We can't relocate snakes — but we can take away the reason they're visiting. The single biggest predictor of a snake on your property is a rodent problem.
Why this matters in Toowoomba
The Darling Downs is home to eastern browns, common tree snakes, carpet pythons and the occasional red-belly. From October through April they're active, and they follow exactly one rule: they go where the food is.
Pest controllers in Queensland can't legally catch, kill or relocate snakes — that's a job for a licensed snake catcher. What we can do is something much more useful long-term: take away their food supply.
The rodent-snake connection
An adult eastern brown will eat a mouse every few days. A property with a quiet rodent problem in the shed, the roof void or the chook pen is basically a snake takeaway. Solve the rodents and the snake visits drop dramatically within a season.
This is why we get a spike in snake-anxiety calls every January on properties that had 'just a few mice' all winter.
Making your property less attractive
Keep grass below ankle height around the house perimeter.
Move firewood, building materials and old corrugated iron at least 10m from the house. These are five-star snake hides.
Seal weep holes with stainless mesh and fill gaps where pipes enter the slab.
Get serious about rodent control — proper external bait stations, not the occasional supermarket trap.
If you have chickens or aviaries, lock them up tight and clean up spilled feed daily.
If you find a snake on the property
Don't approach it. Don't try to kill it (illegal in Queensland and the leading cause of snake bites).
Keep people and pets inside, watch it from a distance, and call a licensed Toowoomba snake catcher — search 'Toowoomba snake catcher 24/7' and most are on call.
Then book a rodent inspection. The snake was on your property for a reason.