Monday 29 October 2012

Watch Your Step

This is the view out of the door that leads through the shade house to our garage.  It's the main door that we use to come and go from the house.
But the other day when I went to go out I got quite a surprise as I went to step out the door.  This 1.2 m Red Belly Black Snake was having a nice little sun bake right in front of the door on the door mat.
 He/She did not stick around and headed off into the garden.

However when hubby went to put on a load of washing later on it had decided to get out of the heat (38 degrees) and have a sleep behind the washing machine.  We had to spend the day keeping an eye on it but eventually when it cooled down it went back out side.

Any ideas on snake proofing your house?

6 comments:

  1. We disturbed a small tiger snake when we were moving some debris from the drive up to the house and didn't even notice it. This happened 2 months ago when it was still pretty cold here (not that 20C is hot ;) ) in Tasmania and the feral cats punctured the poor little thing! It's apparently going to be a good year for snakes this year and I am already hearing laments about snake sightings in W.A. from family over there. We have a resident big tiger snake that sunned itself in the back yard around our potted plants and enjoyed the wet humid conditions. This year he is going to have to find somewhere else to bask because we moved the pots, whipper snipped the area and now we can see him!

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  2. argh scary! All we do is keep everything very tidy and the grass mowed short (also for bush fire protection), and we don't often see snakes around the house. Also the house is up on poles, so unless they go to the trouble of climbing the steps, I hope they can't get in! Doesn't help you much though... all I can think of is remove any hiding places around the house so they don't get close enough to come inside. Apparently guinea fowl are good to alert you to snakes, but I haven't tried them myself.

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  3. Gives me goosebumps. We had a brown snake hanging around the greenhouse and ended up under the fruit tree near by. Once it was relocated, I lifted the canopy of all the fruit trees around the house so that I could clearly see under them.

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  4. jeepers creepers.....I jump at a dried up tomato stem thinking it is a spider, let alone having a snake under my washing machine...sleepy lizards under there, I only barely tolerate...but snakes..........oh my goodness,

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  5. That would seriously have been taken away in an ambulance. Snakes are my hugest fear and have been since I was very small. I can't even go near the snake pit at the local zoo. You are so brave.

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  6. A colleague bought some solar-powered stake things that vibrate. It sends the snakes nuts. She bought four to set up a perimeter at $80 each on special from her nursery in Narromine NSW. I'm sure I can get you more information if you need it.

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