Talk to Me About Snakes And Spiders

[Impish]

Ok. So where we're moving to has snakes. Rattle snakes. The yard is 'snake proofed'...Basically it looks like window screen that is buried several ft deep, and goes up about 5 ft. It's heavier gauge metal than a screen, but that's the best way I can describe it.

 

There are also venomous spiders. Yippee. Checking out the front garden today, there were 2 spiders, about the size of a loonie (for US ppl, bigger than a quarter) w/hourglass markings. :001_huh: Yes, the area has those too.

 

Now, other than napalming the area, which would mean we don't have somewhere to live, can anyone give me any tips for proofing the house? Any known repellants?

[Bang!Zoom!]

You need a really, really, really, really, really, really, (made my point yet?) good vacuum, duct tape and some first aid supplies just in case. Step one.

[elfgivas]

:grouphug:

 

what we use against rattle snakes is gopher snakes. they are non-poisonous, pretty gentle, at least around here, and fill the nitch that the rattle snakes would fill. but not in the house. the rattle snakes are unlikely to come in the house. we catch gopher snakes and put them in our garden and under our house. in 15 years, we've only had one rattle snake decide to hang out at our house....

 

most spiders like dark places. so you learn to not leave clothes on the floor, to tap shoes together before inserting feet, etc, etc.... i wear flip-flops around the house all the time for that reason. you learn to not put hands into dark places without a light, or rubber gloves. its mostly not that much of a deal once you develop the habit and don't have to think about it. our cat is quite fond of spiders, too.....

 

hth,

ann

[Mommyof4ks]

The spiders scare me, and other than nasty pesticides I have no idea what to do about them. Rattlesnakes are not as much of a concern, because they do not want to be seen or messed with, so just stay inside at night. :001_smile: We have many snakes around our house (though I have not seen a rattle snake yet), but they slither off quickly when we make noise. If you have a den on your property, then I would call someone to have them removed.

 

Keep the doors on your vehicles closed! We had a snake crawl up under our van and sit on the axle the first day we moved in. :glare: So glad I closed my doors so he could not get in the van.

[Impish]

You need a really, really, really, really, really, really, (made my point yet?) good vacuum, duct tape and some first aid supplies just in case. Step one.

Duct tape?

 

I know some places in the States, you can buy anti venom. I have to find out if it's available here...

[Bang!Zoom!]

You've never heard of duct tape?

 

(waiting for answer before thread explodes..) :lurk5:

[Jean in Newcastle]

You've never heard of duct tape?

 

(waiting for answer before thread explodes..) :lurk5:

 

She wants ideas on how you would use it.

 

Me - I would get a poisonous spider carcass, duct tape it to a stake as a warning and put it up outside the house so that all other spiders know to stay away!

[joannqn]

most spiders like dark places. so you learn to not leave clothes on the floor, to tap shoes together before inserting feet, etc, etc.... i wear flip-flops around the house all the time for that reason. you learn to not put hands into dark places without a light, or rubber gloves. its mostly not that much of a deal once you develop the habit and don't have to think about it. our cat is quite fond of spiders, too.....

 

 

:iagree::iagree:

 

I don't know anything about snakes, but this is pretty much what we did in southern California, which has black widows. Our garage always had dozens of them on the inside bottom of the door. When opening it, you didn't grab the bottom of the door to heft it up (before garage door openers). Every so often when the black widow population got too high, my dad would clear the door of them. That was the extent of our concern. We were never bit.

 

I remember sitting against a wall once...until I friend noticed the black widow about a foot above my head. I just moved away. No big deal.

 

If you get bit, you clean the wound, apply a tight bandage, elevate if on a limb, and get immediate medical attention.

 

 

Personally, I like to get nice close up photos before I dispose of the spider and then post the photo on my FB page. :D

[Susan C.]

