Contractors uncovered dozens of snake eggs beneath the porch after several inspections failed to reveal the problem before the family moved in.
SALVISA, Ky. — A Kentucky couple who bought their first home in August says they have found at least 25 snakes inside the property since moving in, prompting contractors to tear into a porch and uncover dozens of snake eggs near the home’s foundation.
Jessica and Johnathan Perry bought the Mercer County home after Jessica Perry said she fell in love with the property when the family toured it. They closed Aug. 5, according to reporting by WLEX, and the first few weeks passed without an obvious problem. Then snakes began appearing. The discoveries have since led the family to spend thousands of dollars on extermination, repairs and efforts to seal possible entry points while they investigate whether additional dens may be hidden around the house.
Jessica Perry told WKYT that she encountered the first snake about three weeks after buying the house while taking out the trash with the couple’s 5-year-old son at home. More snakes appeared over the following days. About a week after the first sighting, Johnathan Perry and a friend went into the basement and found two adult snakes and several juveniles, she said. The couple says the total found inside the home has since reached at least 25.
The snakes have been described in local reporting as rat snakes, which are nonvenomous constrictors. Some of the snakes found around the property have been large, with WLEX reporting that Jessica Perry encountered one measuring about 6 feet in the basement. The family has continued checking the basement regularly because snakes have appeared even after efforts were made to remove them and close openings around the property.
Multiple home inspections conducted before the purchase did not uncover what the Perrys later identified as a den beneath the front porch, according to WKYT. The family hired a contractor to break into the concrete after the snake sightings continued. Jessica Perry said workers found dozens of eggs beneath the porch, including eggs that appeared new and others that looked much older. Other evidence, including shed snake skins, was reported around areas leading toward the foundation.
The discovery prompted the Perrys to ask neighbors and others familiar with the property about its history. Jessica Perry said a former owner told her the property had been known as the “snake house” when he was a child. She also said neighbors were familiar with snakes being found there. Those accounts have increased the couple’s concern that the den beneath the front porch may not be the only one associated with the house.
Jessica Perry said the family now fears there could be additional snake dens within or alongside the foundation. That possibility has made it difficult to determine the final cost of addressing the problem. The couple has already spent thousands of dollars on the unexpected work, according to their interviews with local news outlets. A fundraising campaign created by a family friend says contractors and exterminators have worked on the property and that additional repairs remain necessary.
The couple has also changed how it manages the property. They have cleared brush near a creek, worked to seal openings around the house and routinely search the basement for snakes. WKYT reported that they also plan to remove the back porch to determine whether another den is present. More work could be required if snakes are entering through additional areas of the foundation.
The Perrys said their biggest concern is having snakes continue to enter the house while their young son is living there. Although the snakes reported so far are nonvenomous, the family remains uneasy about the possibility of them reaching the main living areas. Kat Dale, lead keeper at the Kentucky Reptile Zoo, told WKYT that snakes can become defensive when frightened and that people who cannot confidently identify a snake should seek help from a qualified wildlife professional.
The full extent of the problem remains uncertain. The family has not confirmed whether more dens are beneath the house, and the final cost of repairs is not yet known. For now, the Perrys continue monitoring the basement and preparing for additional work around the property as they try to determine how many entry points or nesting areas remain.
Author note: Last updated November 13, 2026.