Many seem to have a phobia about snakes, and nothing anyone can do or say will make it any easier to ease that fear.

There are rare times when TMD has to remove snakes which have been found around shrub, grassed areas in mostly empty lots and near the boundaries of the town. Yes, there are snakes in the area and there will always be some around in nature but it is important to know and accept that: Snakes have their place in nature and Snakes are actually needed!

Without snakes, we would be in some danger of being overrun by rats. Snakes swallow one rat every 5-14 days.
But, of course, we don’t want them anywhere near us.

Recently we have been experiencing a very hot weather and usually snakes will also come out when their hiding places feels too hot, trying to look for cooler temperature suitable for their bodies.

Here are some ideas to help you deal with snakes and what to do if you ever do encounter them:

1) Prevent a snake to come in to your house or your yard
• Snakes are found where there is food – make sure you don’t leave food that attracts rats – the local snakes’ favorite food. Clean your house and its surrounding area. Put all your kitchen garbage into the rubbish bin.
• Cut all high shrubs, tall grasses and weeds, tidy and remove all debris, rocks, wood, pipes that pile around your house or yard.
• Close all holes in the house where they can hide, such as under storage areas or in wall openings.
• If you fear snakes may come into your property pour a line of sulphur (salt is not so good but it will do) in front of your doors, and even across any openings in your garden where they may come in.

2) What to do if you come across a snake
• Don’t threaten a snake unless you know what you are doing.
• Snakes don’t want to bite or even attack human beings, or dogs either. They will only attack if they feel threatened. They do not attack unless provoked or startled.
• Don’t panic, and don’t stand in the way of its escape. Stand away so that it can flee. There is no need usually to kill it thereby endangering yourself and your family and pets.
• It is important to give an accurate description of the animal to TMD – alive or dead, so that we all can recognize the snakes we do have in the area and do preventative measures.
• If you find a snake and want it removed, immediately phone our 24 Hours’ Emergency service at 0800 900 911 or go to the nearest security.