A vibrant red-bellied black snake. Photo: Illawarra Snake Catcher.
A red-bellied black snake that went looking for love in Woonona recently picked the wrong venue for romance.
During his wanderings in the mating season, he stopped for a brief sunbake at the Holmes residence, which backs on to Russell Vale Golf Course, only to end up in the wash.
“I was working from home in our backyard studio and when I went to walk inside the house I saw a huge, red-bellied snake sunning itself at the back door,” Erin Holmes said.
Sensing her presence the snake took off into her nearby outdoor laundry.
Erin pulled the laundry door closed to contain the snake and called her teenage son to help carry some sandbags to stop it from escaping.
“We also rounded up our dog and cat and put them in the house in case they tried to approach the snake out of curiosity,” she said.
Erin then called snake catcher Glen Peacock, who was luckily nearby on another job.
At first glance into the laundry, Glen thought the snake had escaped until he started tapping the side of the washing machine.
“I stuck my metal hook under the machine and heard it hissing,” said Glen.
“It was on the laundry floor under the machine but when I started to annoy it, the snake began climbing up towards the lip of the washing machine barrel.
“I put my ear up against the machine and I could hear it sliding up the metal,” said Glen.
“When it got to the top, I removed the washing machine’s inspection panel at the back so I could grab him with my hook.
“It wasn’t aggressive, but red-bellies can get a bit defensive during removal.”
Erin, who stayed well back, said although their house was surrounded by bush and close to the escarpment, it was the first time a venomous snake had ventured into their backyard since they moved in 11 years ago.
“It freaked me out a bit, and I was shaking for a while afterwards,” she said.
Erin Holmes has never had a venomous snake venture into her Woonona yard, let alone her washing machine. Photo Supplied.
“I saw on Facebook it was the second red-belly sighting in Woonona, which was probably due to the balmy spring weather.
“We are on the edge of Russell Vale and Woonona with an easement next to our property, so when there is that much bush around I think they just wander.”
Glen, as he normally does, released the snake deep into the bush on the escarpment.
He said it was too early to say what sort of snake season was ahead “but 99 per cent of the sightings so far are males out and about looking for a mate”.
“The females usually stay put in their winter holes for a while and let the males come to them,” said Glen.
“By its size and behaviour, I’d say this one was a male, and a chunky one at that.”
With his wife, Pam, and two other handlers, Glen runs Illawarra Snake Catcher, a business offering 24-hour service to catch and relocate snakes that turn up in domestic or business environments.
Glen was not surprised by the the hiding place.
“Over the years I’ve removed snakes from unusual places like cupboards, showers, dryers, electrical substations – and I even fished out one in the flushing section of a toilet,” he said.
“They’ll often enter the house through holes in the brickwork. Once they get inside the wall cavity, they will follow that around and come through the weak points in your house which are usually bathrooms, kitchen or laundry if the plumbing seals are weak.”
Glen said in his experience the latest phase of using electronic snake repellers was a waste of time and money.
“The device emits a buzzing noise, which is supposed to create vibrations to ward off snakes, but I recently saw a red-belly sunbaking right next to one and he didn’t look like he was going anywhere,” he said.
