Snake Catcher Middle Dural
Snake on your Middle Dural property? Call 0418 633 474. If you've found a snake around the house, shed, stable or another area where it's creating a problem, call Urban Reptile Removal on 0418 633 474. Until we arrive, the best thing you can do is keep track of it.
Stay well back and don't interfere with the snake. You don't need to identify it and you certainly don't need to get close enough for a photograph. Just watch where it goes.
On a large Middle Dural property, losing sight of a snake can turn a straightforward removal into a search across sheds, gardens and paddocks. If it disappears underneath something, keep watching that spot.
Snakes are a normal part of Middle Dural
Middle Dural is one of those places where finding a snake shouldn't really be surprising. The suburb retains a strongly semi-rural character, with large properties, paddocks, dams, mature trees, sheds, stables and substantial areas of native vegetation. That's good reptile habitat. It doesn't necessarily mean you have a snake problem. A snake moving across the back of a large property may be doing exactly what a native animal is supposed to be doing. In many situations, the best response is simply to leave it alone. It's when a snake turns up beside the house, inside a shed, around the pool, near animals or somewhere people regularly use that snake removal in Middle Dural becomes worthwhile. That's where we come in.
What snakes do we see around Middle Dural?
The reptile fauna around Middle Dural reflects the mix of bushland, water and semi-rural properties. Some species are associated with dams and wet areas. Others are more likely around trees, sheds or established gardens.
For many acreage properties, Red-bellied Black Snakes are the species most likely to cause concern. Water is often the key. Dams, ponds, creek lines and wet drainage areas support frogs, and frogs are an important food source for Red-bellied Black Snakes. That doesn't mean every property with a dam will have a resident red-belly. It does mean that a healthy dam and the vegetation surrounding it provide exactly the sort of habitat these snakes use. Red-bellied Black Snakes are venomous, but they're generally shy animals. Most will try to escape when given the opportunity. If one is beside your dam and moving away from the house, it may not require any intervention at all. If it's beside the back door, underneath the outdoor furniture or heading into a shed, that's a different matter. Call Urban Reptile Removal on 0418 633 474.
Brown Tree Snakes are another nocturnal species found through the district. They're slender snakes with excellent climbing ability and feed on birds, lizards and small mammals. That can bring them around sheds, garages, aviaries and other structures, particularly where there's plenty of prey available. Brown Tree Snakes are mildly venomous and aren't considered dangerous to people, but they can defend themselves enthusiastically when cornered. If you find one in a confined area, don't try to grab it.
Lace Monitors, or goannas, are also part of life around Middle Dural. Large adults are impressive animals and can exceed two metres in total length. They're powerful climbers and may be seen on tree trunks, crossing paddocks or wandering through yards. They're not aggressive animals looking to attack people. Give them room. Most don't require removal at all. We generally only need to become involved when a goanna enters a confined space, becomes trapped or is creating a specific problem around buildings or animals.
Diamond Pythons are large, non-venomous snakes that occur throughout Sydney's bushier northern suburbs. Middle Dural provides plenty of suitable habitat. Mature trees provide shelter and movement routes, while sheds, stables, roof spaces and other buildings can offer secure hiding places. Rats and mice around animal feed or stored materials provide food. Diamond Pythons are capable climbers, so don't assume the snake you're looking for will necessarily be on the ground. Look up. We've found pythons on beams, rafters, roofs and other elevated structures where people simply hadn't thought to look. They're not dangerous to people and don't automatically need to be removed simply because they're present.
At the other end of the scale are Golden-crowned Snakes. These are small, secretive snakes that spend much of their lives hidden beneath ground cover. Established gardens, leaf litter, rocks, fallen timber and mulched areas can all provide shelter. They're mainly active at night, which is why many encounters happen accidentally during gardening. Someone moves a pot, piece of timber or rock and suddenly there's a small snake underneath it. Golden-crowned Snakes are venomous, but aren't regarded as dangerous to humans. Give them room and don't pick them up.
Green Tree Snakes are completely harmless. They're non-venomous, active during the day and very quick to disappear when disturbed. They're often associated with established vegetation and areas supporting frogs and small reptiles. One of the confusing things about Green Tree Snakes is their colour. They can certainly be green, but we also see olive, brown, grey and blue individuals. If one is simply moving through the garden, leave it alone. In most cases it will be gone before you've had time to worry about it.
Does every snake need to be removed?
No. This is particularly important in a suburb such as Middle Dural. If you own several acres and a snake is 100 metres from the house moving through bushland, relocating it achieves very little. Another snake can occupy exactly the same habitat later.
The situation is different when the animal is:
inside the house
in a frequently used shed
around a stable or animal enclosure
beside a pool or entertaining area
trapped somewhere
regularly appearing immediately around the home
That's when professional snake removal in Middle Dural makes sense. Our aim isn't to remove native wildlife unnecessarily. It's to resolve situations where people and snakes have come into conflict.
Your shed may be more important than your bushland
People often assume snakes are coming onto their property because they live beside bushland. Sometimes the bigger issue is much closer to the house. Take a look inside the shed. Horse feed, chicken grain and bird seed attract rodents. Old furniture and stored equipment create hiding places. Timber stacked against walls gives rodents somewhere to nest. Gaps around doors provide easy access. If you've got rats living comfortably in the shed, there's a good reason for a snake to investigate it. The same applies to chicken coops, aviaries and feed rooms.
Control the rodents and you remove one of the major reasons snakes come close to your buildings.
About Chris Williams
Chris Williams founded Urban Reptile Removal after more than three decades working professionally with Australian reptiles. His career has included working with reptiles at Taronga Zoo and the Australian Reptile Park, and he later founded Snake Ranch, which grew to become Australia's largest reptile breeding facility. Chris has written or co-authored eight books on Australian reptiles and amphibians, including Urban Reptiles and Reptiles of the Greater Sydney Region. He has served as President of the Australian Herpetological Society since 2014 and now works full-time catching and relocating snakes and other reptiles throughout Greater Sydney. Urban Reptile Removal — 0418 633 474
Make the area around the house less attractive
Trying to eliminate snakes from an entire Middle Dural acreage isn't realistic. Concentrate instead on the areas you actually use. Keep grass reasonably short around the house. Get timber and building materials off the ground. Remove sheets of metal, old carpet and unnecessary rubbish. Store animal feed in rodent-resistant containers. Keep sheds organised enough that you can see what's happening at ground level. Think of it as creating a managed zone around the home rather than trying to change the entire property. And don't waste money on snake repellents. There isn't a spray, powder or ultrasonic device that creates a reliable barrier around your house. Good property management is considerably more useful.
Need a Snake Catcher in Middle Dural?
If a snake has turned up somewhere it shouldn't be, don't try to solve the problem yourself. Keep your distance and keep watching where it goes.
Then call: Urban Reptile Removal — 0418 633 474 Professional snake catching and snake removal in Middle Dural, seven days a week.