Hospitals usually have the anti-venom. Standard procedure is kill what bit you and take it with you to ER so they know which anti-venom to give you. Our neighbor got bit by a copperhead, he killed it, put it in a bucket, and drove to ER. He recovered completely. You just have to move fast and not let much time pass.

 

My guess is the duct tape is to seal openings to the house from the attic, under the house, outside walls. I usually am not for spraying, but with the little ones, I might at minimum spray the outside (foundation and yard) to try to keep the critters from coming in.

[Impish]

She wants ideas on how you would use it.

 

Me - I would get a poisonous spider carcass, duct tape it to a stake as a warning and put it up outside the house so that all other spiders know to stay away!

Thanks, Jean. We're the Land of Red Green. I know duct tape, and a million uses for it, just not in terms of snakes and spiders :tongue_smilie:

[Bang!Zoom!]

I'm just teasin' with you Imp. Everyone knows I'm the Queen of Hate Spiders.

 

Ask Jo. :lol:

 

Seriously, you need a first aid kit.

[Farrar]

I think it's one of those things that when you think about it somewhere else, it seems crazy. We traveled earlier in the year to somewhere with venomous snakes and I was all freaked out for half minute before someone said, well, what about copperheads and moccasins? And I went, oh, yeah, I've lived with poisonous snakes before. You just don't think that much about it. You learn the basic safety stuff and then you just live with the risk, which is generally very low.

[linders]

Make a lot of noise. I send the boys ahead of me when we are outside.

[Abigail4476]

Spiders (and other crawlies): Hire a good pest control service. It's worth every penny. Our guy uses chemicals that are safe for pets & children. They won't use really strong chemicals unless you have a bad infestation of something; we've never needed it.

 

Snakes: Find out which snakes in your area are harmless and learn to recognize them. Most bites occur when people try to pick up, handle or kill a snake. The first rule of snake safety is to keep your distance, unless you know for a fact it's a harmless snake. Around here, we know that any snake with bright green, yellow or blue stripes or markings is harmless, so the kids are free to chase those down and play with them. (Which they have chosen to do on multiple occasions, to my horror.) Everything else, they know to steer clear, or if the snake invades our space, my husband will kill it with a sharp hoe or shovel. We DID have a scary situation with a water moccasin climbing up the doorjamb between our garage and laundry room, but it was attracted into the garage because of a mouse caught in a mousetrap and my husband had left the garage door cracked. I didn't even know they could slither up a doorway like that. My husband was unpleasantly surprised when he opened the door and found it hissing at him about waist-height. It was an isolated incident and thankfully no one was bitten. We are still thanking our lucky stars that our kids had went out the backdoor that day, even though we almost always used the garage door. :001_huh: My husband beheaded the snake with a shovel after he screamed in sheer terror, "OH MY GOD, HOLY MACARONI!!!" :lol:

 

Also, we have a plethora of rubber boots and my daughters have several pairs of cowboy boots. If the kids are going to be traipsing about in weeds, woods or in the creek area (ESPECIALLY in the creek area), they are required to wear boots. It's an added protection. Keep the grass mowed closely in the part of your yard where you want your children to play, keep woodpiles away from the house and teach children to look before they stick their hands under sheds, rocks, ledges, etc.

 

Education and keeping your distance. That's the best advice I have for snakes.

[Bang!Zoom!]

Okay, I'll rattle off (pardon the pun, not, lol) some of my most handy dandy spider tips...

 

You know you need a first aid kit. Vaccum, preferably one you can remove the filters from and not a paper bag type.

 

Duct tape...if you are storing things, *(and I don't really) - you want to seal all boxes tightly. Spiders live in still areas, storage boxes are a big habitat. Seal all things you don't use, and floppy box top is just asking for it. Think pantry seals too, screw top stuff like mason jars are bonus as are zip loc bags. (my personal favorite, I like to hear the "click", it's like a hug from a teddy bear for women like me..

