Snake control in Harat Al Mazloum, Jeddah

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 Harat Al Mazloum

Old timber, voids between walls and small openings in rawashin create perfect passages for snakes, lizards and rodents to move undetected between levels and rooms. The method is set out in full on Snake control in detail.

The first reason

Ancient stone construction and hidden voids within

Thick walls of very old coral stone contain gaps and hollows that are not visible from outside, and aged internal timber provides safe passages for snakes between floors and rooms within the masonry.

The second reason

Timber rawashin and multiple hidden openings

Historic wooden rawashin fronts create multiple voids between old planks and timber, and recently laid wires and pipes leave gaps around entry and exit points not fully sealed into the old structure.

The third reason

Old souqs below street level and basement stores

Souq Al Jami and old trading souqs below street level provide high moisture and continuous rats and insects, and underground stores far from light and traffic offer perfect shelter for sheltering snakes.

Landmarks of Harat Al Mazloum

This work requires knowledge of the quarter's age and very old construction. Al Alawi Street marks the northern boundary and reach from Bab Makkah, while Souq Al Jami helps map the network of underground voids and basement stores where snakes shelter deep within.

Al Shafi'i Mosque
Souq Al Jami
Baeshen House
Bab Makkah
Al Alawi Street

Before treatment

What the site tells us before we start

Very old coral limestone construction, buildings shoulder to shoulder on narrow lanes, timber rawashin and centuries-old drainage, very close to the sea and Islamic Port, high humidity year round.

A shed skin

A shed skin: Voids between the stone walls and old floors provide shelter where shed skins hang caught on wires, timber and the remains of old repairs.

A winding trail across fine sand beside a wall

The track in the sand

The track in the sand: High moisture on old floors and in underground souqs leaves clear water trails marking where snakes and rodents have moved and crossed.

Concrete blocks stacked against an exterior wall

Block and rubble piles

Block and rubble piles: Ongoing repair and restoration work in the quarter leaves old rubble and cut stones as piles that house snakes between patched and mended walls.

A closed metal gate with a visible gap beneath it

The gap under the gate

The gap under the gate: Old wooden doors between the lanes and interior rooms leave large bottom gaps that let snakes and rodents pass freely in and out.

A burrow opening in dry soil beside a garden

Rodent burrows

Rodent burrows: Rats dig beneath the ancient stone foundations and historic walls, creating deep tunnel networks that snakes follow far into the building structure.

A drip irrigation line leaking onto garden soil

A leaking irrigation line

A leaking irrigation line: Very old drainage systems leak steadily beneath the narrow lanes, keeping humidity high and drawing insects and the rodents that hunt them.

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 Historic Jeddah Municipality

The Historic Jeddah municipality covers the quarters of Al Balad inside the old wall: Al Mazloum, Al Sham, Al Yaman and Al Bahr. The buildings are tall houses of coral limestone and timber rawashin, centuries old, standing shoulder to shoulder on narrow lanes that see little sun, many under restoration or partly vacant. The ground is low and close to the sea and the harbour, humidity stays high through the year, and popular souqs and eateries trade late into the night. Old timber, voids between walls and goods stores create conditions favoured by termites, cockroaches, rodents and wood boring beetles.

Questions about this district

Are snakes in old coral stone houses smaller than those in new areas?

Yes. Narrow gaps in ancient stone construction attract smaller, slimmer snakes, while large species cannot squeeze through the tight openings in the old stonework.

How do I tell if a snake is living in the wall or the floor of my old house?

Snakes in walls leave moisture trails and dirt around cracks and openings, whilst snakes in floors leave clear tracks on dust and soil where it gathers under furniture and in corners.

Does removing a snake from a very old house differ from removal in new construction?

Yes. Old houses need very careful handling because walls and foundations are weakened by age and may crumble, gaps are everywhere and snakes may hide very deep inside the structure.

Why do snakes enter through the wooden rawashin fronts of the old houses?

Rawashin provide continuous pathways from the street to upper floors through wooden openings and gaps, and snakes climb them hunting for lizards and small birds nesting in them.

Do the underground souqs attract more snakes than the levels above?

Yes. Underground souqs provide high moisture and abundant rats and insects, and the darkness and voids offer safe shelter for snakes to rest and hunt all day.

Does old repair work in ancient houses leave new gaps for snakes to enter?

Yes. Old repairs and random maintenance work create weak points where pipes and wires are not sealed tight around their entry holes, letting snakes slip through.

How much does snake control in Harat Al Mazloum 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 Harat Al Mazloum.