LOS ANGELES _ Bo Slyapich seeks what no one else wants to find.
On a recent morning, he waded into grass so high and so dense his legs disappeared from view. He crouched low and then lay on his stomach as he scoured the backyard of a house above Pacific Coast Highway.
The homeowner looked on from a safe distance. Luna, the family dog, barked as Slyapich invaded her territory, but kept back as well.
Slyapich was trying to flush out rattlesnakes from under a rock, inside a dirt hole or behind a leafy plant. For 30 minutes he hunted his prey _ climbing and crawling, prodding and poking with sticks and tongs _ plotting a course with the confidence and caution that come from decades of experience.
Southern California is home to at least half a dozen snake removal services that extricate the animals from their hideouts and take them away, allowing families to safely spend time in their yards. When Slyapich and other experts complete their mission, they often leave awe in their wake.
Rattlesnakes can be found up and down the state, which means, in theory, calls for assistance can come from a variety of locations. But rattlers are frequently associated with hills and mountains, and the multimillion-dollar mansions nestled among them. Slyapich's clients have included Jamie Foxx, Dwayne Johnson, Howie Mandel, Ellen DeGeneres and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
You might think that the continuing development of what was once wilderness would reduce the rattlesnake population near homes, that our desire to tame nature will, ultimately, drive them away from where humans settle. But it often seems the opposite is true: the encroachment that upends snake habitats may make backyard encounters even more likely.
Slyapich can attest to that _ he is called back to the same homes year after year. He visits some properties monthly. One client has spotted more than 100 rattlesnakes on her land.
Slyapich is well aware of the ironies of his job. As he often says to customers: "We build our homes on their homes, we just build nicer ones."