 

Duct tape any obvious open gap areas in the house, like the baseboards, if they are uneven and open. Packing tape tends to dry, become brittle. Duct tape, not so much, stays flexible and is cleaning friendly if you get water near it. Bonus.

 

Anything in this house from the seat level down gets down at minimum once every two days. Swiffers are your friend. Throw them out.

 

I'm not anti-spray. I spray.

 

Keep your shoes OFF the floor. Keep the clothes hung up off the floor. Use garment bags if it's really bad. We'd get 100 mph winds here and they'd blow in virtual clouds of spiders; I learned this the hard way.

 

Anywhere there is a corner, beware. Includes ceiling. See Swiffer routine.

 

Use top sheets for beds. If you have say, a queen, throw a King something over it, tuck it tight. Only takes once to see one on your bed. Keep your bed pulled out far enough you can "swiff it..and swiff it good" (insert DEVO song)

 

Bathroom. Less is more. Keep under the drawers as empty as possible. Usually the darkest room in the house, and spiders like water and dark. Keep the sink plug DOWN, they will crawl UP the drains. Promise. Same for the kitchen, keep drain plugs in there.

 

Hang a lot of stuff on the walls? Bad. Take them off and dust the backs. Same with dressers. You would not BELIEVE the spiders I've found on the backs of frames and dressers. Flat out gross.

 

Pull your fridge, clean out the vents in the back. Check to see if your fridge has a drip pan. It's spider heaven.

 

Ever seen a spider crawl out a air duct? Remove the plates and dust in there. It's a flipping buffet of spiders. Spiders love vents.

 

Check your window screens. If there is any chance there's going to be an insect collection point, this is it. Spiders love insect collections. Keep it free of spider foods. Spiders know nocturnal, and they also go toward lighted night areas, they are programmed to look for food there.

[Chris in VA]

Oh, One*mom.

You brave soul, you.

I am uncomfortable just reading your post!

 

We get lots of spiders in our Northern Neck house, but they are the same color as the beige-y carpet, and harmless (we get tunnel spiders, but you can see them and they are just outside).

 

All your comments/suggestions are excellent.

[Bang!Zoom!]

Actually, tomorrow is my anti spider day. Yes, I really have one of these.

 

I should write up all the stuff as I go along and post it by itself. It's too hard to think of ALL the stuff just sitting here. I'll put my anti spider OCD on show..lol.

[FaithManor]

Possible solutions:

 

1. Seed the yard with uranium ore...probably shouldn't let the children play out! :001_huh:

 

2. Use a flamethrower everyday - scorched earth policy.

 

3. Curl up in a little ball, suck thumb, cry, rock back and forth, and wait for the looney bin to come collect you where they will keep you safe forever.

 

4. Leave poison everywhere, hope Boo doesn't get into it. :001_huh:

 

5. Have an affair with both the exterminator and the animal control guy so that you have them at the house regularly! :lol:

 

6. Figure out what likes to eat spiders and get 20 of them. If it's snakes, burn the house down and run.

 

7. Buy kevlar suits for everyday clothing.

 

8. Become a mongoose breeder.

 

9. Offer your property as a free site for pyrotechnic research and enjoy the fireworks show.

 

10. Flood the whole property with chlorine gas, wait for the air to clear, and construct a bio-dome over the home and yard. Keep a mongoose tied up at both exits.

 

:biggrinjester: Faith

[Chris in VA]

Rofl!!!

Mongeese are cuties...

[Bang!Zoom!]

Faith's ideas are WAY more fun and less work than mine. jealous;)

[Abigail4476]

Possible solutions:

 

1. Seed the yard with uranium ore...probably shouldn't let the children play out! :001_huh:

 

2. Use a flamethrower everyday - scorched earth policy.

 

3. Curl up in a little ball, suck thumb, cry, rock back and forth, and wait for the looney bin to come collect you where they will keep you safe forever.

