Spring and warmer weather are upon us. The flora and fauna that we in South Wales are blessed to have all around us are awakening and once again will provide us with great pleasure. We, and our children especially, will be walking on the hiking trails and enjoying the nearby woods. With that in mind, there are some local plants and critters that are best avoided.
Let’s start with the flora. Poison ivy, oak, and sumacall grow in Virginia, but poison ivy is the plant we have to watch out for. The oil [urushoil] in the roots, leaves, and surrounding soil can cause terrible rashes on sensitive skin, and the oil can last for years on dead plants and surrounding soil. And don’t forget that your pets can bring the oil into the house on their fur. My wife learned this the hard way.
The fauna that live among us run the gamut from the white-tailed deer to the tiniest spider. Just about all of them are harmless, but we have to be especially careful around some. In the spring fawns are often seen alone, but mama is nearby and can be very protective of them. Children should not approach them. During the rutting season [November] bucks can be very aggressive. It’s best to keep your distance.
Black bears have been sighted in the neighborhood. They are attracted to bird feeders, garbage, pet food, grills, and compost. If you or your child spots one of them, call Buddy Williams or someone on the local board.
There are three poisonous snakes in Virginia, but only one lives among us: the northern copperhead, whose bite is extremely venomous. We should all learn to identify this snake; at the same time, it is not a good idea to get close enough to do a detailed inspection. For a start, the three venomous snakes in Virginia have vertical pupils; the harmless ones, like the black rat snake [the largest in Virginia], have round pupils.
There are only two poisonous species of spiders in Virginia: the black widow and the brown recluse. Both are found in our area. Be sure to look these guys up on the Internet. They both typically prefer to nest in wood piles, rocks, and other dry shelters.
Ticks and chiggers are well established in the area. Chiggers cause a lot of discomfort, but little else. Ticks are another matter. The black-legged tick [deer tick] is tiny and hard to find during a tick inspection. It can transmit Lyme disease and HGA. The Lone Star tick can transmit HME, STARI, and tularemia. The third dangerous tick hereabouts is the American dog tick. It can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia.
We have all had tick bites at one time or another without becoming ill, but an illness is always a possibility. We should all check ourselves and our children for ticks whenever we have been in tall grass or dense vegetation.
Last, but not least, are certainground nesting wasps and hornets. Most bees and wasps that nest in the ground are relatively harmless. But some ground wasp species and all hornets will attack humans. Be wary of holes in the ground with wasp-like critters flying about.
The above information is not meant to frighten anyone, only to make residents, especially newcomers, aware of their surroundings and to suggest some commonsense precautions as we enjoy our natural habitat.