Tandabawi and Al Mansour. Hotels and rented apartment blocks for Umrah visitors stack up along Ajyad Street and Ibrahim Al Khalil Street, with kitchens and restaurants running aday and night in season. Behind them, Al Shubaikah and Al Tandabawi keep narrow old lanes on hillside ground where buildings and drains are ageing, and demolition and construction sites are a constant presence around Jabal Omar and the central zone.

Questions about this district

Snake in an old house next to the Grand Mosque. Does it come from the mosque?

No. Snakes do not come from the mosque itself. They come from old drainage and underground channels that connect the district. The old neighbourhood and aged drainage are the source.

Hotel buildings for Umrah visitors. Do they have more snakes than residential houses?

They may have more rodents due to food scraps, and rodents attract snakes. Hotels and cafes may be a source of snakes for the district.

Drainage from the hotel and cafe beside us. Does it affect our house?

Yes. Shared drainage connects all houses and shops. Rodents and snakes may migrate from the hotel to your house via shared sewers and gaps.

Is shutting the door and window enough in an old tight neighbourhood?

No. The snake may already be in gaps between walls. Sealing all small openings, cracks and gaps is essential.

Old underground channels beneath the houses. Can they be treated?

Treating old channels is difficult and may require municipal authorities. But sealing all gaps in your house and treating rodents prevents snakes entering.

After removal, might snakes come from the neighbouring district?

Possible if the neighbouring district has a snake problem. Shared drainage connects old districts, but good sealing of your house protects in most cases.

How much does snake control in Al Tandabawi 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 Tandabawi.