 

4. Leave poison everywhere, hope Boo doesn't get into it. :001_huh:

 

5. Have an affair with both the exterminator and the animal control guy so that you have them at the house regularly! :lol:

 

6. Figure out what likes to eat spiders and get 20 of them. If it's snakes, burn the house down and run.

 

7. Buy kevlar suits for everyday clothing.

 

8. Become a mongoose breeder.

 

9. Offer your property as a free site for pyrotechnic research and enjoy the fireworks show.

 

10. Flood the whole property with chlorine gas, wait for the air to clear, and construct a bio-dome over the home and yard. Keep a mongoose tied up at both exits.

 

:biggrinjester: Faith

 

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[1bassoon]

Aw, Imp. . . . .

 

You've gotten some good advice.

 

But now, I've just got that old tune buzzing around in my head -

 

"I don't like spiders or snakes,

But that ain't what it takes to love me. . . .

 

Mmmmhmmmmm"

[Impish]

Possible solutions:

 

1. Seed the yard with uranium ore...probably shouldn't let the children play out! :001_huh:

 

2. Use a flamethrower everyday - scorched earth policy.

 

3. Curl up in a little ball, suck thumb, cry, rock back and forth, and wait for the looney bin to come collect you where they will keep you safe forever.

 

4. Leave poison everywhere, hope Boo doesn't get into it. :001_huh:

 

5. Have an affair with both the exterminator and the animal control guy so that you have them at the house regularly! :lol:

 

6. Figure out what likes to eat spiders and get 20 of them. If it's snakes, burn the house down and run.

 

7. Buy kevlar suits for everyday clothing.

 

8. Become a mongoose breeder.

 

9. Offer your property as a free site for pyrotechnic research and enjoy the fireworks show.

 

10. Flood the whole property with chlorine gas, wait for the air to clear, and construct a bio-dome over the home and yard. Keep a mongoose tied up at both exits.

 

:biggrinjester: Faith

Liking the bolded ideas...I don't know if I have the energy to manage two affairs and a husband though...and w/hsing, the kids would blow my cover. I just don't see Wolf going for the 'but it means free extermination!" excuse :lol:

[LaxMom]

After reading one*mom's SOPs, I'm feeling like Faith's suggestions are perfectly reasonable. I am honestly trying to figure out how you have rattle snakes and black widows... don't they know it's COLD up there???

 

We have black widows, but they like places like our friends' greenhouse, not our yard. Good grief. Spray, dome, mongoose, I'd be on it. :svengo: :ack2:

[Impish]

Looking on google, I think what I saw were recluse spiders. Reclusive my hiney, hanging out in the sunshine. :glare:

 

They were brown and HUGE.

 

I wonder...are mongoose (mongeese?) good w/kids? Chew their faces off? Where would one find a breeder?

 

Cats. Def need more cats.

[FaithManor]

Liking the bolded ideas...I don't know if I have the energy to manage two affairs and a husband though...and w/hsing, the kids would blow my cover. I just don't see Wolf going for the 'but it means free extermination!" excuse :lol:

 

 

Tell that man that there is a line that must be drawn in the sand - preferably irradiated - the wife, or the evil b**tard reptiles and wicked arachnids. If it's the wife, he'll just have to share with the people that get rid of the dad gum things or embrace a new career as a venomous removal engineer! :toetap05::willy_nilly:

 

Faith

[Lara in Colo]

We have lots and lots of black widow spiders here.

They like woodpiles. A lot. Never never never let the children play near a woodpile. Never let the children play under a deck. Don't leave the outdoor furniture cushions outside for an extended period (like all winter)

 

Watch what you bring into the house from outside-- shake it well. I once brought in a sheet that had been sitting for a couple of weeks near the back door and put it in the laundry hamper. On hour later a HUGE bw spider is crawling across my floor.

 

Use gloves when doing yardwork. (they like sprinkler housing)

 

Stuff your off season shoes with fabric.

