Men and women worldwide winced in pain after the latest story of a python in a toilet went viral, thanks to news agencies and social media. Before you start getting nervous about using the facilities in your own bathroom, know that snakes in the toilet are a rare occurrence, but they do happen. During the summer and during flooding, snakes are most active, so if you want to keep them out of your bathroom, there are a couple of things you can do.

Add Security Screens

If you don't have security screens on your bathroom windows already, snake prevention is another good reason to install them. Opening up your bathroom window to let the steam out during a shower is an ideal way to make sure condensation doesn't turn into mildew on your walls, but it is also an entry point for a snake while you are not looking.

Fixed security screens on the windows are made of fine steel mesh that will still let the steam out without letting a snake in.

Cover Your Stack Vent

You have series of pipes that run through your home to drain the wastewater out. This series of pipes relies on gravity to flush liquids through the system, and when you look at your roof you will notice the start of this system is a stack vent which pokes out from your roof covering.

Snakes can get into your home via the stack vent and then move around your pipes, which could ultimately lead to them coming into your bathroom via the S-bend of your toilet! To remove this possibility, arrange for your plumber to cover the top of the vent with a fine mesh steel cover. This allows the air to continue flowing through the vent but keeps all critters out. The plumber can also then cap all other external drainage points to your home to keep the slitherers out.

Helpful hint: Before this cap is applied, get your plumber to do a pipe inspection to make sure there is nothing already in the pipe. You are going to have a very grumpy snake on your hands if it becomes trapped.

If you do have the unfortunate experience of finding a snake in your toilet, drop the lid and call for animal control to come and remove it. While flushing it may seem the easiest way of dealing with the problem, this doesn't guarantee the snake won't come back. However, by having it removed, you can breathe a little easier knowing it has been relocated far away from your home.