Liam McNally
The warmer sssspring weather has woken up the most slithery residents of Melton, Wyndham and Brimbank, and residents have taken to Facebook to share numerous snake sightings.
Star Weekly spoke to local wildlife controller Jarrod Bingham about what residents can expect from a particularly hot spring-summer season, and what to do if snakes get a little too neighbourly.
Mr Bingham said that while the warm spring may bring the snakes out earlier, that doesn’t necessarily mean the entire season will be particularly busy in his line of work.
“It’s a common question for all snake catchers that we get, is this year busier than usual?” he said.
“Yes they may come out earlier in different years due to the weather, but in terms of numbers our call outs do even out to roughly [1,500] every year.”
Mr Bingham said that once the weather heats up to be consistently higher than 30 degrees, snakes aren’t actually out for that long at a time.
“Put it this way – a reptile is basically a living solar panel, they can’t switch this thing off… On a 30-plus day if a snake is in the sun for longer than 20 to 30 mins it will die due to the heat,” he said.
“So in these warmer days you’ll find snakes hanging around the pool, under bushes, attempting to get inside, anyway to escape that harsh sun.
“So keeping that in mind, keep doors closed and be vigilant when walking out under your patio that there may be a possibility that you have a friend under there trying to escape that heat.”
Mr Bingham said general advice for keeping snakes away from your yard includes keeping it generally clean with a mown lawn, trimming bushes around the base, not leaving piles of rubbish, rocks or wood laying around, closing up holes, and keeping pet water bowls away from doors so animals seeking water aren’t coming to walkways.
“If you see a snake remain calm and don’t panic… that snake is more scared of you, trust me, so just stop what you are doing and let that snake slither away from you,” he said.
“If it can’t get out of the property on its own accord or if you are in a built up area where it would be safer removing it then as soon as the snake is some distance away to safely move back then by all means keep an eye on it or call a snake catcher.
“If you live in a council that offers a free service to its residents then call council straight away.”