 

Don't reach into any dark corner without gloves (get a box of nitrile gloves)

 

WE use this poison http://store.pestproducts.com/Product/-Demon-WP--4-pack

 

once a year. They don't die right away so they take the poison back to their babies.

We skipped last year and we have LOTS of babies now.

When you do renovations, wear gloves.

 

I find the babies to be scary because they don't look like the adults.

Same shape, but very little and grey.

 

 

All in all, we have never been bitten (9 years and 4 curious and brave children)

[Bang!Zoom!]

I think I told this story once here..we had Steven Johnson syndrome (no, don't google it, you can't *unsee* it once you see it) here from a bite. 3 hospitalizations from bites.

 

Dusting is nothing in comparison.

[klmama]

FWIW, most people who have brown recluses never get bit because they are, well, reclusive. Brown recluse spiders like to hunt at night, so it's better if you have the dc sleep in beds rather than "camp out" in sleeping bags. You want to have sticky traps along the walls in the rooms you find them - behind the beds, behind the toilet, etc. They walk into the traps and get stuck. Some people use insecticides to bomb their houses if the spider infestation is really bad. My niece moved into a rent-free house as a favor to a family member who didn't want it to be sitting empty, and she went the insecticide route. No kids, though. You'll want to discuss.

[justLisa]

I think I told this story once here..we had Steven Johnson syndrome (no, don't google it, you can't *unsee* it once you see it) here from a bite. 3 hospitalizations from bites.

 

Dusting is nothing in comparison.

 

 

:crying: In your home or in your town? That is utterly one of the most horrifying experiences one could imagine.

[happyhomemaker]

Is anyone else reading this thread and checking every 10 seconds to make sure nothing is crawling on you?

 

The idea of tons of spiders freaks me out much more than snakes. If only mongooses ate spiders...

[Bang!Zoom!]

:crying: In your home or in your town? That is utterly one of the most horrifying experiences one could imagine.

 

We moved out not long after he was better, it was too much for me. It's been about a year and half now since?

 

Just restocked the Hibscleanse here today in fact.

 

Get some Imp. Really.

[Laurie4b]

Make a lot of noise. I send the boys ahead of me when we are outside.

 

I think making a lot of noise might be an old wives tale to make themselves feel better. Not all poisonous snakes are deterred by noise. DH was outside with a chain saw going when the biggest copperhead we've ever seen slithered by within about 5 feet of him and the kids. It's hard to make more noise than a chain saw. :tongue_smilie:

[Mrs_JWM]

Holy carp, One*Mom - tell me where you live immediately so I will NEVER, EVER, EVER go there!!!

[justLisa]

We moved out not long after he was better, it was too much for me. It's been about a year and half now since?

 

Just restocked the Hibscleanse here today in fact.

 

Get some Imp. Really.

 

I can imagine. :grouphug:

[Bang!Zoom!]

This photo is for conceptual reasons (not where I live now)- see, when a big dust storm comes, in with the wind are gabzillions of spiders living on the surface.

Imagine one of these clouds headed straight at your house with radioactive plus poisonous spiders at 100 mph. Cause that is what happens here.

I'm on the third story about 20 miles from the old place now. Enough.

o

 

l

We'd wake up in the morning, and the archway of the door frame would be a gauzy curtain of spider webs.

The bushes? Oh brother..they looked like this:

[lisamarie]

Possible solutions:

 

5. Have an affair with both the exterminator and the animal control guy so that you have them at the house regularly! :lol:

 

:iagree: We always joked that I was the result of my mom's affair with Randy the S*xterminator. He came every quarter and always during the day when we were at school and dad was at work.:lol:

[fraidycat]

Imp, I don't think you have to worry about the spiders. Probably just the snakes...which will hopefully stay outside and far away from your house.

 

You most likely saw a Wolf Spider. Man, those suckers can get huge!!

 

I've lived in REALLY yucky spider (and snake) country (Arizona, North Carolina, and Souther California) and have not seen one dangerously venomous (black widow or brown recluse) spider to my knowledge. Even in my storage shed and garage. I've seen some huge, gross looking ones, but not the dangerous ones.

