The Ponds is one of the five most-visited suburbs in our entire Sydney service area. Not just the Blacktown LGA — the whole network. There are very few suburbs across Greater Sydney that produce as many callouts as The Ponds does, year after year, and the reason is straightforward: the suburb sits on top of one of the largest, healthiest residential snake populations in metropolitan Sydney. Red-bellied Black Snakes dominate the figures, with Eastern Brown Snakes a clear second.
If you have spotted a snake in The Ponds, call Sydney Snake Catcher on 1300 599 938. We are the original and longest-running snake catching business of its kind in NSW, licensed, insured, and available every day of the year.
If you see a snake in The Ponds, stay calm and step back. Bring children and pets indoors. If possible, keep watching the snake until we arrive. Call 1300 599 938.
You do not need to take a photo. You do not need to identify the snake. You do not need to follow it or get close. But if you can, try to keep a visual on the snake from a safe distance. If it disappears into cover, keep watching the spot where you last saw it — snakes will often reappear within minutes once the area goes quiet. Knowing where the snake last was makes our job much faster when we arrive. We stay on the phone with you, explain everything clearly, and guide you through the process from the moment you call.
The Ponds is officially a young suburb on paper — gazetted in 2007, carved out of what used to be Kellyville and Kellyville Ridge. The streets are new, the houses are new, the landscaping is new. But the landscape under all of that is old. The natural pond system that gives the suburb its name dates back well before European settlement, and the creeks flowing through the area — Second Ponds Creek and First Ponds Creek — were named by early Australian settlers in the 1800s after the strings of permanent natural waterholes along them. Those ponds, the surrounding wetlands and the creek-line vegetation have been functioning as snake and frog habitat for thousands of years.
The modern estate was built around that pre-existing waterway, not on top of it. The resident reptile population was already well-established before the first new homes went up — and the suburb’s master planning around the existing pond system, while attractive for residents, has also kept the snake habitat intact and connected.
Permanent water, dense bankside vegetation, surrounding reserve corridors and a thriving frog population are exactly what Red-bellied Black Snakes need, and they have responded accordingly. The population in The Ponds is large, established and not going anywhere.
Around the drier margins, Eastern Brown Snakes also do well — they follow the rodent populations sustained by suburban food sources and the open grassland sections of the reserve network. Properties whose backyards face onto the ponds, the creek lines or the connecting reserves see the most activity. Streets deeper inside the estate see less, but not by much. Across the warmer months, callouts come in steadily from every part of the suburb.
This is not a quiet suburb to work in. It is a high-volume, year-after-year hot spot. We have catchers in The Ponds corridor on most operational days through the season.
Red-bellied Black Snake — the dominant species in The Ponds. They use the ponds, the lakes, Second Ponds Creek and the connecting drainage corridors as habitat and movement routes. The Ponds has one of the strongest urban Red-bellied Black Snake populations in metropolitan Sydney, and they show up consistently — in backyards, around pool pump housings, in garden beds, along boundary fences backing onto water, in laundries and garages following frogs in through gaps. Venomous, but generally far less defensive than browns. They will move away if given the chance.
Eastern Brown Snake. Less common than Red-bellied Black Snakes here, but still a regular part of our Ponds callouts. Browns turn up on the drier margins of the suburb — properties further from the waterways, the open-grass reserve sections, and the streets bordering paddock or vacant land. They follow rodents, they move fast, they hide quickly. Fast, alert, highly venomous. Step back, keep a visual from a safe distance, and call us.
Blue-tongued Lizard. Not a snake, but the reptile we are called for almost as often. Blue-tongues are large, slow-moving native skinks that get mistaken for snakes because of their size and the way they flatten their bodies when threatened. They are harmless, beneficial, and good for a garden — they eat snails, slugs and beetles. We will attend, identify the animal on site, and where appropriate either leave it where it is or relocate it to a safer part of the property.
The same hiding spots come up on Ponds job after Ponds job. Pool pump housings are the standout — warm, dark, undisturbed, right next to water — and we check them first on almost every callout. Garden beds with thick mulch and dense plantings, particularly anything against a boundary fence. Pool surrounds and water features. Under decks, verandahs and outdoor seating where there is shade and moisture. Along fences backing onto the ponds, lakes, creek lines or reserves. Around stormwater pits and easements. Inside garages, laundries and bathrooms where a snake has followed a frog through a gap under a door or around plumbing.
