If left alone, they prefer not to conflict with man. But we continue to invade their domain. This displacement leads to confrontation. Snakes are drawn to our yards, homes and buildings because we unintentionally create environments they like. Most snakes encountered are nonpoisonous.
People tend to believe any snake they see is venomous when in fact the opposite is probably true.
The most common snakes eat small rodents such as rats or mice. So, definitely snakes would like to dwell in such places where they have abundant food available. You may find snake nests where there is such food. This may be in a crawl space, an attic or around water. Bird feeders attract rodents which will definitely attract snakes.