When Cassy Richardson rummaged through some trash near her trash can last Easter, she didn’t really think much of it.

Until two fangs sank deep into her skin as she reached the bottom of her wheelie bin.

She realized almost immediately that she had been bitten by a snake.

But it wasn’t until she noticed a trace of brown that she felt a sense of panic.

“You always hear that (brown snakes) are the deadliest,” Ms Richardson said.

Mrs. Richardson’s nursing training began immediately.

She applied a snake bandage from her home first aid kit and kept herself and her three young children as calm as possible, turning the ambulance ride to Bendigo Hospital into a game for her little ones .

She is certain that this bandage and her ability to remain calm saved her life.

“I’m just glad I had that knowledge there, because a lot of people don’t know what to do, or they don’t think it’s going to happen to them,” she said.

Snake season

If you feel like snakes are waking from their winter slumber earlier than usual, you might be right.

According to the CSIRO, warmer winters and consequences of climate change could cause snakes to appear sooner than expected.

Alek Harrison, 16, found this out the hard way when he tried to move a snake from a school path to a nearby bush in August.

The eastern brown snake bit its finger because of its troubles.

He was rushed to Central Victoria Hospital where he fully recovered from the surprise attack.

His mother, Jessica Harrison, said the experience was a good lesson.

“I tell him to stay away from snakes and anything that can harm you,” Ms Harrison said.

It’s a sentiment Bendigo-based snake catcher Tameeka Stevens wholeheartedly agrees with.

She said she has seen an increase in the number of people bitten while trying to move or handle snakes, potentially spurred by social media stunts.

“People try to hurt or kill snakes,” Ms Stevens said.

“People also think they can pick up a snake and move it themselves…we see this through the visibility of snake catchers on social media.”

What to do

It may seem impossible after the shock of a snake bite, but staying as calm as possible makes a huge difference to recovery rates, according to St John’s Victoria first aid trainer Katie Pai.

“If you have been bitten, you should lie down and not move,” Ms Pai said.

“Let’s say you’re bitten on the ankle. You want to keep the venom there, not spreading to the rest of the body.

“Then you would want to apply a compression bandage starting at the person’s foot and wrapping it up the leg.”

Ms Pai said even if someone was alone, it was vital to stay still.

“You may have to put your phone on speaker when you call triple 0 and stand very still while waiting for them to come to you,” she said.

Are all bites fatal?

Australia is home to over 200 different species of snakes.

Of these, 65 percent are venomous, but only 32 percent are considered dangerous, meaning their bites can potentially be life-threatening.

Despite this, Ms Stevens said people should consider every bite dangerous.

“You can have up to six or eight hours before you start to feel the effects of the venom,” she said.

“But if you follow first aid procedures immediately after a bite, your survival rate increases significantly.”

As for Cassy Richardson, she replaced her worn snake bandage and made some simple changes around the house.

“It’s now my husband’s job to take out the trash,” she said with a wry laugh.

But that’s not all that has changed.

She became an accidental advocate and lobbied for compression bandages to be considered an essential part of first aid.

“I am a strong advocate for every home to have a first aid kit containing a pressure bandage,” she said.

Saint-Jean Ambulance advises you anyone bitten must lie down, apply an immobilization bandage and call triple 0.

Local councils can provide home or business owners with a list of approved snake controllers.