|
Time spent playing or working outside is always good but there are a few things that everyone should keep an eye out for so that they don’t suffer from one of nature’s surprises.
Invading Buggy Spaces
Spiders:
Black Widow
While the black widow is common in Maryland, they are not sociable. When seen at all they are most often found hiding around your house in dark, seldom disturbed places like garage corners, tool sheds, old lumber piles, rock piles, trash piles, and water and gas meters. If they are in your house it is probably because you carried them in in a box or flower pot. We once carried one to the beach inside a bucket of sand toys.
The black widow female is black and has a bright red hour glass shape on the belly. This red mark is easily seen because she hangs upside down in the web. They are not aggressive spiders but will bite when touched. Go to the doctor immediately if bitten by a black widow. To avoid being bitten wear gloves when working in the yard and knock down webs and egg sacs with a stick to keep the spider population in control.
Brown Recluse
The brown recluse spider is native to the Midwest and Southwestern United States but has a habit of climbing into boxes and other dark spaces hitching a ride to your house. It is normally very shy and reclusive. The appearance of the brown recluse spider is unique because of its violin shaped design on the front half of its body.
The bite of a brown recluse spider causes a wound, which takes 6 weeks or more to heal. Go to the doctor immediately if bitten by a brown recluse.
Ticks:
We live in an area where ticks are common. The more you are outside the better your chances of picking up a tick. They are in the grass and especially active April through August. The counties surrounding the Chesapeake Bay seem to have an especially high incidence of Lyme disease carried by Deer ticks, also known as black legged ticks. Untreated Lyme disease is serious and can cause Meningitis, arthritis, heart and vision problems.
Deer ticks are smaller than the more noticeable and common dog ticks. During the nymph stage, which is when Deer ticks are most likely to carry Lyme disease, the ticks are less than 1/16 of an inch or about the size of a pinhead.
To avoid ticks try to stay out of high, uncut grass and wear long pants, long sleeves and light colored clothes tucked in. By all means check your kids every day for ticks and look carefully in all creases and hairlines. If you find a tick carefully pull it out with tweezers.
The symptoms of Lyme disease are much like the flu: headache, fever, muscle and joint soreness, fatigue and in some instances a bull’s eye rash will appear near the site of the tick bite. Lyme disease needs to be treated by a doctor with antibiotics. If you want a tick identified you can send it along with the following form to the University of Maryland. Tick ID Form: http://www.hgic.umd.edu/content/documents/TickIdentificationForm_MDA_8_09.pdf
Snakes:
The Copper Head Snake is another creature that likes its privacy. They live in deciduous forests and mixed woodlands hiding in cool, dark places under garden mulch, compost, decaying stumps, flat stones and occasionally low-lying swampy areas. It is aggressive only during mating season February – April.
Adults are about 20 – 40 inches long. Their heads are indeed copper color and their bodies have dark bands. Juveniles have yellow-tipped tails. They eat mice, lizards, frogs and birds.
Although a copper head bite is not deadly it is very painful and medical attention is necessary immediately. The best prevention is to wear gloves and boots while working outdoors.
http://www.copperheadsnake.net
Wasps and Bees
The more aggressive stingers include:
Yellow jackets: 1/2 - 1 inch, black and yellow, not fuzzy, aggressive, may nest in ground or in a gray papery sphere attached to house, tree or shrub. They tend to be a problem late summer into early fall.
Honey Bees: 1/2 inch, brown, fuzzy bee, common on flowers, nests in trees, commercial hives and occasionally in structures. They gather pollen.
To remove swarms, contact a local beekeeper. If nesting in a wall in a home, contact a professional pest control company. After bees are killed, comb and honey should be removed promptly from wall to avoid attracting other insects and mice. There will also be a strong odor from the honey and dead bees.
Green Stuff to Avoid
“Leaves of three let it be!”
Even if you don’t know exactly what Poison Ivy looks like the rhyme is easy to remember. Teach it to your kids and you will prevent a lot of rashes since Poison Ivy is readily found all over the area on vines wrapping around trees, low on the ground and hidden among other plants.
Urushiol is the oil found in Poison Ivy and that is what causes the rash on people who are allergic to it. The oil is in the leaves, vines and roots and can remain viable for up to five years and not even have to be on a live plant. It can get on clothes, tools and pets and then rub off on you and give you a rash.
Treatment: “Rinse well as water inactivates urushiol. Soap is unnecessary, but after being exposed, you must douse yourself immediately with water as the oil will usually bond with the skin in as little as 15 minutes and water will become less effective. Rubbing alcohol is a little more effective initially than water but the important part is how quickly you rinse the oil off. Again don't use a washcloth and remember not to use alcohol if you will have more exposure that day because you are removing other protective oils too.”
-- William L. Epstein, MD (chairman emeritus and professor of dermatology at the University of California, School of Medicine.
Wash clothes in hot water immediately to get rid of the oil. A second washing is advisable. See your doctor with any problems.
http://poisonivy.aesir.com/view/welcome.html
Poison Sumac
Poison Sumac is more like a small, free-standing bush than Poison Ivy. It has 7-13 smaller leaflets that have smooth edges and a stem that links the leaflets. It also contains Urushiol and you should follow the same precautions and treatment as with Poison Ivy.
What You Can’t See Can Hurt You
Giardia
Giardiasis is a nasty upset stomach caused by ingesting water infected with the parasite Giardia. Giardia is found on surfaces, in soil, food or water that has been contaminated with feces from infected humans or animals.
Accidentally swallowing Giardia is possible from:
- Contaminated surfaces like toys, bathroom fixtures or changing tables.
- Drinking water from contaminated streams and lakes
- Swallowing infected recreational water from swimming pools, hot tubs, ponds, lakes, rivers
- Eating uncooked contaminated food
While some people have no symptoms at all from Giardia other people have diarrhea, abdominal cramps and nausea that can lead to weight loss and dehydration. Prescription drugs may be necessary to get rid of the Giardia. Unfortunately it is very prevalent.
Prevention is important.
Wash hands with soap and water after using the restroom, changing a diaper, cleaning trash or a sink drain, or picking up dog poop. Keep children with diarrhea out of swimming pools and other recreational swimming areas. Take them on frequent bathroom breaks and change their diapers in the bathroom not on pool decks.
Do not drink, swallow or use untreated water for ice that is from streams, lakes, rivers, ponds or shallow wells. Assume that streams, ponds and lakes are contaminated with Giardia, even those clear mountain streams. Do not drink or swallow untreated water from them or you will in all likelihood get sick. Use a water filter or iodine tablets to treat water when you are hiking long distances and unable to carry all the water you may need.
If you learn to identify and avoid potential problems outdoors you will not only be much safer but also enjoy the benefits of outdoor activities.
|
Subscribe to this comment's feed
