Reactions have emerged following the death of a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Personnel Lance Corporal Ogah Bercy, attached to the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), who died of complications from snakebite in her toilet at the NAF Base Bill Clinton Drive Abuja.
Questions on how snakes and other reptiles manage to enter our bathrooms and toilets have been raised and asked by many across social media.
Though its not very common for snakes to be found in toilets. More plumbers have seen snakes under houses or in a roof cavity than in the toilet but however, snakes can get into a toilet through an opening in the sewer.
Sewers can be a hiding ground for mice and rats. Snakes can enter the sewer to get their next meal. They can make their way through a sewer and slither their way through.
When talking about snakes getting into the toilet sink, some people think or assume that there’s already water inside the toilet sink, but according to plumbers, the toilet seat is designed in such a way that the water stays only in the sink and the pipe that leads to the septic tank or soakaway is always empty and free of water.
Most reptiles would find it difficult to jump or enter into the water closets, they always find it easier to enter from the concrete chambers at the back of the house through which sewage pipes get connected and through cracks, under the doors and crevices.
The best way to prevent a snake from making its way into your toilet is to make your home less attractive to the snake in the first place.
1. Repair all broken pipes: Broken pipes are the easiest ways by which reptiles especially snakes can make their way to your water closet. So to prevent this, please make sure you check and repair all broken pipes from time to time. Also, endeavour to fix the thick pipes. Because rats can easily make holes in the thinner ones.
2. Cover your vents always: try and provide covering for your vent pipes. This is very necessary. As stated earlier, when trees are closer to the vents, snakes can make their way to the rooftop and then through these uncovered vents and straight in to your sewer. This also means that cut all trees around vents. Trim them immediately you see them overgrowing.
3. Cover your septic tanks: Most a times people leave their slabs loose or uncovered especially after their faecal matter is collected or a repair work is done.
When you do this, it is a way of granting access to reptiles to pay visit to you in your home. So to prevent this, always seal your septic tanks.
4. Periodically fumigate your sewage system: Once in a while, fumigate your sewage system. This will control and kill some of these dangerous reptiles residing beneath. You can do this disinfection periodically, for instance, every 6 months.
It is also said that a combination of salt and kerosene also does the magic. Try this too.
5. Pour salt mixed with kerosene in water closet: Reptiles do not love salt. So you can periodically pour salt in your water closet. This would prevent them from coming near.
6. Always check: before you sit on your WC, check and check well because you can’t know when one snake or any other reptile is waiting to strike you.
7. Fix Non-returning valves: Get a plumber to fix non-returning valves to make sure nothing can enter back into the house except the moving away of your poo when you are done.
8. Clear bushes around your house: Bushes are good hiding place for snakes. Make sure you clear the bushes around so that they won’t get the chance to lurk around.
9. Keep toilet lid closed all the time: you can also make use of a flat tile to cover your bathroom filter when you’re not in the bathroom so as to stop any further movement of the reptile through the pipes and also ensure that all pipes are well fixed and closed
