© 2025 WSIU Public Broadcasting
WSIU Public Broadcasting
Member-Supported Public Media from Southern Illinois University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
91.9 FM has returned to full power. Thank you for your patience and support!

An Australian Airline Uses 'Wheel Whackers' To Keep Snakes And Scorpions Off Planes

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Steve Inskeep. Airlines have needed fewer planes during the pandemic. Many are parked in the Mojave Desert - perfect dry conditions for storage, also perfect for scorpions and rattlesnakes, which curl up in the wheel wells and around the tires. Qantas Airlines shared its solution. Each sophisticated plane comes with a broom handle, a wheel whacker, so technicians can safely scare the creatures away. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

As a WSIU donor, you don’t simply watch or listen to public media programs, you are a partner. By making a gift, you help WSIU produce, purchase, and broadcast programs you care about and enjoy – every day of the year.