Early start to snake season in Melb's west

Scorching October temperatures have got snakes slithering early in Melbourne's west as the council prepares to stop providing a free snake removal service.

Wyndham City Council, which currently provides free snake removal for residents, has already called a handler out to remove snakes from 23 homes and businesses.

Snakes, including the tiger and eastern brown breeds, have been removed from inside homes in Werribee and Wyndhamvale.

But residents have launched an online petition against the council, which is planning stop dealing with snake removals.

People will have to go directly to snake handlers from September next year, and they charge about $150 for snake removals.

So far 1,112 people have signed the change.org petition.

A council report revealed 163 people used the service during the 2013/14 snake season, up by 42 per cent on the previous year.

"With the removal of the free service, people are probably less likely to pay for someone to remove a snake and are more likely to attempt to remove the snake themselves, increasing the risk of being bitten," Wyndham City resident Sarah Auletta said in the petition.