'Sliding above your head while you sleep': One in three Queensland homes may have a snake in the roof

It's one of those perfect statistics to keep overseas visitors to Australia awake at night.

One in three Queensland homes "absolutely" could have a snake in the roof at any time, according to a Sunshine Coast snake catcher.

And the chances of unwanted guests in your roof may be even higher in some parts of the state.

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"In rural areas, the chance is definitely higher," Luke, the snake catcher, told 9news.com.au.

Snakes seek out the dry warmth of roof spaces in winter and can pose a grave threat to small pets if left unattended.

Large snakes in your ceiling can also cause "a sliding noise above your head, which can make it difficult to sleep for most people".

In the video shared with 9news.com.au by Luke, he explains the ins and outs of snake removal while crammed into the roof of a home near Noosa.

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Casually scooping up a lost carpet python, he explained the pros and cons of having snakes in your roof.

"It really depends how you feel about them," he said.

"Roof spaces are full of cables and rats can chew on the wires, which can be expensive to fix."

If you leave the snake there over the winter, Luke says "you can thin the (rat) population out".

"And you can have a pet python in the roof for winter."

But the downsides can also be pretty unpleasant.

"They can leave waste, which can stain through the ceiling and make a mess visible from the inside of the house," the seven-year veteran snake catcher said.

"And in the spring, if it's a female, she'll bring all the boys to her during breeding season.

"So one snake may temporarily turn into three or four or a lot more, and if they're tree snakes they can form mating balls of snakes."

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The Noosa-area snake catcher typically removes tree snakes and non-venomous carpet pythons from roofs.

Sharing one memorable job, Luke said he once retrieved a deadly red-bellied black snake from a roof space while balancing on the ceiling beams.

He described the experience as "awesome".

"If you're scared of snakes, you don't become a snake catcher," he said.

"I really haven't gotten an adrenaline kick from a snake in a long time."

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