For the Eastern Browns we do attend in The Ponds, the pattern looks more conventional — garages and garage rollers, sheds, retaining walls, long grass on the boundary, around chicken coops and pet bowls.
The reptile-deterrent products on the market — powders, sprays, ultrasonic devices — do not work. Save the money. What does help in The Ponds specifically is anything that addresses the conditions that draw Red-bellied Black Snakes in. Keep pool pump housings tidy and unappealing as shelter — open them up, clear cover from around them, give a snake no reason to settle in. Thin out heavy garden beds along the side of the property that faces water, reserve or drainage corridor. Keep grass short along boundary fences. Don’t leave pet water bowls full overnight. Manage frog activity where it has become concentrated against the house, without killing the frogs — they are protected and part of the local ecosystem. Reduce rodent activity for browns. Seal gaps under sheds, decks and pool equipment housings. None of this will keep the suburb’s snake population away from your property entirely. The corridor is too strong for that. But it does meaningfully reduce the likelihood of one settling in long enough to become a problem.
A snake inside a Ponds home is an emergency. Red-bellied Black Snakes will follow frogs anywhere the frogs go, and that includes into garages, laundries, bathrooms and occasionally living areas if a damp gap gives them access. They can enter through open doors, gaps under garage rollers, plumbing penetrations or cracks beneath external doors. We attend snake-inside-the-house jobs in The Ponds regularly through the warmer months. We respond as quickly as we can, locate the snake, remove it safely, and check the house is secure before we leave.
Sydney Snake Catcher is the original and longest-running snake catching business of its kind in NSW. We operate the largest network of qualified snake catchers in the state, which means when you call, the catcher closest to you is dispatched. The Ponds sits in our top five most-visited suburbs across the entire Sydney network, and we have catchers in the area on most operational days through the season.
We work calmly, without panic, and without making anyone feel judged about the state of their property. The Ponds was built around one of the strongest urban Red-bellied Black Snake populations in Sydney. That is the landscape, not the housekeeping. We explain what we are doing, what species we are dealing with, why the snake is on the property, and what — if anything — can be done to make it less likely to happen again.
If you see movement, hear rustling, or notice your pet fixated on one area of the yard, call 1300 599 938 immediately.
Does The Ponds really get that many snakes? Yes — it is one of the top five most-visited suburbs across our entire Sydney service area. The suburb was built around an existing natural pond and creek system that has supported a large resident Red-bellied Black Snake population for far longer than the modern estate has existed.
Where does the name “The Ponds” come from? The suburb takes its name from Second Ponds Creek, which was itself named by early Australian settlers in the 1800s for the strings of permanent natural waterholes — ponds — along its length. The natural waterway and pond system long predates the modern estate, which was gazetted as a suburb only in 2007.
What snake is most common in The Ponds? The Red-bellied Black Snake, by a clear margin. Eastern Brown Snakes are the second most common, generally on the drier margins of the suburb away from the waterways.
Why do Red-bellied Black Snakes love The Ponds so much? The ponds, lakes and connected wetland system in the suburb provide everything Red-bellied Black Snakes need — permanent water, dense vegetation, connected reserve corridors, and a strong frog population. They are not visitors here. They are a resident, established population that has been in this landscape far longer than the suburb has.
Why do I keep finding snakes around my pool in The Ponds? Pools offer water. Pool pump housings offer warmth and dark, undisturbed shelter. The surrounding garden often has frog and rodent activity. Red-bellied Black Snakes are specifically drawn to this combination. The pump housing and the garden beds around it are the first places to check if you have had repeated sightings.
How quickly can a snake catcher get to The Ponds? We operate the largest network of snake catchers in NSW and dispatch the catcher closest to you. The Ponds is a top-five priority suburb in our service network and we have catchers in the corridor on most operational days. Response times vary with traffic and existing jobs, and we prioritise active sightings.
Sydney Snake Catcher — 1300 599 938 Licensed, insured, and on call 24/7 across The Ponds and the wider Blacktown LGA.
Nearby Suburbs We Service: Stanhope Gardens, Kellyville Ridge, Tallawong, Schofields
