Smitten by snakes – Minimising encounters around the home

(Rian is always available to remove snakes, do demonstrations, consult for “fewer snakes’ yards, and just talk about snakes.)

Working in your garage, you pick up that new sump from the bottom of the cupboard for your engine, and hear a hissing noise… You’re standing in the scullery, putting a load of washing in to the machine, and you hear what sounds like water leaking out from under the washer, but you haven’t put the water on yet… In your high-walled garden you hear the leaves that you’ve raked up moving, and see a long thin tail moving into the pile…

These are all realities that can and have happened in the past, reptiles in suburban areas! The mere thought sends shivers down most people’s spines, and has them running for their shotguns. You cannot truly keep a snake or reptile out, but there are ways to minimize their presence in suburban environments.

We need to know a little bit about snakes and reptiles before we can lessen the chances of encounters.

Snakes and reptiles are secretive, most of them prefer coming out early in the morning, late in the afternoon, or at night. During the times when they don’t move, they prefer to hide as best they can. In suburbia, they prefer compost heaps, old building material which is normally just piled into a corner of the yard, piles of rubbish, water features, ceilings of houses and sheds, holes in the ground or walls, and other small, snug places away from their predator’s eyes.

They come into suburbia for two things only: water and food. During the current drought all manner of snakes and reptiles are moving into built up areas, looking for pools of water for drinking, and for their food that has also moved in. Rats and mice enjoy hiding in piles of rubbish, compost heaps, store rooms and holes all around the house, and breed and destroy in the dark corners all over the property. Frogs and toads prefer moister habitats near water features such as ponds and fountains, and breed in such places in high numbers. These and other animals such as geckos, which breed and live around lights outside houses, attract snakes into yards, and the snakes remain there until the prey items are gone, and then move on to areas where there is still food. Very few snakes actually stay in the same place for extended periods of time.

Removing rubbish piles, compost heaps (which offer the perfect breeding habitat for both snakes and their prey) and such minimizes hiding places for predator and prey. Closing up and sealing all holes that you can find in walls, or the ground also removes hiding and breeding places. Building material, rubble, old planks, bricks and such should be stacked tightly, and off the floor to prevent reptiles hiding in there. Trees, shrubs and plants should be kept away from house walls, trimmed away from the ground and property walls to prevent reptiles from being able to move unseen, or even using the branches to get into ceilings of houses. They are very shy creatures, and prefer to move in corners and tight spots where there is cover, through thick foliage where they are better camouflaged, and they are less likely to be seen. Clearing out old store rooms and keeping places clean is the start, as it removes the prey from your yard, and thereby lessens the need for reptiles to hunt around your house. Water features, although pretty and nice, offer breeding places for amphibians, and thereby attracts snakes. Keeping amphibians from breeding in the ponds or water features lessens the chances of a snake coming in for a quick meal, without having to remove the water feature.

With the weather starting to cool down now, prey items are no longer breeding, and snakes are starting to get their last meals in before looking for places to hide for the colder months during winter. Snakes do not hibernate like other animals, and can be seen out and about on warm winter days, just catching some sun, before disappearing back down their hole to hide till the next warm day, but rarely move out for eating during the cold months, and never far from their hiding place.

If you think you have a snake in a pile of rubbish that you are going to remove, or see a snake or reptile in your yard, please remain calm, keep an eye on it from a safe distance, it is only looking for water or food, and immediately call a competent, trained person to remove the snake or reptile safely.

Another Article  you might want to read:Smitten by snakes and the Oscar goes to Rinkhals

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