Snakes spotted on cars, inside homes, even in washing machines

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Snakes sightings in the Carolinas are on the rise. Experts said North and South Carolina's mild winter is to blame for more snakes being spotted this year.

The snakes aren't just being found in backyards. Some people are finding them in their homes.

Dr. Mike Miltich is a surgeon, so there isn't much that catches him off guard. But when he heard his wife Ann yell last month, he knew something was wrong.

"It was crazy," he said. "All of the sudden, a multi-decibel scream echoed through the house."

His wife Ann thought she was picking up dog poop in her Cornelius living room until she felt something hit her wrist. It was a snake.

"It started wiggling like crazy," she said. "So I went out and got my trusty garden clippers."

The garden clippers didn't work. Neither did Mike's scissors or their son's knives even though all three were going after it at once.

(WEB EXTRA: Why are snakes being spotted so often this year?)

"It was a tough little booger," she said.

The doctor's medical degree came in handy. He put pressure on the snake's body, making it easier to cut -- and eventually they killed it.

Snakes ending up in unusual places isn't anything new.

Most people don't remember doing daily chores from eight or nine years ago, but what Tina Tugwell saw in her Wesley Chapel bathtub made the day impossible to forget.

"I looked over there and it was a little black snake," she said. "I had to stare at it a few minutes, like, ‘How the heck did you get in my bath tub?’"

(Click PLAY to watch what happens when a rattlesnake comes in contact with our GoPro camera)

Michael Burt removes snakes with his company A All Animal Control. He said snakes in bathtubs and living rooms is about par for the course for Charlotte.

He understands why people are afraid and admits even he gets caught off guard.

"I don't care if you’re 4 foot or 6 foot, a real buff guy, I get a lot of guys that are in there screaming," he said.

Sometimes, they're screaming for a good reason.

Grover Barfield has 27 snakes; from harmless corn snakes to dangerous rattlesnakes. He rescues them with the Carolina Reptile Rescue.

When Barfield was young, his family killed what turned out to be a harmless king snake. Since then, he has vowed to learn and teach as much as he can about snakes.

"We define fear as lack of knowledge," he said.

He said people should make sure their lawns are maintained and keep mulch, wood piles and bird feeders away from the home.

(WEB EXTRA: Snake myths)

If a snake gets inside, there's a good chance birds or mice are in there as well.

"All snakes have a purpose, they keep the ecosystem in balance," he said.

Experts said the most common snake people will find in or around their home is a black snake. But if there is any doubt about whether it’s poisonous, residents should call an expert to have it removed.

Cox Media Group