When you are enjoying nature, whether for a leisurely hike or to work in your yard, the last thing you want to worry about is snakes. But some 3,000 snakebites occur each year, mostly in eastern Australia and often in urban areas, close to where people work, live and, yes, garden. While many snakes are non-venomous, encountering one is at the very least unsettling, even though they are usually more scared of you than you are of them.
Australia’s red-bellied black snake
The Bird Gard Solar Snake Repeller is a simple, safe and relatively inexpensive solution for both you and the snake. Using solar energy with a backup battery, it emits a variety of sounds threatening to all types of snakes. When confronted with menace larger than themselves, snakes will retreat rather than attack. This goes for even the largest and most dangerous species.
Other precautions are also in order:
Be aware of where snakes like to hang out — under logs, among rock/wood heaps or in walls and other dark places. Keep the grass mown and avoid going through long grass or reeds. Well-mulched areas such as shrub beds and vegetable gardens also offer cool respite for snakes during the summer, so especially be careful when walking or working in these.Know their habits: Snakes are more active in the early morning and also during the warmer months of October to May, so you may be more likely to encounter one during these times. In the transition periods between then and winter hibernation they are sluggish, so during the early spring and late autumn they may not move out of your way or warn you before striking.
Red-bellied black snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus). Photo Donald Hobern CC2.0
Watering provides a food source for snakes, attracting frogs, lizards, birds and rodents. While the snake repeller may help deter these as well, Bird Gard also offers solutions to fend off rats, mice and other pests. Also keep bird feeders and nesting boxes away from the house.Most snakebites occur around the ankle, so wear protective clothing such as long pants or boots/high-tops. Some strikes are also to the hand, so thick gardening gloves might also be in order. Before picking something up on the ground, make sure to look at it first.If you come across a snake and there is no direct route of escape, back away very slowly. Never try to deal with the snake yourself; attempting to physically pick it up or handle it is the most common reason for getting bitten. Unless you have an endless buffet of rodents or other small critters as a food source, it will eventually move on.
Eastern Tiger Snake (Notechis scutatus). Photo Teneche CC3.0
Solar Snake Repeller from Bird Gard
But the Solar Snake Repeller will minimise if not eliminate close encounters of the serpent kind. Unlike other snake repellers which make a single monotonous sound, the Bird Gard model has two random vibration modes, emanating a five-day cycle of distinctly different noise patterns which take and keep snakes off guard and consistently away. The Snake Repeller also has LED lights which illuminate the ground at night. While the maximum coverage area of a single repeller is a 30 metre diameter circle, it’s best to purchase at least two and install them no more than 25 metres apart; or more, depending on the size of the area. And in addition to the garden, repellers can also be placed near clotheslines and play areas and on property boundaries or creek lines.
Along with being sturdy and weatherproof (IP44 rating), the replaceable, rechargeable battery keeps it going rain or shine, although you’ll need to set it out in the sun two days before installation to make sure it remains charged at night and during overcast weather. It’s also relatively quiet, although you will need to submerge the shaft deep in the earth, tightly compacting the dirt around it. In addition to reducing any sounds you may hear, it will send underground vibrations even further and make the repelling action more effective. Burying will also help camouflage the repellers, maintaining your garden’s natural beauty.
More info on the Snake Repeller can be found here
[This is a sponsored post brought to you by Bird Gard P/L]
