Snakes are fearsome and frightening creatures. They’re so frightening, that science claims thatOphidiophobia– or the fear of snakes – is one of the most common phobias around.
While one might think they’re safe from snakes because they live in urban areas, there are still some instances of snake sightings in Indonesia. Some have even recorded incidents of large snakes slithering inside housing units or coming out from the toilet bowls!
If you’re someone who is afraid of snakes or just don’t want them entering your home unit, here are some ways to keep them out and away from your home and yard:
1. Keep the rodents away
Rats are one of the major food sources for snakes, so make sure you don’t have any in your home garden. Thanks to the snake’s hinged jaws, they are natural predators of mice, rats and other kinds of rodents. Snakes use their tongue to “sniff” out and track prey, so catching the scent of a rodent inside your home might lead them there.
To prevent rodents from entering in the house, always keep your surroundings clean, remove any food sources and seal off holes and gaps that rats and mice might come through. There are also numerous rat control solutions that you can use if rats are present in your home.
2. Keep grass short and trimmed
If you have an outdoor or garden area, always make sure to keep the grass short as this will discourage snakes from crawling about near your house. Snakes often use tall grass to avoid being seen by predators like large birds and stray cats or dogs. And since snakes are cold-blooded, they use the shade from shrubs as a resting place to stay cool when the sun is out, which is a good reason to avoid letting grass grow tall enough to be used as snake cover.
In the event that you spot a snake in your garden, never try to confront it on our own. Slowly move away from the snake’s area and avoid startling it. You should also take note of where it’s headed and evacuate your family and pets to a safe distance before calling pest control. Keeping in mind these useful tips can save you and your family from a deadly snake encounter.
3. Seal up cracks
Cracks and crevices are also an opportunity for snakes to enter homes. Since snakes have flexible bodies, they can easily fit themselves through even the flattest crevice without anyone noticing and might even use these cracks as their entry point.
Make sure to seal off any crack or crevice on damaged walls and decks, especially those damaged by water or other pests that cause damages to structures.
4. Place fitting fences or walls around your residential as a deterrent
If your house is located near forest areas, then you are more at risk when it comes to snakes, since snakes love forested environment and most of the time make their nest there.
In order to protect yourself from a possible snake encounter, the best thing to do is to set up a perimeter fence or wall around your home as a line of defense. This will help prevent snakes from coming close to your home and making a nest on your garden or outdoor area.
5. Remove clutter in your yard or garden
Removing clutter around your home is also an important task to do to avoid snakes settling near or even inside your home. Clutter like a pile of unused things, piles of cut or dried grass, or even a stack of rocks and stones provides snakes with the best environment of shade when it’s too hot outside or warmth when it’s too cold, making it the best place for them to settle and rest. So never leave these things cluttering around your garden or yard.
Snakes can be calm and harmless, but are very dangerous when threatened. So never try to handle a snake on your own if you ever encounter one inside or around your home and always try to be as far always as possible. Always contact a local pest control company in Indonesia to help you deal with snakes professionally.
