A technician checking a boundary wall line and pipe entries at ground level

Snake control in Harat Al Sham Jeddah

Harat Al Sham is the northern part inside the old city wall at Bab Al Madinah, a quarter of ancient coral stone houses such as Dar Al Zahid connected by very narrow alleys. Once the merchants' quarter, snakes enter here because the tight lanes and aged stone full of deep cracks offer ideal shelter for rodents and snakes together in permanent shadow.

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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 Sham

In Harat Al Sham snakes shelter beneath the ancient wooden rawashin and in deep cracks between stones. They use the extremely narrow alleys as passages because these provide constant darkness and protection from light. The method is set out in full on what Snake control involves.

The first reason

Very narrow alleys and permanent shadow

Alleys in Harat Al Sham are so narrow that sunlight cannot penetrate. Darkness favours snakes and rodents alike. These alleys provide safe passages where snakes move unseen.

The second reason

Ancient stone walls full of deep cracks

Stone buildings are hundreds of years old, weathered and fractured. Deep cracks offer crevices snakes favour, and rodents dig their burrows in these fissures.

The third reason

Old wooden rawashin provide ideal shelter

Antique wooden screens are centuries old with large gaps between them. Snakes and rodents shelter in them and move freely between quarters using surfaces and rawashin as overhead routes.

Harat Al Sham on the map

Harat Al Sham sits about 0.5 km from Harat Al Mazloum and about 0.5 km from Harat Al Bahr.

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Before treatment

What the site tells us before we start

The district lies between Madinah Road and the old wall. Buildings are tall coral stone with old wooden rawashin (carved screens). Deep underground foundations contain many gaps and cavities.

A shed skin

A shed skin: Deep cracks between stones in Harat Al Sham hold shed skins and clear crawl marks.

A winding trail across fine sand beside a wall

The track in the sand

The track in the sand: Narrow alleys have high moisture and damp soil carries obvious crawl marks.

Concrete blocks stacked against an exterior wall

Block and rubble piles

Block and rubble piles: Around the quarter restoration debris and broken stone offer shelter for snakes.

A closed metal gate with a visible gap beneath it

The gap under the gate

The gap under the gate: Old wooden doors are worn and have no seals at all. Snakes enter directly.

A burrow opening in dry soil beside a garden

Rodent burrows

Rodent burrows: Very deep burrows run beneath foundations and between stones housing mice and rats.

A drip irrigation line leaking onto garden soil

A leaking irrigation line

A leaking irrigation line: Water from alley cleaning and old wells provides moisture and standing water for insects and rodents.

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 Harat Al Sham

Harat Al Sham lies between Bab Jadid at the northern edge and the nearby Qishla barracks. Snakes use Dar Al Zahid and the roofline of Banaja House as launch points to move between narrow alleys, and shelter in the Ribat Al Khunji Al Kabeer where wide underground cavities provide refuge.

Bab Jadid
Dar Al Zahid
Banaja House
Ribat Al Khunji Al Kabeer
The Qishla

Questions about this district

Does permanent shadow in the lanes help snakes?

Very much. Snakes are active at night and permanent darkness makes the lanes ideal habitat for them throughout the day.

Are cracks between old stones real entry points?

Absolutely. Deep wide cracks offer passages where snakes walk directly from outside into the structure.

Do wooden rawashin provide overhead routes?

Yes. Snakes climb old wooden screens easily and gaps within them offer shelter and overhead passages.

Are deep underground foundations beneath old lanes a problem?

Seriously. Foundations below ground are very deep and their cavities are never cleaned. Snakes and rodents live there.

Do narrow dark stairs help snakes move upward?

Absolutely. Narrow stairs provide safe passage where snakes move from below to above without being seen.

Do Bab Jadid and the Qishla area provide food for snakes?

Yes. These old areas draw people and rubbish, rodents come for food, and snakes come to hunt them.

How much does snake control in Harat Al Sham 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 Sham.