Boniform: Prevention

By Sandhya

If possible, avoid areas with snakes. Snakebites tend to happen most during warm weather and when the weather is beginning to cool off. When temperatures drop during the evening and night, snakes are attracted to buildings or other objects that hold heat from the day.

Before you visit, hike, or camp in a new area, do the following:

Learn about the snakes that may live in the area.
Learn the proper first aid for a snake bite.
Know where the closest medical facility is in case of an emergency.
Take a mobile phone with you.
Leave snakes alone. Do not try to kill a snake or get a closer look. Stay at least 6 feet away from any snakes you see.

While Camping/Trekking :

• Wear long pants and boots.

• If you are camping in an area that has snakes with long fangs, layering with multiple pairs of pants help

• Stay on hiking paths

• Be cautious and alert when you climb rocks.

• Do not pick up firewood or rocks unless you are sure that you are out of a snake's striking distance.

• While walking through knee-high-grass, disturb the grass ahead with a stick to ensure that there are no snakes.

• Keep your bags/haversacks and boots above the ground. Preferably closed to deny entry to snakes, these are good overnight shelters for snakes.

• Before you wear your boots, hold its sole from toe side and bang the heel side on the ground several times to disturb any snake or biting and stinging insects inside and let it go.

• During summer, when there is a scarcity of water, snakes may be attracted to cool spots near tents. So do not wet the soil around tents.

• Make sure that you keep your tent zipped anytime that you aren't going into or out of it. If you are in your tent and want to see outside, make sure that your tent has a mesh window or door that you can zip and still see outside.

• Rats or other small animals are attracted to leftover food at night. Snakes are likely to follow rat tracks. Make sure that your leftover food is thrown far away at a designated area or buried.

• Remember that most snakes can swim very fast.

At Home

• Drain-pipe openings of your kitchen and bathrooms should have fixed mesh caps (not hinged) to deny easy entry to snakes, which may stray in while chasing rats or to hide in a cool and dark place.

• All windows should be fitted with mesh.

• The bottom of doors should have rubber lining, on the outside, to stop the gap, so to prevent any snake creeping in.

• There should not be any vegetation (such as creeper, bush or small tree) touching the walls of the house, which can help a snake to climb to windows and any ventilators.

• Disinfectants with pungent smells, like phenyl may be regularly used to wipe the floor and in the drains. Snakes avoid unpleasant smell.

• Use torchlight at night – all local poisonous snakes are active in the evening and at night.

Note:

Snakes usually don't bite you without alarm:

- Cobra – lifts vertically front part of the body (1/3), opens hood, makes hiss, rushes to the aim.

- Vipers - make a spiral from a tail, bend like zigzag front part of the body, and make a strong hiss.

If you meet a snake, go back slowly, don't do sudden movements, do not turn your back to the snake, do not run, and give the possibility for a snake to go away