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Wake Forest, NC removal services?
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by CharlieO on April 5, 2009
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I'm looking to see who might perform removal services in the Wake Forest, NC area. We (wife and I) found what appeared to be a neonate copperhead at the entrance to our neighborhood last night while walking our dog and our 5 yr. old son. We brought the youngster and dog home; I called the local police department and was unintentionally given a couple of numbers for local services. I went back up to where we found the snake and it was no longer visible (it was laying in the gutter apparently grabbing the last residual warmth). Unfortunately, one number I was given was wrong and the other one was answered by machine. Since I live in a neighborhood with several small children (and we did use the opportunity to provide a little common-sense education, obviously any venomous snake would present a danger to the kids. I'd like to get the info for anyone who would perform removals before we run into any more legless visitors.
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RE: Wake Forest, NC removal services?
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by brandonsthaman on April 6, 2009
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You might try this website: http://www.snakegetters.com/
They offer "coast to coast" removal. They also have a contact list of volunteers, you may find someone near you on there...
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RE: Wake Forest, NC removal services?
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by FSB on April 6, 2009
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There is also a company based in Charlotte that does snake removal - their website is www.snakeremoval.com
Even if someone does come out there, they may or, (mostly likely) will not find any copperheads, and even if they did find and remove one or 2, there will still be copperheads around Wake Forest. It's the same ongoing issue of human habitations increasingly encroaching upon what has always been wildlife habitat, and the copperheads were there since time immemorial and now have nowhere to go.
The best course of action is the one you have already taken to some extent - education! If you have a neighborhood association, perhaps you could find someone to come give a lecture on snakes. I have always lived in places with lots of copperheads, and I have a young son, but he is very aware of snakes and capable of distinguishing one from another. I'm not at all worried about him being bitten by a copperhead. Of all the potential dangers facing children in this world - the vast majority of them being man-made - copperheads should be very, very low on anyone's list of threats.
As with any potential danger, the best approach is to educate yourself and your children about common-sense techniques, and the behavior of copperheads, that could reduce the chances to a copperhead bite to the level of freak accident (and the risk factor is already pretty far down there, as it goes).
Copperheads are most often active around dusk, sometimes early dawn as well, so if you're taking a walk with your dog at that time, stay on pavement or clear, open trails where you can see the ground clearly. If you see one lying on the pavement in the open, just leave it a wide berth... the snake will not chase or attack. Few snakes have a worse, or less-deserved, bad reputation than copperheads. They are actually peaceful and mild-mannered snakes and will only defend themselves if threatened or cornered. When I say that, I know people tend to roll their eyes and say "Yeah, right," but I have studied, collected and kept these beautiful snakes my entire life, and it's simply the truth. I'm am not telling a lie to defend copperheads. The big lie is that they are fearsome, bloodthirsty, cunning plotters who lay in wait by a footpath to ambush hapless humans.
So - use extreme caution, particularly at this time of year, between dusk and after dark, and teach your kids to avoid playing in overgrown areas and to stay clear of debris piles, such as old piles of rotting wood or brush, etc. Copperheads are loathe to come out into the open, for many reasons, and I can practically guarantee that one will not show up in broad daylight on a well-manicured lawn or playground, especially if there's a lot of noisy activity going on. They like it really quiet, and will only venture forth into the open when they feel that there is noone around.
Woods, streams and fields should be places of wonder and beauty for children, as they have always been for me - not places of dread and horror. There are, however, many things to watch out for, and children should be taught to be vigilant and aware, which are good skills to have in life no matter where they go. Not only snakes, but poison ivy and poison oak, bees, hornets and wasps, possibly even a rabid raccoon, are other potentially harmful things that might be encountered in the woods, and to be schooled in knowing what to expect and what to look for is the best protection.
Check with your schools and local 4-H... there are always people around who can teach woodlore to children, and it's a great thing for them to know.
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