Reducing snake encounters around your home
Focus on shelter, access and food attractants rather than promises of a completely snake-proof property. Make maintenance a routine, and never disturb an area where you have just seen a snake.
Keep commonly used areas clear
Maintain lawns and keep timber, building materials and garden debris neatly stored. These changes reduce concealed spaces around busy parts of a property. Wear covered shoes, long pants and gloves when gardening.
Do not put your hands into places you cannot see. If you find a snake while moving stored materials, stop, step back and keep others away. Resume the work only when it can be done safely.
Guidance: Logan City Council: snake safety
Reduce rodent attractants
Store bird seed and animal feed in secure containers, clean up spilled seed and keep food scraps in closed compost bins. Pay particular attention around chicken coops and aviaries.
The goal is to reduce food that attracts rodents and other prey, not to harm snakes or indiscriminately remove wildlife habitat. Ask a suitable professional about persistent pest or property-access problems.
Guidance: Logan City Council: snake safety
Check doors, screens and gaps
Repair flyscreens and inspect gaps around doors, windows and pipes. Weather-stripping or suitable sealing can reduce entry points. Consider overhanging branches near the roof as part of normal property maintenance.
Arrange this work before an encounter, not while a snake is occupying the area. Do not block an animal into a building, crawl beneath a structure to search for it or attempt to remove it yourself.
Keep a simple household plan
Make sure everyone knows to step away, keep children and pets clear and call a local catcher when professional help is needed. Save suitable local contact details and check them periodically.
If someone may have been bitten, call 000. Learn first aid through an appropriate training provider rather than waiting for an emergency to practise it.
Guidance: healthdirect Australia: snake bites
Call 1800 4 SNAKE (1800 476 253)
If someone has been bitten, call 000. Never approach or handle a snake to identify it.