Thank, you, Katie, I have thought about that, I guess these can be purchased at places like Academy, Bass Pro Shop, etc.

A fellow in Florida just died. Two small kids. He got stung by yellowjacket. Felt unwell. Wife put ice on it. Within an hour he was gone. Had no idea he was allergic. My DH has epipen. He got stung on hand and face swelled..neck, trunk, lips. And so, if ever an insect bites/ stings and you get reaction in distant spot from the injury...be aware that could be your warning.

Hello.

Just a slightly different perspective on snakes...hope it's ok. I live in Northern VA in the Mtns where there is a healthy population of copperheads. Last Spring I was out in the woods near a pile of rocks trying to cut a bittersweet vine off a tree..I was wholly focused on what I was doing and not WHERE I was. I put out my hand to clip and yes, I was bitten by a young copperhead. I did all the wrong things...I immediately ran back to my house and hosed my hand off. You never run (it increases heart rate and speeds poison transit through your body) and you don't wash it off (forgotten why not)...anyway long story short...I spent 3 days in hospital, $50,000 (YES 50,000$!!!!) on antivenin, and have (probably permanently) partially lost the use of the middle finger on my dominant hand. Now, the facts about copperheads...most venomous bites in the US are from coppers because while most snakes will slither away from you if given a chance, coppers hold their ground and bite immediately if threatened by your presence. However, while you're more likely to be bitten by a copper than another species, USUALLY the bite has very little venom in it as it is a warning bite so it hurts like heck but recovery is complete. Unless, as in my case you are bitten by a young snake that delivers all of its venom in the first bite Copperhead bites of any kind are rarely fatal, in fact, I *think* fatalities are limited to people who have heart attacks from the shock of being bitten and those who are allergic to ingredients of the antivenin.

My reason for posting is not really to discuss my bite but simply to say I know that snakes tend to terrify many people and if they see one, their immediate instinct is to kill it. I understand this....believe me...I saw my second copperhead this Spring and though I know copperheads are not a species for chasing people, I ran! I just wanted to say that it is not necessary to kill them (though some may consider it so). If they are a threat to your home, I would call animal control or your local wildlife rehabilitation center (if you don't know where this is, call a vet...they usually have a list of numbers) and have them removed. If the snake is outside near a rock or woodpile, avoid it. In the summer, make sure you carry a flashlight with you at night and wear shoes (copperheads in particular, are nocturnal during the summer). Best advice I can give about avoiding snakes in the first place is don't make the mistake I made....be aware of your surroundings, always check where you plan to put a hand or foot and avoid rock/log piles during the heat of the day in the summer!

Sorry for butting into the conversation but sometimes these threads make me sad....some people will always see the need to kill snakes but maybe some will decide a little differently if they know the facts.

Welcome and thank you for sharing your story.

Thanks for the info. I don't see many copperhead...but I see enough.

My huband has a log and limb pile on our property just to have a place to store what he picks up that falls down....and I am going to make him sleep out there!! His theory is that since he knows where it is, it..the snakes' location will be known! Ha! I told him, he is providing a breeding ground for who knows how many and they got to come out to eat!

everything you say is true, but I find that folks put too much stock ( in my opinion anyway) in the venomous aspect. A bite is a bite. Painful. Infection risk. Damage to limb a possibility. Costs $$.
Understanding that the venomous ones destroy tissue...but much of the concern is from post bite infection once the venom aspect is taken care of.

Copperheads climb trees as do many other snakes...cicada time is feast in the heavens around our woods. they do freeze when alarmed but to me that makes them more problematic because they blend in..at least my eye can spot a hightailing rat or black snake..and those are not nearly as aggressive as the copperhead.

Hey, Whereami, glad to hear from you, welcome. Believe me, we do not kill things indiscriminately. In fact, if possible we will remove the snake ourselves to a better place. We live in the country and I don't know if we have any animal control people who would respond to us. Also, by the time they arrived, the snake or other animal could take off and be long gone. I am sorry to hear about your experience with the copperhead, you must have suffered a lot of pain. Thank you for sharing your story, it will make us be extra cautious when we are working outside in our gardens and yard.

Thanks for the welcome NY and Avedon!

Avedon: I guess I meant call animal control if the snakes take up residence under your porch or you find one in your garage or attic...something like that. If the animal takes off after visiting it may live in the area but then it's best to be cautious as you said, because I believe firmly, if you kill an animal that lives in a particular habitat it is only going to be replaced by another!

Rosie: Actually, I have cut a black rat snake out of bird netting in which it had become entangled and the poor thing never even tried to defend itself...I was scared to death that it would turn its head and bite me...for the record, I am not some big burly guy (no insult intended to any big burly guys reading this) who handles snakes all the time nor am I a herpetologist...I am just a woman who is a bit off her rocker ..I also trapped a black rat snake in my kitchen one day, somehow got it into a pillowcase and threw it out the door! Not my choice, but I've had experience with this species and I think it's safe to say they are extremely docile!

