Summer Snake Safety | Home & Garden

Summertime is snake season. Recently in one Northeast Columbia neighborhood, a few snakes have been spotted, including harmless water snakes in yards that border wetlands, and a more dangerous baby diamondback rattlesnake found inside a garage. What should you do when you spot a snake near your home? Killing it may not always be the answer. Understanding snakes that are common to our area will help you decide when to leave it alone and when to call in reinforcements.

When summer temperatures soar, snakes behave a lot like people: they stay put when it's hot, and when it is cooler, they get out and move around. So encounters with a snake are more likely to occur in the cool mornings and evenings when the snakes are more active. But you don't have to be paranoid about being bitten by a snake. In fact, more people die from wasp or bee stings than snakebites. According to the US Food and Drug Administration, only about 10 people nationwide die from a snakebite each year. However, you do have to be careful and be prepared. Knowing some facts about snakes and practicing good safety can prevent you, your family and your pets from being bitten.

The Clemson Extension Service provides a Learning About Snakes guide that describes snakes common to our area, including how to identify harmless, non-venomous snakes vs. the poisonous ones. This guide also includes tips for dealing with a potentially dangerous snake if you find one.

If you are active outdoors, or spend time near woods and water, you may want to have an anti-venom kit on hand, like the Sawyer Extraction Kit, available for purchase online or locally at Dick's Sporting Goods. Kit contents can vary, but most contain sting relief ointment for ant or bees stings, bandages, alcohol wipes, and a venom extractor device for snake bites. These kits also include instructions that will walk you through steps for administering the proper aid if a snake bite occurs.

To protect your pet, many veterinarian clinics, like local vet Blythewood Animal Hospital, offer a rattlesnake vaccine for dogs. After vaccination, if a dog is bitten it can form its own anti-venom, which can stimulate an immediate immune response and can lessen the effects of the venom. The initial vaccine is administered twice, with dosing 30 days apart. After that, the vaccine is administered every six months. Each dose costs approximately $25, depending on your veterinary provider. By comparison, if your dog was bitten without vaccination, treatment can cost upwards of $3,000 if their are no complications. Call ahead to your vet to ask if they offer the rattlesnake vaccine and how much it will cost at their office.

Information is key when dealing with snakes. Snakes are valuable to humans in many ways, including providing natural pest control, since many snake species prey on insects and rodents. Snake venom is even being used to create treatments for serious human health ailments like heart disease, Parkinson's disease, stroke recovery and more. For a finer appreciation, check out the documentary The Beauty of Snakes available on Blu-Ray from the Richland County Public Library. It just takes a little education and preparedness to learn about the benefits and potential dangers that snakes present.