Andy writes;

I just had a neighbor that got bitten on the finger by a
copperhead while he was weeding his garden by hand.
This is North Texas and we have a LOT of copperheads
and mocassins around, and they are a constant hazard.
Last month, I killed two coppers and one mocassin, and
the mocassin was a very close call.

Anyway, I just thought I'd post this as a caution to remind
folks that critters lurk under them thar rows of stuff.

Anybody else here had a close call, or a bite, while
gardening......?????

Andy in Eureka, Texas

"AndyS" wrote in message
oups.com...
Andy writes;

I just had a neighbor that got bitten on the finger by a
copperhead while he was weeding his garden by hand.
This is North Texas and we have a LOT of copperheads
and mocassins around, and they are a constant hazard.
Last month, I killed two coppers and one mocassin, and
the mocassin was a very close call.

Anyway, I just thought I'd post this as a caution to remind
folks that critters lurk under them thar rows of stuff.

Anybody else here had a close call, or a bite, while
gardening......?????

Andy in Eureka, Texas



I tripped over my cat in the garden and almost ended up with a cultivating
tool in the side of my head. Does that count? :-)

When I lived in Las Vegas, we had a rather severe Black Widow infestation.
They didn't like moist places, but would still occaisonally turn up in the
garden. Fortunately, they are timid spiders and you have to stick you hand
into their web and corner them to get bit. Many close calls, but the Black
Widow is more afraid of you then you are of it, and will run away from you
if it can.

Up here in the NorthWest we have hobo spiders, but I've not seen any yet. We
do have a lot of Giant House Spiders, which are big and fast. When I see
them, I move them to my wood pile or garden as they will kill hobos when
they find them.

Oh yeah - skunks. They like to prowl the garden at night, but run when I
turn the outside light so we don't have run ins with them.


"AndyS" wrote in message
oups.com...
Andy writes;

I just had a neighbor that got bitten on the finger by a
copperhead while he was weeding his garden by hand.
This is North Texas and we have a LOT of copperheads
and mocassins around, and they are a constant hazard.
Last month, I killed two coppers and one mocassin, and
the mocassin was a very close call.

Anyway, I just thought I'd post this as a caution to remind
folks that critters lurk under them thar rows of stuff.

Anybody else here had a close call, or a bite, while
gardening......?????

Andy in Eureka, Texas

"AndyS" wrote in message
oups.com...
Andy writes;
Anybody else here had a close call, or a bite, while
gardening......?????

Andy in Eureka, Texas


I have had to deal with three western diamondbacks, a sidewinder, and a
Mohave green this spring and the season is just beginning. Not exactly
gardening, but the Mohave was under the stairs down to my pool yard. I
reached through the steps to pull out a frisbee and didn't see the snake
just inches away until after I'd grabbed it (the frisbee, not the snake).
My dog likes to hang out in the shade under the steps and dropped the
frisbee when he saw the snake. He was bit on the nose last year by a
diamondback and avoids snakes at all costs. It was an expensive lesson as
anitvenin is costly - not to mention the pain he suffered. It's unsettling,
to say the least, to step out the door and find a rattler under foot.

AndyS wrote:

Anybody else here had a close call, or a bite, while
gardening......?????

Andy in Eureka, Texas


The only snakes that I see in my garden are harmless garter snakes.
There are lots of them as the pictures on my web site show:
http://members.iglou.com/brosen/snakes.htm

I have stepped on them, ran over them with the lawn mower, and grabbed
them when pulling weeds but I have never been bitten.
--
Bill R. (Ohio Valley, U.S.A)

Gardening for over 40 years

To see pictures from my garden visit http://members.iglou.com/brosen

Digital Camera - Pentax *ist DL

Remove NO_WEEDS_ in e-mail address to reply by e-mail

"AndyS" wrote in message
oups.com...
Andy writes;

I just had a neighbor that got bitten on the finger by a
copperhead while he was weeding his garden by hand.
This is North Texas and we have a LOT of copperheads
and mocassins around, and they are a constant hazard.
Last month, I killed two coppers and one mocassin, and
the mocassin was a very close call.

Anyway, I just thought I'd post this as a caution to remind
folks that critters lurk under them thar rows of stuff.

Anybody else here had a close call, or a bite, while
gardening......?????

Andy in Eureka, Texas


My friend down in Foley reached to pick some weeds and was attacked by fire
ants. She ended up in the ER from the reaction. She gave up gardening.

In article ,
"Mindful" wrote:

"AndyS" wrote in message
oups.com...
Andy writes;

I just had a neighbor that got bitten on the finger by a
copperhead while he was weeding his garden by hand.
This is North Texas and we have a LOT of copperheads
and mocassins around, and they are a constant hazard.
Last month, I killed two coppers and one mocassin, and
the mocassin was a very close call.

Anyway, I just thought I'd post this as a caution to remind
folks that critters lurk under them thar rows of stuff.

Anybody else here had a close call, or a bite, while
gardening......?????

Andy in Eureka, Texas


My friend down in Foley reached to pick some weeds and was attacked by fire
ants. She ended up in the ER from the reaction. She gave up gardening.

Worse I've had in 40 years was to be weeding and disturb a yellow
jacket nest. It took numerous stings before I realized something was
amiss.

Sad to hear your friend gave up gardening. Perhaps container gardening
or another option would be fun. Nothing wrong with house plants or a
small green house.

I ran into the fire ants only once while waiting for my wife who was
shopping. I sat on a bench and my feet touched the ground. . Not
nice.

Bill

--
S Jersey USA Zone 5 Shade
This article is posted under fair use rules in accordance with
Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, and is strictly for the educational
and informative purposes. This material is distributed without profit.

On Wed, 14 Jun 2006 14:11:26 -0400, "Sgt.Sausage"
wrote:


I live outside Cincinnati Ohio. As far as I know, we don't have
any poisonous snakes in the area. Every once in a while, I hear
of a friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend-who-knows-someone-who-
knows-someone that got bitten by something poisonous -- but
when you follow these things through and investigate, it always
turns out to be unsubstantiated rumor mill stuff.

I've been outside nearly every day of my life in this area for ...
oh ... 'bout the last 30 years or so. Spending most of the time
in the yard at the homestead, but also spend several weeks a
year living full-time outside -- backpacking/camping in the
area.

I have never seen anything poisonous.

Anyone in SE Ohio got legitimate evidence of such? Not the
friend-of-a-friend stuff, but real, hard, first-hand evidence?

I live in Texas where they say there are all these poison snakes. I
do have many snakes in my gardens, but mostly corn and rat snakes, not
poisonous and when I come across them they go the other direction.

I also think many of these stories are mythos.

Sgt.Sausage wrote:

Anyone in SE Ohio got legitimate evidence of such? Not the
friend-of-a-friend stuff, but real, hard, first-hand evidence?


There are a few poisonous snakes in this area. If you are around creeks
lookout for water moccasins. Also in this area there are copperheads,
and two varieties of rattlesnakes. The only poisonous snakes that I
have actually seen in this area are the water moccasins.
--
Bill R. (Ohio Valley, U.S.A)

Gardening for over 40 years

To see pictures from my garden visit http://members.iglou.com/brosen

Digital Camera - Pentax *ist DL

Remove NO_WEEDS_ in e-mail address to reply by e-mail

"William Wagner" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Mindful" wrote:

"AndyS" wrote in message
oups.com...
Andy writes;

I just had a neighbor that got bitten on the finger by a
copperhead while he was weeding his garden by hand.
This is North Texas and we have a LOT of copperheads
and mocassins around, and they are a constant hazard.
Last month, I killed two coppers and one mocassin, and
the mocassin was a very close call.

Anyway, I just thought I'd post this as a caution to remind
folks that critters lurk under them thar rows of stuff.

Anybody else here had a close call, or a bite, while
gardening......?????

Andy in Eureka, Texas


My friend down in Foley reached to pick some weeds and was attacked by
fire
ants. She ended up in the ER from the reaction. She gave up gardening.

Worse I've had in 40 years was to be weeding and disturb a yellow
jacket nest. It took numerous stings before I realized something was
amiss.

Sad to hear your friend gave up gardening. Perhaps container gardening
or another option would be fun. Nothing wrong with house plants or a
small green house.

I ran into the fire ants only once while waiting for my wife who was
shopping. I sat on a bench and my feet touched the ground. . Not
nice.

Bill

--
S Jersey USA Zone 5 Shade
This article is posted under fair use rules in accordance with
Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, and is strictly for the educational
and informative purposes. This material is distributed without profit.

I sent her an email asking if she was gardening at all. She said she has a
few pots of flowers on the front porch. Her fear of going onto shock and
dying the next time keeps her out of the yard. She said they were recently
talking about moving back to New Jersey. Too much heat and too many insects
in Foley she said. She's allergic to insect stings. I understand her fear.

AndyS wrote:

Andy writes;

I just had a neighbor that got bitten on the finger by a
copperhead while he was weeding his garden by hand.
This is North Texas and we have a LOT of copperheads
and mocassins around, and they are a constant hazard.
Last month, I killed two coppers and one mocassin, and
the mocassin was a very close call.

Anyway, I just thought I'd post this as a caution to remind
folks that critters lurk under them thar rows of stuff.

Anybody else here had a close call, or a bite, while
gardening......?????

Andy in Eureka, Texas


The pit vipers (rattlers, copperheads,etc.) are bite-release predators
and their venom is critical to their survival. Only in about (numbers
are sketchy due to the relative rarity of bites) 1 in 5 or 10 human bite
reports has the person been envenomed. Much depends on why you are being
bitten, whether the snake has fed recently, etc. If you are reaching
into an area where a snake has a spot 'staked out' for prey, it cannot
distinguish your hand/foot for a rodent or rabbit. You will be
envenomed. If a snake is trying to scare you away, it may strike and
bite - even more than once - and not waste its venom. Likely the myth
about dogs being immune has more to do with the type of encounters they
have with snakes. They are being scared away instead of confused with a
prey animal. Also, receiving the antivenin serum is not without risk. It
is made from horse blood products and if you have been exposed to horse,
burro, donkey meat you could have an anaphylactic reaction. Still, if
your physician is prepared for that possibility with an epi dose, it's
usually better than no AV. And even survivng a bte with AV doesn't mean
you might not have permanent damage to muscles/nerves.
If you are bitten, try to rememeber what the snake looked like or have
somone kill/capture it and bring it with you the ER. Coral snake bites
are extremely rare and they must chew on a skin fold to envenom you. 2
big fang puncture wounds will be a pit viper. DO NOT suck, cut and suck,
use electricity. Ice use is a mixed bag, it may slow the venom from
spreading, but damage will be greater in the area where it is
concentrated. Probably better without it. Just try to calmly and safely
get to a doctor. A good doctor will not administer AV until you show
symptoms of envenomation. Even if you have not been envenomed, blood
loss and/or infection is still possible and must be treated so don't
hang around at home waiting for something to swell, turn black or go numb.
Do not reach into or around logs and rocks where you cannot see.

You can find good info by googling images and other stuff related to
outdoor safety. Bees are probably the number one killer of people in the
outdoors.

Carl


--
to reply, change ( .not) to ( .net)

On 13 Jun 2006 19:18:09 -0700, "AndyS" wrote:

Andy writes;

I just had a neighbor that got bitten on the finger by a
copperhead while he was weeding his garden by hand.
This is North Texas and we have a LOT of copperheads
and mocassins around, and they are a constant hazard.
Last month, I killed two coppers and one mocassin, and
the mocassin was a very close call.

Anyway, I just thought I'd post this as a caution to remind
folks that critters lurk under them thar rows of stuff.

Anybody else here had a close call, or a bite, while
gardening......?????

Andy in Eureka, Texas


In the past 13 years I saw two copperheads in my backyard. Usually I
see one or two copperheads every year. You have to watch where you
put your feet and hands. Protect the large black (rat) snakes because
these snakes dine on copperheads. Copperheads are usually not fatal
to healthy adults, but the venom can kill a dog or small child.

Carl 1 Lucky Texan wrote:


Andy replies:

Excellent advice and a good post , Carl....

As for the poster who lives in Texas and hasn't seen any poisonous
snakes,
well,.... they have seen him/her......
I don't worry about snakes since I have lived in rural areas for most
of
my life, and am always aware of the presence of snakes. It's not hard
to avoid, and only a damn fool get him/herself bitten , mainly because

of carelessness...... Still, I have also been lucky.....

I presently live on a lakeside, and cottonmouths and copperheads
abound
around here. I have a HEALTHY respect for cottonmouths, but I don't
worry about copperheads so much since their poison isn't very strong,
and
their actions are predictable, UNLIKE the cottonmouth.....those SOBs
will
actually chase a person and make them change their underwear...

Anyway, I was interested in hearing all the various critters that
folks have
encountered in their garderns.... I would like to add that a blanket of

leaves in the fall, or also in the spring, often harbor copperheads
that are
practically invisible. So when you start to gather up a big armful for
your
garden, think about it........... Sorry if I caused anyone to give up
using
leaves, but it's not hard to do it without exposing oneself to bad
critters...
Use a rake and a piece of cardboard or wood panelling.....

Good luck to all,
Andy in Eureka, Texas (presently revelling in
surplus tomatoes)

Ohio apparently only has garter snakes.

I always pick one up on the scythe when doing the lawn near the
bushes. They're never hurt, and just wind up on top of the windrow
that lines up on the left, looking disoriented.

Maybe it's always the same one. He's been getting progressively
bigger. I don't know what he's feeding on.

The scythe serves as a nice transport device for putting him back
in the bushes. They don't mind it as much as being picked up.

I don't know why the scythe doesn't hurt him. It's razor sharp.

--
Ron Hardin


On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.

On Thu, 15 Jun 2006 11:38:02 GMT, Ron Hardin
wrote:

Ohio apparently only has garter snakes.

I always pick one up on the scythe when doing the lawn near the
bushes. They're never hurt, and just wind up on top of the windrow
that lines up on the left, looking disoriented.

Maybe it's always the same one. He's been getting progressively
bigger. I don't know what he's feeding on.

The scythe serves as a nice transport device for putting him back
in the bushes. They don't mind it as much as being picked up.

I don't know why the scythe doesn't hurt him. It's razor sharp.


I'm a native Buckeye and lived in several areas (Cleveland, Akron,
Columbus, Dayton, Springfield) of the state, although I left Ohio 20
some years ago. There are 27 or so kinds of snakes in Ohio, only 3 of
which are poisonous. Two of these three, the Eastern Timber
Rattlesnake and the Massasauga Rattlesnake are endangered and
protected. The other poisonous snake native to Ohio is the Copperhead,
found mainly in the south-eastern part of the state. None of these
snakes are at all likely to be found in north central Ohio. Here in
east TN, the copperhead is not uncommon, and I've come across a Timber
Rattler once in 15 years.