General Precautions & What to do if you find a Snake on Your Property

General Precautions

• Always disturb the garden and mulch piles with a long stick before putting your hands in. Teach your children to do the same before retrieving stray balls or toys from the garden.
• Wear thick gloves when gardening
• Wear long pants and covered footwear when walking through long grass
• Remove rubbish piles which attract rodents and piles of building materials such as timber and sheets of tin which provide shelter for snakes.
• Shake boxes and storage containers before putting your hands in. If a snake is inside, you should hear it move.
• Clean up leftover dog and cat food, bird seed etc. These attract rodents which in turn attract snakes.
• Be aware that when you install ponds and other water features in your yard you are attracting an abundance of wildlife, including snakes.
• Be aware that caged birds and chickens attract rodents. Many species of snakes will happily eat all three animals.

What to do if you find a Snake on Your Property

• Never attempt to catch, corner or kill the snake. 95% of all snake bites occur whilst attempting this.
• Always remove children from the vicinity of the snake as calmly and quickly as possible.
• Keep dogs and cats away from the snake.
• Never place yourself between the snake and your pet. Hose your pet with the garden hose to keep it away from the snake.
• Call a licenced snake catcher and keep an eye on the snake from a safe distance until the snake catcher arrives.
• Remember that no snake hunts humans, cats or dogs. However, they will defend themselves vigorously if confronted and/or threatened.