Liputan6.com, Jakarta - A young mother named Callie Phillips, also known online as "callieoverseas," faced a harsh reality at her farmhouse in rural Central Montana.
The 26-year-old content creator discovered that her family's home was a snake den.
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Initially, the appearance of a few garter snakes inside the house during spring was considered normal for old farmhouses.
However, the situation changed drastically in 2025 when the snake problem "exploded" and the family realized that the reptiles were not just passing through, but had nested and bred there.
The discovery of the garter snakes' primary nest was located under the house's entryway, indicating that the snakes had been breeding undisturbed for years.
"Things were really bad last summer when we realized this is just not just a scenario of a snake getting in the house on random because it's an old farmhouse," Callie says. "The house is a den."
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The Beginning of the Snake Nest Discovery
The Phillips family first noticed snakes around their home around 2020, when Callie's mother-in-law found one.
In the fall of that same year, Callie's mother also found another snake, signaling that the reptiles were becoming a concern.
Callie herself first saw a snake in person in December 2020, a small one slithering across the living room floor.
"She came across it," Callie, who asked for her last name to be omitted, recalls. "It came from the entryway in our house. We had that one in 2020, and then in the fall of 2020, we had another one, and it was my mom who found it."
The situation worsened in the summer of 2025, when they realized that this was no longer just a case of snakes randomly entering the house, but that the house itself had become a major breeding ground for the snake population.
The cinder block structure of the home's basement is believed to have made it easier for these pests to enter and nest inside.
The snakes found in Callie's home were garter snakes, which are not known to be dangerous to humans.
However, Callie made it clear that she did not want them in her home, despite their non-venomous nature.
One spring, 2026, they witnessed eight snakes simultaneously emerging from the foundation of their house.
Chronology and Family Reactions
In May 2025, Callie Phillips shared her experience with this massive garter snake infestation in a TikTok video that quickly went viral, reaching 1.3 million views.
In the video, the narrator mentions that one morning, Callie was greeted by a two-foot-long snake in her kitchen, the eighth snake she had found that week.
Callie had shared her story online in hopes of raising $75,000 to move to a new home.
While many social media comments suggested moving or even burning the house down, those options were unfeasible for Callie and her husband, Chase.
The house was part of Chase's employment as a ranch hand, so moving was not a realistic option for them.
Without the house, they would not be able to care for their cows and horses, which were integral to their lifestyle and livelihood.
Response Efforts and Challenges
To address this snake infestation, the Phillips family has initiated various response efforts.
They are actively sealing cracks, setting traps, and spraying foam at every possible entry point for snakes to enter their home.
However, finding a professional pest control professional in their remote location has proven challenging.
Limited access to professional services has forced Callie and her husband to face the problem on their own, relying on self-help to remove the reptiles.
Callie hopes to receive advice and input from people online regarding effective ways to address this massive snake infestation.