Uncollected refuse may have attracted rats and snakes

ACCORDING to professional snake catcher Nick Evans, the piles of unremoved refuse that resulted from the municipal strike may have attracted rats, which, in turn, were followed by snakes that eat them.

Also read: Snakes south Durban residents are most likely to encounter during snake season

“With all the rubbish around, we are making the rats very happy. Durban already has a problem with the invasive house rat, a pest species across many parts of the world. Now, with all this rubbish, they’ve got even more food and materials to use to make nests. I’d be surprised if their numbers don’t go up because they breed quickly,” said Evans.

He said snake removers always find rat nests in ceilings, storerooms, cupboards, garages and under the beds of homes they are called to.

“High rat populations mean happy rodent-eating snakes, such as Brown House Snakes and Black Mambas,” he said.

Does this mean there will be a population explosion of snakes? Evans’ answer is no.

“Snakes breed at certain times of the year. Most mate in spring and some in winter but not when opportunities arise, such as now. It does, however, mean we could see more snakes being attracted to properties due to the current situation,” he said.

Evans added that he has received many calls from people asking if the greater Durban area is experiencing a snake infestation.

“There is no snake infestation. Over the weekend and last week, snake activity was far quieter than normal. I received very few calls. I spoke to some other removers who experienced the same. As I explained above, we have a healthy snake population. Right now, it’s hatching season, so there are babies around. But many get picked off by predators quickly,” he said.

He advised residents to clear rubbish around their homes as it could attract rodents which will be followed by snakes that hunt them.

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