How to evict a snake from your roofspace

[coconut]

I joined this forum because I had a snake in my roofspace, which I wanted to move because of my pets. The snake catchers I called kindly explained to me that a callout would be rather pointless, as the likelihood of being able to catch it was low. I googled and found that cinnamon and clove oil spray can be used to keep a snake from moving towards you, and here's how I made the snake move out.


You will need:
a bathroom fan that sucks air into the roofspace
clove and cinnamon oil
(clove oil alone worked for me, cinnamon alone may work)
aromatherapy burner ($2 from dollar store) or diffuser


1. In bathroom, mix water with clove oil and diffuse. (Or burn oil in oil burner and put where it won't catch fire eg. bath/shower).
2. Turn on bathroom fan and close door.


It took me three tries. The first two I wasn't sure the snake was there. The third time it was definitely there and left in less than five minutes and I haven't heard it since.


I think this is a rather safe and snake-friendly way to encourage it to move on.

 

[Ned_fisch]

Good work mate! Good to see some people with respect for snakes, good on you!

 

[Fuscus]

If it worked ( as snakes normally only stay for a short time unless there is a compelling reason like food or over wintering) it was properly just the smoke. Smoke scares a lot on animals.

 

[fugawi]

How funny......most of us on here would be stoked to have a snake in the roof and you are trying to get rid of one. I'm not sure of where you live but it would probably be a Morelia type Python which would be totally harmless to you and your family. It would be curling up under the tiles near the eaves for warmth. The snake may be there if there is a rodent problem around your house (bird seed from bird cages etc) and temporarily evicting it from your roof may not solve the problem. You live in its territory and it will not go far. It will probably get back in your roof. The best thing is to do is to make sure your yard has no long grass, no wood piles or sheets of metal or rubbish for it to hide in. Snakes don't like open spaces. If you can, get a photo and put it up on here and we will tell you if it is harmless or not.
Your concoction sounds like a good, safe and harmless method but will probably not be permanent.)

 

[AndrewHenderson]

Next time tell the snake catcher that it is white and has Red eyes.... they'll be there tearing your roofspace apart to find it

 

[kitten_pheonix]

I would love a snake in my roof may get rid of whatever is in there -__-

 

[ianinoz]

I'd be inclined to let it stay there, it'll eat any mice or rats or possums or birds that get into your roof space, at the very least it'll scare them off.

It was doing you a good service. If you can hear it, it was probably catching something that you would rather not living or visiting your roof space.

I am pleased you didn't harm it though. That was good.

My next door neighbours (not the current ones) had either a rat or a possum in their roof and they tried borrowing a cat and putting it up there for day, vermin disappeared while the cat was there, and came back after it was rescued. They then borrowed a python and put it up there and left it there for a week, that did the trick and the owner then retrieved his snake.
Problem solved.

 

[snakelady-viper]

Oil of cloves sprayed around your yard works well also but if it rains you will have to do it again Just remember not to water down too much

 

[starr9]

I 2 would love to have one in my roof!! Most of my life was on a farm in old Queenslander and we always had them in our roof and up in the sheds. I loved it when dad would tell me he had found a skin! Wed go for a look and see if we could find the owner!! Some of the best days of my life to date where watching them in the rafters in the big sheds! One year Dad and his brothers had to relocate one as it had got so big and was eating the chickens (and a few of the feral cats) Dads 6ft 3 and his 2 other brothers are all over 6ft 2 plus another mate to remove it!! was so funny cos dad was the only one who would go near the head!!! I will see if they still have the pic and put it up!!! Oh the good old days!!!

 

[Mayo]

Well done for thinking outside the box I like your thinking, but as has been said I think it will move back in soon enough. If there was a snake in your roof, there was a reason he was there.

 

[mysnakesau]

I have discovered two pythons in my roof. I am happy to let them stay there, so long as they know to move when the tin gets too hot in summer, they have pink bats to rest on, rafters and plenty of mice up there. And I even stuck a couple of hide boxes up there, even though they'd probably never use them.