Snakes and hot humid weather – local awareness.

Living in a rural community, we should all know that snakes are a normal part of everyday life.  At least for those of us not in the middle of town, and even then on rare occasions, we spot the beasts out in the yard as they make their way elsewhere.

The hot and humid conditions presented this Summer thus far have been ideal for snake population blooms, and perfect moreso due to the sudden boost in frog, rat and mice populations.

Killing snakes is no longer an option in Queensland, and Snakes are protected under the Nature Conservation Act 1992. It is an offence to kill, injure or take snakes from the wild. It is a good idea to check your states requirements.

It is essential to call a snake catcher to REMOVE snakes in your home, or on your property.

OUR LOCAL SNAKE CATCHERS

QUICK SNAKE TIPS:

■ Leave it alone — snakes are not likely to chase you if you let them be.

■ If you see a snake inside, get all humans and pets out of the room, shut the door, fill the gap underneath with a towel and call a professional snake catcher.

■ If you see a snake outside, call a snake catcher if it disappears into a shed or under a vehicle.

■ Remember that even small snakes can be dangerous — baby brown snakes have venom right from the egg.

■ Stick to the trails in parks and reserves.

■ Keep your yard clear of long grass and rubbish.

■ Clean up after chooks and control rodents on your property as rats and mice are food for snakes.

The Department of Environment, Land and Water has a good deal of information youshould consider following to prevent snakes inyour yard:

Backyards

Make your backyard unsuitable for snakes.

• Place your garden beds away from your home.
• Keep your lawn short.
• Stack timber piles neatly so that rodents and snakes can’t hide there.
• Tidy up your yard during the colder months when snakes are less active
• Place food scraps in closed compost bins to keep rodents away from your home.
• Wear gloves, long pants and covered shoes when gardening.
• Lift objects so that they face away from you. This will help protect you if a snake is sheltering underneath.

Homes

• Stop snakes entering your home by screening doors and windows, and blocking all potential entry points.
• If a snake finds its way into your home, close your internal doors, open your external doors and give the snake a chance to leave.
• Never interfere with snakes. They will defend themselves. A high number of snakebites are from people trying to handle, interfere with or kill snakes.

Nurseries and aviaries

The warm environment in nurseries and greenhouses can attract snakes.

• Keep your nursery and greenhouse clean and tidy.
• Keep plant trays elevated to ensure visibility.

Rats and birds attract snakes.

• Make your bird aviaries rat and snake-proof. Talk to your pet shop about ways to prevent snakes entering aviaries.
• Store bird seed in rodent-proof containers.

The outdoors

When hiking:

• stay on formed paths or tracks so that you can see and avoid snakes
• carry a first aid-kit that contains pressure bandages
• wear protective clothing such as covered shoes and trousers
• carry a torch at night so that you can see where you are going.
• ensure you have your EPIRB or satellite phone.
• tell someone where you are going and make a mud-map for them to find you.
• avoid hiking alone.

Informational Sources: 
https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/plants-animals/animals/snakes
https://mysoutherndowns.com.au/my-region/emergency-contact-numbers/