Snake protection or farce?

A local maintenance company is offering a snake repellent spray service which may keep snakes at bay.

However, local snake catcher David Hoehler believes that this and other over-the-counter snake repellents are ineffective and unproven – a sentiment shared by many snake experts worldwide.

For the average home owner, snakes immediately spell danger and the snake is either removed by a snake catcher or killed. For many, snake repellents offers an attractive alternative, especially as it is said not to be harmful to snakes or the environment.

Johan Marais, CEO of the African Snake Bite Institute, herpetologist and renowned author, is also sceptical about snake repellents.

“We have done some very elementary testing on these products and the general consensus worldwide is that they are a waste of time and do not really work,” said Marais.

He is currently involved in trials testing these products and will release the findings in a scientific journal once the research is finished.

Marais consults for different mines across Africa and teaches workers how to handle and remove snakes which are common in and around mining operations.

“The bottom line is that if I could find a repellent that works, I would sell it to mining companies around the world. Morally, I cannot do that because there is no evidence to prove the repellent works”.

Shaun Pillay, who does building maintenance along the North Coast, offers a snake repellent spraying service.

“I buy the mixture from Durban and we spray along the perimeter of homes and gardens,” he said.

Pillay has received positive feedback from clients, but admitted that he cannot guarantee the product will work.

He once witnessed a snake being killed next door and was so saddened by the event that he decided to look into alternatives.

“We do not want people killing snakes on their properties. The idea is to protect the snakes and keep them out of harms way,” he said.