Help, there is a snake in my yard!

MBOMBELA – Snakes appear in and around homes more often in summer, making one wonder where they suddenly come from.
Chris Hobkirk, well-known snake handler and owner of Lowveld Venom Suppliers, explains that the activity patterns of reptiles are reduced in winter when they often find shelter in building foundations. In spring they become active again and re-emerge.
He shares some tips to deter snakes from your property
The likelihood of a snake on your doorstep depends on location, surrounding landscape, presence of a water source, lawn and garden design and maintenance schedule.
• He suggests keeping lawns short. Snakes are less likely to move through short grass since it increases their exposure to predators. Trees and shrubs should be trimmed away from the house and ground.
• Bird feeders should be moved away from the house. “Birds are messy eaters, and scatter seed below their feeder which attracts rodents and eventually snakes.”
• Hawks and owls are natural snake predators, and can be attracted with a perch pole in open areas so that they have a view of the yard and surrounding area.
• Feeding pets outside attracts insects and rodents. If feeding outside is necessary, clean up uneaten food right away.
• Cracks and holes should be sealed and filled in summer when snakes are not using them. If it is done while snakes are inside, they are forced to enter the house or die in the foundation.
• Snakes search for food in sheds or garages during summer, specifically for mice and frogs. Eradicating the latter will discourage hungry snakes from entering. Mice can be controlled by removing their food sources and nesting sites. Animal food must be kept in tightly-closed metal containers.
• Certain types of landscaping may be appealing to snakes. Avoid using damp mulch or large stone.
• Snakes seek out yards that provide cover for them and their prey. Remove woodpiles near buildings and move away debris in which rodents might reside.
• Hobkirk says the only way to absolutely keep snakes out is with a physical barrier. “Any fence can be turned into snake-proof fencing. Attach 1,5 metres of shade cloth or aluminium flashing to the outside bottom of a fence that goes all the way around the yard and bury the bottom of the shade cloth or flashing 20 cm into the soil. Gates should have the same snake-proofing and be kept closed to be effective.”
• Snakes tend to travel along a fence rather than go over it. If the fence ends or has an opening, the snakes will enter the yard at this point.
• He warns against companies taking advantage of people’s fear of snakes to sell ineffective products or services. “Solar snake repellents and snake deterring sprays do not work,” he emphasises. “People still believe in popular snake repellents like Jeyes Fluid, old oil, petrol, diesel, chlorine, Condy’s crystals, burning tyres, mothballs, sharp-edged gravel and commercially-available snake repellents to keep snakes away, as well as a number of plants like geraniums and garlic.”
• According to Hobkirk, research in the USA showed that snakes immediately associate with smells in the environment where they hatch and may even link those smells with a safe environment which could attract them later. “A variety of substances (including Jeyes Fluid and snake repellent) were tested at Wits University recently and nothing actually repelled snakes. These results will soon be published in a scientific journal.”
• He says vibrating devices are also a waste of money. Although snakes easily sense vibrations, they quickly get used to it and even live next to drilling and construction sites or busy highways.
• The killing of indigenous animals (like snakes) without the necessary permits is illegal, but unfortunately no one ever enforces it where reptiles are concerned. “Rather have it removed by one of the more than 30 reptile recovery volunteers across Mpumalanga,” Hobkirk advises. “Never try to do it yourself unless you have been trained.”
Hobkirk has been teaching this skill for more than 10 years and offers the last course of 2017 on December 9 at the Halls training centre.
He can also be contacted for free advice, snake removal and relocation on
082-372-3350 or reptile@mweb.co.za.