Copperheads on the move: How to avoid them

[ArkRescue]

"WASHINGTON - A 10-year-old Fairfax County boy who walked out of his garage and a young woman who stopped her car along the George Washington Parkway to take a picture have something in common: They were both bitten by a copperhead snake.

"We've have had quite a bit of copperhead activity this year," says Scott McCombe, owner of Animal Control Solutions. He says that snakes usually stay in one area but environmental changes like heavy rain will cause them to move "and find themselves in places that a lot of times humans are, like the GW Parkway." "

Copperheads on the move: How to avoid them - WTOP.com

 

[b23hqb]

I read that article a week or so about the girl that was bitten and received a $55,000 bill for her 18 hours in the hospital. Hope the boy is OK as well.

We have all three of the pit vipers here in Fl, along with the coral snake (the most poisonous), and try to always be aware of your immediate surroundings. Overall, snake bites are pretty rare.

 

[ArkRescue]

I read that article a week or so about the girl that was bitten and received a $55,000 bill for her 18 hours in the hospital. Hope the boy is OK as well.

We have all three of the pit vipers here in Fl, along with the coral snake (the most poisonous), and try to always be aware of your immediate surroundings. Overall, snake bites are pretty rare.

I have a habit of not looking where I am walking, so I need to be more cautious. I am frequently near the woods and walking through dense tall grass also. We have seen a number of young black snake babies. I went to reach into the nest box to collect the chicken eggs the other day and saw a HUGE black snake (about 6 feet long) YIKES - all the eggs were gone and I guess the snake was resting?

 

[Roman]

I have a habit of not looking where I am walking, so I need to be more cautious. I am frequently near the woods and walking through dense tall grass also. We have seen a number of young black snake babies. I went to reach into the nest box to collect the chicken eggs the other day and saw a HUGE black snake (about 6 feet long) YIKES - all the eggs were gone and I guess the snake was resting?

EEEEEK!! I am no good with Snakes that are slithering around the yard. I am the one that gets the eggs from our Chickens, now, I'll be afraid to open the Nest Box. Thanks Ark!! J/K

 

[ArkRescue]

EEEEEK!! I am no good with Snakes that are slithering around the yard. I am the one that gets the eggs from our Chickens, now, I'll be afraid to open the Nest Box. Thanks Ark!! J/K

A couple years ago my nest boxes were in a dark area inside a horse barn, and I would reach my hand in to feel around for the eggs. One day I was leaning down to peek in as I extended my hand and I saw a dark area around the clutch of eggs - so I paused, and got a flashlight and it was a snake ! OMG I ran! I am pretty sure that snake would have bitten me had I been feeling around in there, not to mention how freaked out I would have been to feel a snake in there.

Always expect the unexpected when you open a nest box - I have found hens dead in the next box before. The hens knew something was wrong because for a week or so they wouldn't go into the nest box the hen died in.

 

[b23hqb]

I have a habit of not looking where I am walking, so I need to be more cautious. I am frequently near the woods and walking through dense tall grass also. We have seen a number of young black snake babies. I went to reach into the nest box to collect the chicken eggs the other day and saw a HUGE black snake (about 6 feet long) YIKES - all the eggs were gone and I guess the snake was resting?

We have a lot of snakes, but have not seen a venomous one in quite a while. We have a lot of black racers, though, and they sure give one a thrill when they zip over your foot or slither up or down a post in the trellised garden shed, for sure.

 

[ArkRescue]

We have a lot of snakes, but have not seen a venomous one in quite a while. We have a lot of black racers, though, and they sure give one a thrill when they zip over your foot or slither up or down a post in the trellised garden shed, for sure.

it is amazing to see just how fast a snake can move - I think that's what scares people so much. Probably the fear that a snake can catch up to them fast. Most snakes are not going to move TOWARD a human.

 

[Larry Gude]

I am pretty sure that snake would have bitten me had I been feeling around in there, .

I got nailed for the first time in my life this past spring after handling I have no idea how many snakes. The bite isn't so bad. What stings is the reflex of jerking your hand back. It REALLY sets the hook. So to speak.

So, if you get bit, just don't jerk your hand away.

 

[BadGirl]

Bubba (age 7) almost got bit by a copperhead on Saturday. It was lurking near the entrance to the crawl space.

About freaked me the hell out when my sister pushed Bubba aside to avoid getting bitten. I am still shaking just thinking about it.

The 10" snake suffered the wrath of my BILs shovel.

 

[mAlice]

Bubba (age 7) almost got bit by a copperhead on Saturday. It was lurking near the entrance to the crawl space.

About freaked me the hell out when my sister pushed Bubba aside to avoid getting bitten. I am still shaking just thinking about it.

The 10" snake suffered the wrath of my BILs shovel.

That's too scary. Glad he dodged that bullet, BG.

 

[Larry Gude]

Bubba (age 7) almost got bit by a copperhead on Saturday. It was lurking near the entrance to the crawl space.

About freaked me the hell out when my sister pushed Bubba aside to avoid getting bitten. I am still shaking just thinking about it.

The 10" snake suffered the wrath of my BILs shovel.

I presume you guys followed through on that and thought 'what if?'

I don 't know so, I am asking; is it reasonable and available to have a bite kit on hand?

 

[BadGirl]

I presume you guys followed through on that and thought 'what if?'

I don 't know so, I am asking; is it reasonable and available to have a bite kit on hand?

I have no idea, but I'm certainly looking in to that now.

 

[Larry Gude]

I have no idea, but I'm certainly looking in to that now.

It just seems more like a 'when' than an 'if', don't it?

 

[kwillia]

A copperhead bit in this county cost about $55,000 dollars for the anti-venom which isn't covered by insurance.

 

[Larry Gude]

A copperhead bit in this county cost about $55,000 dollars for the anti-venom which isn't covered by insurance.

Huh.

Guess we only need to sell a few...

That surprises me because I am assuming that in SOMD there has got to be more than a few every year.

 

[kwillia]

Huh.

Guess we only need to sell a few...

That surprises me because I am assuming that in SOMD there has got to be more than a few every year.

There was a recent article in our local paper about a woman who got surprised with the bill. The cost is not unique to our area. Some areas actually charge more.

 

[Larry Gude]

There was a recent article in our local paper about a woman who got surprised with the bill. The cost is not unique to our area. Some areas actually charge more.

So, what do you do?

 

[kwillia]

This isn't the local story I was looking for, but it is within Maryland and recent.

Snake bite: Antivenom costs $40,000?? - No Holds Barred Political Forum - America's Political Chat Room

"She went to Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, Md., where she received three IV bags of antivenom over 18 hours. Then, the scary part: a whopping $55,000 bill for treatment."

 

[kwillia]

So, what do you do?

Set up a payment plan.

 

[GWguy]

I don 't know so, I am asking; is it reasonable and available to have a bite kit on hand?

I've had one hanging in the garage cabinet since I moved in back in '94. Probably needs to be changed....