Shreveport Gardeners Beware: Your Nets Could Harm Local Wildlife

Steve's Snaketuary has quickly become a topic of conversation in Shreveport. Some of us claim that the unique reptile rescue is doing the Lord's work. I personally am petrified of snakes, and the thought of trying to take a snake out of a toilet or any other place in my house freaks me out.

You Can Call Steve's Snaketuray For Safe Snake Removal in Shreveport

Of course, you are expected to make a donation if the team goes out to help you out; how else can this crew stay saving us like they do? Steve's Snaketuray just had a very concerning rescue that has caused them to warn Shreveport residents about a certain netting.

The Crew at the Snaketuary is Begging Shreveport Residents to Not Use Netting

Steve's Snaketuray took to ther  Facebook to say "We got called out yesterday for 2 snakes caught in netting around a fence. When we got there, these 2 Rat Snakes had already died in the heat. It had only been 30 mins. Do NOT use netting! It is a very cruel way for these snakes and other animals to die!"

When Steve's Snaketuray was asked how to avoid this issue altogether, the answer was simple. "Snakes won’t make your home its home unless there is a constant food source. As long as you don’t have a problem with mice and rats, the snake will keep moving." They went on to say that just because you see one snake, it doesn't mean that more snakes are nearby. "They (snakes) don’t run in pairs or groups."

It isn't just snakes that are being harmed by netting, the Wildlife Rescue League has warned people about the dangers of netting. Bill Crisp, a licensed wildlife control operator in Virginia, told the Wildlife Rescue League that although he mainly works with snakes, while working in the field, he has encountered birds, owls, and even squirrels that have found their way into garden netting. "I have spent hundreds of hours educating people about the harm that garden netting does to our wildlife.”

What other alternatives to netting can we use in Louisiana? The Snaketuary crew said the best solution is to be proactive, to cut your grass really low and destroy any hiding spots. "Snakes are ectotherms, which means they can’t regulate their own body temperature. They use the outside temperature to warm up and cool down. If it gets too hot outside, they look for a cooler spot. If it gets too cold, they look for a warmer spot. They are constantly moving, looking for food too."

The crew at the Snaketuary warn us not to fall into those quick and easy gimmicks they may try to sell us at the store: "Lime, sulphur, moth balls, and even Snake Away stuff do NOT work. It’s not toxic to snakes. Plus, that stuff has a chemical in it called Naphthalene. Naphthalene is extremely harmful for people to breathe in and can make people very sick. It’s actually a carcinogen, so it can cause cancer. So don’t put any of that out."