Snake removal in Hornsby
If you've found a snake at your home or workplace in Hornsby, call 0418 633 474.
Stay calm, step back, bring children and pets indoors, and let us handle the rest. You don't need to take a photo, identify the snake, or keep watching it. Snakes almost always retreat to the nearest hiding place, and a trained catcher will locate it when we arrive. We stay on the phone with you and talk you through what to do until we get there.
About Hornsby
Hornsby is one of the most wildlife-rich suburbs in northern Sydney. The bush corridors, deep valleys, tall eucalypts, established gardens, walking tracks, and easy access to Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and Berowra Valley National Park bring native fauna right into people's backyards. Snakes move freely between bushland and residential streets, especially through the warmer months. We respond to a high volume of snake removal calls here every year.
The species we see most often
Golden-crowned snake. Small and nocturnal, with a pale yellow marking across the head and nape and a pink or reddish belly. Venomous, but bites usually produce only local symptoms. Shy, prefers damp leaf litter, shaded gardens, rock crevices, and raised garden beds. Often seen after rain or on warm humid nights. Frequently confused with juvenile brown snakes because of their size.
Red-bellied black snake. Glossy black with a red or pink underside. Common around creeks, drainage lines, frog-rich gardens, damp corners, and shaded valleys — Hornsby has plenty of all of these. Less defensive than browns, but venomous and serious. Should only be handled by a professional.
Diamond python. Large, non-venomous, calm by nature, but startling because of their size. Excellent climbers, often seen resting in trees, curled in sheds, draped across fences, or in roof cavities. In Hornsby and the suburbs bordering the national parks, diamond pythons play an important role in controlling possum populations. We encourage residents to leave them alone where it's safe to do so. When relocation is needed, their size and strength means it should be done by a trained handler.
Green tree snake. Slim, fast, harmless. Bright green, olive, or dark grey with a yellow underside. They climb well and turn up on fences, in shrubs, behind garage walls, near pool areas, and high in trees. When startled, they flatten their bodies and show pale blue between the scales, which can be alarming if you don't know the species. They aren't venomous. They still need a trained catcher to relocate from inside a home.
Blue-tongued lizard. Not a snake, but the most common reason people in Hornsby call us thinking they've seen one. Slow-moving skinks that hiss and puff up when threatened, displaying a bright blue tongue. They feed on snails, slugs, and insects, and are excellent for the garden. If you're not sure what you're looking at, call. We'd rather come out for a blue-tongue than not come out and find out it wasn't.
Where snakes hide in Hornsby properties
Hornsby's leafy gardens, bush borders, sandstone walls, sheds, and sloping yards offer plenty of cover. The places we find snakes most often:
Under retaining walls and sandstone blocks
Behind hot water systems and air conditioners
In sheds, especially behind stored items
Under pot plants and raised garden beds
In hedges, shrubs, and long grass
Beneath decks, steps, and outdoor storage
Along fences and building edges
Around pool equipment and garden structures
Under timber, tiles, metal sheets, or leftover building materials
In wheelie bin bays
Under children's outdoor play areas
When you call us, you don't need to keep watching the snake. We use species behaviour, temperature, time of day, and property layout to work out where it's likely gone, and search methodically from there.
Why snakes turn up here
Snakes follow food. Hornsby's bush-rich environment supports high populations of frogs, insects, skinks, possums, and rodents. When prey animals move through a garden, snakes often follow. They don't target homes — they use the landscape like every other native animal, and Hornsby's landscape happens to run right past your back door.
After we leave
We'll explain what brought the snake in and what can be done to reduce future visits. Chemical repellents, powders, and ultrasonic devices don't work — there's no evidence for any of them despite the marketing. What does work is removing the conditions: keep grass short, lift stored items off the ground, tidy garden beds, secure outdoor pet food, control rodents, trim overgrown bushes, clear unused building materials, keep fence lines clear, and organise sheds.
A few things people often ask
Does one snake mean more are nearby? No. Snakes don't travel in pairs, don't form groups, and don't nest in suburban yards. One sighting almost always means one snake. Once it's relocated, the issue is usually resolved.
Did I do something wrong? No. Snakes move through every suburb in northern Sydney. Hornsby just has more of them than most because of the surrounding bushland.
If a snake is inside the house
A snake inside the home is an emergency. They get in through open doors, damaged screens, rodent holes, gaps near pipes, and worn door seals — especially in older homes and units bordering bushland. Leave the room, close the door behind you, and call 0418 633 474.
We work across Hornsby and the surrounding Hornsby Shire every day of the year. If you hear unusual movement, notice your dog or cat fixated on one part of the yard, or just want to check — call. We'd rather come out for nothing than have someone put themselves at risk.