 

The place where I see the most gross looking spiders is at my parents' place in Canada, but they are not dangerous, just gross looking.

 

Maybe this will ease your mind a bit.

 

http://www.ehow.com/how_5113425_identify-spiders-alberta.html

Edited August 19, 2012 by fraidycat

[EducationX2]

Actually, tomorrow is my anti spider day. Yes, I really have one of these.

 

I should write up all the stuff as I go along and post it by itself. It's too hard to think of ALL the stuff just sitting here. I'll put my anti spider OCD on show..lol.

 

Okay, seriously, after reading your list of things.... I feel things crawling on me. :svengo:I'm going to need a location on where you live, so I can never, ever move anywhere even close. Hundreds of spiders blown in on the wind?!?!?! :eek:

 

Possible solutions:

 

1. Seed the yard with uranium ore...probably shouldn't let the children play out! :001_huh:

 

2. Use a flamethrower everyday - scorched earth policy

 

3. Curl up in a little ball, suck thumb, cry, rock back and forth, and wait for the looney bin to come collect you where they will keep you safe forever.

 

4. Leave poison everywhere, hope Boo doesn't get into it. :001_huh:

 

5. Have an affair with both the exterminator and the animal control guy so that you have them at the house regularly! :lol:

 

6. Figure out what likes to eat spiders and get 20 of them. If it's snakes, burn the house down and run.

 

7. Buy kevlar suits for everyday clothing.

 

8. Become a mongoose breeder.

 

9. Offer your property as a free site for pyrotechnic research and enjoy the fireworks show.

 

10. Flood the whole property with chlorine gas, wait for the air to clear, and construct a bio-dome over the home and yard. Keep a mongoose tied up at both exits.

 

:biggrinjester: Faith

 

I like all of these options. Especially number two. I've always wanted a flamethrower!! :lol: Now a legitimate reason to get one.

(Although, I'm not sure that handing a terrified person a flamethrower is exactly the *best* idea, but hey, let's go with it anyway!)

[celticmom]

Chickens might take care of spiders for you and they have the side benefit of free eggs. In the case of snakes they would probably alert you if one was nearby. The only downside is even if you only have hens the dominant one may decide she needs to crow. Ask me how I know this.

[Melissa in Australia]

don't shift to Australia if you are worried about venomous snakes and spiders. especially the snakes. they are everywhere, and just about every snake you see is in the top 15 of the most venomous snakes in the world.

 

You get use to them. In summer we would see one every few days.

[FaithManor]

don't shift to Australia if you are worried about venomous snakes and spiders. especially the snakes. they are everywhere, and just about every snake you see is in the top 15 of the most venomous snakes in the world.

 

You get use to them. In summer we would see one every few days.

 

 

:ack2::svengo::willy_nilly::svengo:Faith who will forvever avoid "The Land Down Under!!!!!"

[Tammyla]

:iagree: And I know for a fact that...rattle snakes are not afraid of noise:glare:. You can scream your ever-lovin head off, rev your car engine, bang on the garage door with a shovel and they will simply laugh and rattle away at you. (And they will bite your dog in a minute.) The cute little baby-ones will bite longer and harder and can be really deadly. Apparently, a huge rattle snake is better than a baby one in your yard.

 

Where we lived the police department would respond and take them back out to the desert if they could catch them.

 

:auto:Spiders and snakes...omg...omg:auto:!

Edited August 19, 2012 by Tammyla

[AmyontheFarm]

Imp, I think you said you were moving close too or in a provincial park. I'm betting there are stupid rules about spraying for insects.

 

I'd be very quiet about it and spray first and ask for forgiveness later. KWIM?

