Snake in the washing machine? 7 Practical ways to keep snakes away from household items |
An event of a snake being found in a washing machine is the latest addition to a growing list of incidents that have shown many homeowners how snakes might sometimes invade their residences, especially in the monsoon season when living near farms, gardens, or other areas where water bodies exist. Although rare, experts explain that snakes usually come in search of warmth, shelter, or food like rodents and frogs and never for any kind of interaction with humans. Taking a few precautions around your residence will help reduce the probability of such accidents. Below are seven tips that will help you protect your household things and yourself from these reptiles.
Always examine your appliance before use
If you have a washing machine located outside, in the balcony, garage, or any other utility space, get used to examining it each time you need to use it. You should check if there are any reptiles in the drum, under the machine, or in pipes and hoses if the lid of the appliance was open earlier. Dark, cool locations might sometimes attract some wild life looking for a place to hide.
Keep utility area clean and uncluttered
Like any other reptile, a snake likes to stay hidden from any disturbance. Cardboard boxes, newspaper piles, unused buckets, sacks, gardening tools – all those items create a perfect hideout location in utility areas. Cleaning behind your appliances and getting rid of unneeded clutter will make fewer places available for snakes to hide.
Seal up the entry points in your house
Even small holes near doors, windows, plumbing pipes, drain outlets, and cracks in the walls could be used as an entry point by the reptiles. You should examine the outer surface of your residence periodically and plug up openings with mesh, weather strips, cement, and appropriate sealant wherever it is needed. Paying special attention to this procedure before and during the rainy season will help you protect your residence from snakes.
Keep the population of rodents under control
The majority of snakes do not come to your house on purpose to find interaction with people – snakes follow food. Such little creatures as rats, mice, frogs, and lizards tend to attract snakes to residential areas. Proper storage of food, regular removal of garbage, cleanliness in the kitchen, and getting rid of rodent infestation eliminate one of the major factors why snakes decide to visit your household.
Take care of your garden regularly
Bushy grass, dense foliage, piles of firewood, bricks, and unused pots are the perfect locations for snakes to hide in. Keeping your lawn well-trimmed, pruning foliage, organizing your garden storage space will make it less attractive for reptiles. In case you live near farmland or woods, you might benefit from having a clear strip around your house.
Plug up the drains and get rid of damp places
Open drains, cracked drain covers, and standing water in utility areas might attract frogs and bugs, and, consequently, snakes. Installation of the proper covers for your drains, repair of broken pipes, and prevention of water accumulation will help reduce opportunities for wildlife around your household.
Keep calm and contact a trained snake rescuer
In case you see a snake in your house or any household appliance, you should try not to remove it yourself. It is not recommended to beat, capture or provoke the snake since a scared snake tends to attack and bite. Instead, you should try to move children and pets away from the snake, isolate the room where it is located, and call your local forest department or authorized snake rescue team.
