Bloody Snake (Dugite) in the Roof

[aussiblue]

I just saw a small snake climbing the brick wall outside my kitchen and then enter my roof space via the small gap around where a sewer air vent pipe passes through the soffit. Probably 1/2 meter long and 1.5 cm thick. Dark olive green with a black head so me thinks either a juvenile Dugite (most likely as they are very common here) or less likely juvenile Gwarder/Western Brown. Much too quick for me to get my snake hook and bag or grabbers. the gap around the pipe seemed much less than the thickness of the snake but it squeezed trough.

I am comfortable in safely catching snakes on the ground and in their usual haunts around the place but how the hell do I find it in my roof space or lure it out? It could be anywhere under or between the old yellow insulation bats. And I suspect all a snake-catcher will find for me is broken roof tiles (no room to crawl in with the evap air ducts).

The last snake I had climbing the wall was a whip snake and I would prefer if it was another one. So now we are all living in fear that it will climb out of one of evap air con vent security outlet returns and fall into our beds while we sleep. We had a couple in the house years ago. One came in with the dry washing in the washing basket the other other who knows perhaps it also came in via the soffit gap.

I guess on the positive side I won't need to worry about the usual late autumn migration of rats and mice into my attic space.