 

I'm in Ontario, and we can hire someone to come and spray our house and out buildings on the farm. With one exception, we can not spray the dairy barn unless we don't want to ship milk for 6 months. We can power wash the walls, blow the dust down with air, etc but no spray on spider killing allowed. Stupid thing is we can spray for flies.:glare:

 

Make sure you check your yard perimeter every few months and especially in the spring, before the snow melts and the snakes are awake.

 

Spend an hour teaching the kids to recognize the different types of snakes/spiders in your area, print out a poster and put it by the back door. Research and find out what your local hospital medically wants you to do if you or the kids are bit. Same with the vet. Gather those supplies and put into a spider proof container and label it well. Then pray you never need to use it.

 

Also, it's illegal to kill some snakes in Ontario, you might want to research the laws in your province so that if something were to ever die on your property by "natural" causes you can instruct everyone to shut up about it.

[Impish]

Yes, it's in a provincial park, and they actually have signs on the road about slowing down and not running over the snakes.

 

Wolf speeds up :lol:

 

No, you're not normally allowed to kill them, as they're considered endangered, however, there are conservation officers on duty to call. If a snake is endangering a person...well...*whistles innocently*

 

We will be investing in leather hiking boots for everyone...but Boo. And, thanks to RSD, I can't hike.

 

One other ? I have...how the HECK do you garden w/snakes and spiders around? I *really* want a veggie garden for next yr...but not if it means creepy crawlies.

 

I'm not worried about snakes in the backyard...again, it's been 'snake proofed'. Front yard, under the front porch, front garden...*shudder*

[SailorMom]

 

I'm not worried about snakes in the backyard...again, it's been 'snake proofed'. Front yard, under the front porch, front garden...*shudder*

 

I wouldn't take this for granted. You still need to teach your kids they could be back there - not "snake proofing" is 100 % :)

We've had a coral snake (called animal control) in our house and on our front porch, we have rattlers, water moccasins, etc., all over here - and all the spiders you can think of :) But rarely are they an issue. After about a year you'll realize they aren't waiting around the corner to jump out an bite you.

That said - nothing wrong with making sure kids know what to do, keeping debris piles and leaves cleaned up, and checking all of your shoes in the morning :)

[Impish]

I wouldn't take this for granted. You still need to teach your kids they could be back there - not "snake proofing" is 100 % :)

We've had a coral snake (called animal control) in our house and on our front porch, we have rattlers, water moccasins, etc., all over here - and all the spiders you can think of :) But rarely are they an issue. After about a year you'll realize they aren't waiting around the corner to jump out an bite you.

That said - nothing wrong with making sure kids know what to do, keeping debris piles and leaves cleaned up, and checking all of your shoes in the morning :)

Oh, they're totally going to be taught! I just don't think I'm going to have Boo out crawling in the front yard, kwim?

[Dmmetler]

Just don't tell my DD-she's snake-obsessed and would probably head over to find those poor excluded rattlesnakes and offer them a home (and I WISH I thought I were exaggerating....)

[Lady Florida.]

FWIW, most people who have brown recluses never get bit because they are, well, reclusive.

 

 

Yes, and they're not very big. Though most people look at long legs and think a spider is big, it's the size of the body you need to look at when identifying a spider.

 

That said, dh was bitten by a brown recluse before I met him, and now 20 years later he's dealing with repercussions. That's because he didn't realize he got bit (you don't usually feel it) and it was misdiagnosed at first (in the 1980's they didn't realize there were brown recluse spiders in Florida, as they're not native).

 

We have Black Widows and Brown Recluse spiders in Florida, yet bites are rare. They really aren't agressive. We always check shoes that were in the garage or on the porch though, just to be safe.

 

Florida also has 6 types of venomous snakes, including the most venomous in North America - the Coral Snake - yet snake bites are rare too.

 

Just because something exists where you live doesn't mean it will be a problem. Common sense, such as not aggravating the snake, or checking shoes for spiders, prevents most problems.

[Tammyla]

Fyi...Killing some snakes is against the law...I don't know why, but it is.