As for copperheads, I have heard they like water, so heads up around swimming pools and creeks (my neighbour found one in his pool). AND actually...what I didn't know and even the nurses at the hospital I was taken to didn't know is that people do not get infections from snakebites...the venom actually... isn't this wonderful ?...contains a compound that stops infection! So, the tetanus shot I received was totally unnecessary!

Bites are extremely painful, like a door slamming on your finger over and over and over....morphine doesn't even begin to take it away!! The interesting thing about the antivenin is that it wasn't even formulated for copperhead venom so no one really knows if it does anything for people who receive copperhead bites! I learned this after I had had $50,000 worth of antivenin pumped into me!

>>As for copperheads, I have heard they like water, so heads up around swimming pools and creeks (my neighbour found one in his pool). AND actually...what I didn't know and even the nurses at the hospital I was taken to didn't know is that people do not get infections from snakebites...the venom actually... isn't this wonderful Rolling my eyes. ?...contains a compound that stops infection! So, the tetanus shot I received was totally unnecessary!<<

I placed a stream with waterfalls directly in front of our house...the most ill advised thing I ever did!! I wanted to hear the water from the bedrooms and porch ( and I do ) but I have seen black and rat snakes dive in! The frogs are deafening. Yes, black snakes are sort of docile but the rat get fiesty.

I am afraid you have been given bad advice from those nurses. Anyone that has not had a tetanus in 5 years absolutely should get a shot with any puncture wound including snake bite. And, wash the wound. There is nothing in the saliva or fluids of a snake that prevents infection. Although, along those lines, I did read an article a while back that there is something in venom ( not sure which snake species) that seems to be a tumor inhibitor and is being studied for cancer tumor suppression. I have taken care of folks with tetanus..my very first ICU patient had it when his chicken pecked him in the kneecap ..it is a horrible, painful passing with nothing more than mere touch setting off seizure. I have also taken care of a young person with compartment syndrome in the leg - kept the leg luckily, but it had to be opened ..from a bite. Anything that makes extreme swelling as with a snake bite can cause compartment syndrome. And so snake bites can be painful at best and much worse - venomous not. I did not know the anti venom was not dedicated for copperhead..that is interesting.

@whereami to NGA

I'm very much afraid of snakes, always have been, but I do have to weed-whack ivy growing on the ground. The wildlife management worker mentioned I'd have to do this and get rid of mulch a bit to not make yard attractive to snakes...and I wonder, if i am attacked by a snake while I am trying to weed-whack vegetation, can I defend myself with the weed-whacker turned on or not really? If I just ran away, with my luck, I would be chased by the snake. We have cottonmouths, copperheads, black, coral, etc. So far he hadn't seen any in my yard but cautioned on what to do in terms of upkeep of vegetation.

Welcome!
This is an old thread - glad you found it.

It is helpful if you include your location ...with all the snakes you have..it would be helpful to me to know because if I win the lottery, I would be sure not to buy a home away from home there! 😊

I garden in UGGS.. the snakes can strike higher and I figure those will at least protect me to top of calf. (I hope) Nothing can bite through those and they are tough ..mud, rocks...no problem. Not hot in summer and keeps me warm in winter. .. wear gloves and never stick your hand into anything without looking first!

Just walk away, the snakes will not normally chase you. Normally a snake attack only involves a quick strike or two then if possible the snake will either hold its ground or retreat. So if you are lucky enough to avoid those first strike attempts then just back off while keeping an eye on it. The thing is that if you are like me and you have any concern at all that the snake is poisonous then he will have to be dispatched before you can relax and work in the garden, that is normally where the dangerous part is involved unless you have access to a pistol with snake shot or a shotgun, or a hoe or a shovel, or a long stick etc.
I have found no truth to the statement that snakes always travel in pairs. I can see under certain conditions when that statement would be true (mating season).
But yes the weed-whacker can be used if you need to defend yourself (should that eve happen) because of the wide shield on it. But if you panicked it would be better just to put some distance between you and the snake.
My biggest fear is placing my hand down to into a clump of daylilies and beeing struck by a small copperhead, they are so hard to see.
Edited because I realized you do have a lot of snakes.

whereami said: These threads make me sad....some people will always see the need to kill snakes...

Makes me sad too.

I value my snakes.

I've had snakes get entangled in bird netting too.



Used a scissors to cut this sweetie free...



Rattle snake hunting varmints:



Totally a help!!!

Hmmm
Snake cotton...



My rattlesnake friend again:



Rattlesnake weed:

What does the snake cotton do?? or did you just post the picture of it "because"....there is a lot of it growing here.

Yeah, I was making a pun.
Snake cotton makes pretty flowers.
Looks nice in the white garden... And... Tough!
Tolerates drought, and keeps on growing....