A snake in the house or garden is frightening, but in South Africa most snakes that turn up near homes are harmless, and nearly all are protected in some way. A trained snake handler catches the animal safely, identifies it, and releases it alive in suitable bush. Killing a snake is rarely necessary and often how bites happen. Send one request with your suburb, what you saw and where, and local snake handlers contact you directly. It is free and there is no obligation.
Snakes you are likely to meet
The most common visitor is the brown house snake, a harmless rodent eater often found in roofs and garages. The mole snake is large, nervous and non-venomous, and it eats rats and moles. The dangerous ones need respect:
- Puff adder: thick, sluggish and well camouflaged, it sits still on paths and bites if stepped on. Venom is cytotoxic and causes severe swelling.
- Mozambique spitting cobra: spits venom at the eyes, and is common in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng gardens.
- Boomslang: shy, tree-dwelling and back-fanged, with slow-acting venom that affects blood clotting.
Ask the handler to identify the snake from a photo you take from a safe distance. Do not guess from colour alone, because many species vary widely.
What to do while you wait
Stay calm and keep your distance, at least three to five metres from a cobra. Do not try to pick up, sweep, spray or kill the snake. Most bites on people happen during attempts to do exactly that. Instead:
- Keep children and pets indoors and shut the door to the room.
- Note where it went, and keep watching if you can do so safely.
- Place a damp towel along the bottom of a door to contain it.
- Call the handler and send a photo if possible.
If someone is bitten, go straight to the nearest emergency room and do not cut, suck or tie off the wound. Note what the snake looked like, but never delay to catch it.
Why handlers relocate, never kill
Snakes keep rodent numbers down, and removing one often leaves its territory open for another. Most species are protected under provincial nature conservation laws, so a handler must release the snake alive and in suitable habitat, away from homes but not so far that it cannot survive. Reputable handlers use tongs, hooks and bags, and many carry bite insurance. Ask whether they will identify the snake, release it nearby, and give you advice afterwards. Anyone who offers to kill every snake is not the right person to hire.
Make your yard less attractive
Snakes come for food and shelter. Rats and mice are the main reason, so tackle them first with rodent control and tidy up. Clear rubble, firewood stacks, building waste and long grass; seal gaps under doors and sheds; trim branches touching the roof. Keep pet food and chicken feed in closed containers. A general treatment from a pest control company can reduce frogs, lizards and insects that attract snakes too. Snake repellents rarely work, and we would not rely on them.
What to include in your request
- Your suburb and street access
- A photo taken from a safe distance
- Where the snake was last seen
- Children, pets or livestock nearby
- Whether it is urgent, today or tonight
Snake Removal for different properties
- Homes and families: a handler to catch a snake in the garage, roof or garden and release it alive
- Landlords, agents and body corporates: a prompt callout for tenants, with advice on rubble and rodents the landlord can fix
- Restaurants and food businesses: removal from storerooms and loading areas where rodents attract snakes, with a written callout record
- Hotels, guesthouses and lodges: quiet, discreet catching in gardens, pool areas and chalets without alarming guests
- Offices, schools, clinics and shops: removal from car parks, courtyards and school grounds, with safety advice for staff
- Factories, warehouses and mines: catching snakes on mine and plant grounds, in stockpiles and around warehouse docks
- Farms, grain stores and smallholdings: handlers who catch snakes in barns, feed stores and sheds, and release them on the farm
- Exporters and freight forwarders: snake checks at depots and sheds with long grass, pallets and stacked stock
Frequently asked questions
How much does snake removal cost?
Is it legal to kill a snake on my property?
Will the snake come back?
Can the handler find a snake I can no longer see?
Snake Removal by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg