Looking to be a big year for snakes

[tjm 0]

Snakes in general have declined in my area since the late '70s early '80s- coincidentally the time when armadillos were introduced and naturalized here. Where I used to see a hundred or more road kill snakes each summer, it is rare to see a roadkill snake now (maybe 5-6 per year) and the copperheads seem to have declined more than others. Don't recall seeing a roadkill copperhead in 4-5 years.

It is unknown if the armadillos eat young snakes or out-compete the snakes for the same foods, but the impact is obvious.

[Peartree 0]

No armadillos here in Virginia, and no shortage on snakes, though the possums, skunks and hawks try to take out a bunch of them.

Saw 2 more water snakes yesterday, though no pictures. Did have to remove a dead 6ft black rat snake from a boiler room this week. Don't know what happened to him, but he'd been there a few days and was pretty ripe before anyone noticed him.

[ihang10 0]

I can deal with the snakes, but I hate ticks. As if Lymes disease wasnt enough, now the lone star tick transmits some protein thatll make you allergic to red meat. That would be horrible.

[Poopdeck 0]

I no longer wet because of ticks. I wear my waders from the car and back to the car just as added tick control measures. I hate them to and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be a fan of Lyme disease or eating white meat only.

[Steeldrifter 0]

They are certainly nasty little buggers that's for sure. And its surprising how the bite of such a tiny thing can hurt/be so strong. The one that bite into me 5 days ago is healing up fine (no lyme signs) but it still is sore to touch the spot. Crazy how strong of a bite they can have for their size.

[ihang10 0]

Last tick that bit me I caught early, but it itched for days/weeks afterwards.

[Steeldrifter 0]

Luckily mine hasn't really itched much. Just a few times for a minute or two but not really any itchiness to speak of thankfully.

[tjm 0]

I don't think you can step off the pavement in my county without getting ticks. Sometimes they fall out of trees and become airborne. All the effective control chemicals have been banned.

Best you can do is wear permethrin treated clothing and I worry about having that against my skin in 90F+ heat.

Some brands of suntan oil deter both ticks and biting insects. Banana Boat with 0 UV protection works best for me. Not sure why it works, banana/coconut smell maybe.

[Steeldrifter 0]

I may have spoke too soon. The past 3 days now it has turned really red and round to about 3" diameter. Not the bullseye that Lyme shows in most cases, but I am gonna get on some Amoxicillin here shortly just to be safe

[dadofmolly 0]

Couple of rattlers that were at the lake.

 

This one committed suicide. Crawled under the point of a shovel.

 

There were three more sightings beside these two. The first one was captured by animal control and the second one decided to commit suicide. Two of the other sightings were captured by animal control and the 3rd went back into the weeds before AC could get there

 

[Steeldrifter 0]

 

This is what it looked like on Wednesday. After being okay for a couple days it then started to turn red and look infected. Not the bulls eye rash of lyme but still not good. It's looking much lighter today now. Running a course of Amoxilcillin just to be on the safe side.

 

Wonder if I will get super powers now?

[mikechell 0]

There's already a super hero called, "The Tick".

 

I don't know what his powers are ... I don't watch the series.

I wonder if "Tickism" is like "Vampirism"? You'll need the blood of others to live!

[FishnPhil 0]

That's an old show, I think his superpower is sarcasm

 

From the sounds of it you have seen the doctor, that looks disgusting (in a you need to see a doctor kind of way)! :D

[vicrider 0]

Funny that I have had ticks in me in many areas of the body and never had any reaction from them beyond pulling them out. No itch, no rash, no pain. Just lucky I guess. I also have sensitive skin that lets me feel 90% of ticks crawling around on me before they get a chance to lock in on me.

 

As for snakes I'm a firm believer in my b-i-l's philosophy. Any live snake is venomous and can kill you if you let them. Now, it might be on post mortem inspection that it turns out a harmless rat eating blessing of nature and should run wild and free but then he shouldn't have jumped out at me. I walk careful and would never shoot a snake in the back if it's going away from me but have no love for them. My daughter and sil own one of the biggest reptile stores in the northern states and has a houseful of glass cages and a basement where they raise bald pythons for the market or something like that.

[Mike West 0]

I had tons of snakes in my youth as pets...poisonous to non-poisonous.

On my property I usually run across at least 6 to 12 copperheads a year.

For the most part I leave snakes alone or relocate them.

In the last two years Ive have had three pets bitten by a copperhead...(dumb ass dogs and a cat)

So now they die.

But to date I have not found one yet.