Poison plants and venomous animals.

[RadonHuffer]

I kinda get tired of seeing guys get major cases of poison ivy and chasing them around the next week with a big bundle of virginia creeper vines?

Some of use work in the bushes a lot, Knowing what you are dealing with is half the problem with staying safe from what mother nature tosses your way.

Last week in Iowa I actually spotted a prarie rattle snake escaping the flood waters. Having been bit by a massauga rattle snake several years ago I can tell you its no fun.

F***ing ticks! I got a half dozen a week ago. I wanted to get naked and roll around in the stones naked to make sure I got them all!?!?!.:mad:

I can do some photos and writing if you think it would be helpful, I have over 20 years worth of nucance wildlife control time under my belt, I can tell you why a raccoon can kick your ass, Or load live wild skunks in my pickup and drive them 20 miles with out getting sprayed.:D

None of the critters get to me but TICKs.:eek:

My first articles would be about poison plants, But if you got a critter question just ask.

[BigClive]

I think Byron's always looking for articles for the mag. You should just go ahead and submit some to him. You can send your articles to him directly at:-

byron@powerlineman.com

Not sure about the "rolling naked on the ground" bit though. Maybe you'd be better sending that one to "A Bears Life" magazine instead. :p

http://www.abearslifemag.com/

Besides, aren't you supposed to avoid crushing ticks once they latch to you? I thought you had to make them detach properly to avoid them leaving a bit behind in your skin to cause infection. Or maybe that's just our Scottish ticks.

[Swamprat]

Besides, aren't you supposed to avoid crushing ticks once they latch to you? I thought you had to make them detach properly to avoid them leaving a bit behind in your skin to cause infection. Or maybe that's just our Scottish ticks.

Nope. That's truth.

I heard the same thing...and...believe in it.

I was always taught, when ya got a Tick in ya....
Light a match.
Stick it to his ass. He'll pull his head right out...FAST. AND...trust me...That works.

THEN ya CRUSH him. :cool:

[wtdoor67]

I was raised in the tick capital of the USA. Always heard of that fire trick. Never saw anyone do it. When you got about 100 seed ticks on you, believe me you're not gonna do that.

We had names for every stage of the suckers. Seed ticks, yearlings,spot backs,(lone star tick) and about 2 kinds the same size as the lone star tick. Also deer ticks. A little longer and tear drop shaped. Used to find them out even in the winter.

I'd rather have all ticks than chiggers any day. Red bugs you know. Will itch you to death. Always spray your pants legs when you think they're around.

[BigClive]

Jeez, it's posts like this that make me glad I'm here in cool rain drenched Scotland. Our worst enemy is midges (no see um's?) which come out in force at dusk. Fortunately our new weapon in the form of the propane powered midge lure seems to work wonders. It converts the gas to hot moist carbon dioxide catalytically to emulate an animals breath. The midges follow the plume of warm CO2 to its source and get sucked into a vacuum bag.

What you guys would probably call a Mosquito magnet.

[theweber]

Where i work if you get posion ivy and need a shot it is a recordable accident and goes agenst you on your yearly review.

[BigClive]

That's a nasty plant. I've just looked it up on Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poison_ivy

Here in Scotland we only really have to worry about stinging nettles or some plants that have a reaction similar to poison ivy, but only if you contact their sap.

Here's some Wikipedia info on our nettle which appears to be our only stinging plant here in Scotland. When you realise it's other health benefits the stinging aspect seems to become a small disadvantage. It's also edible when cooked and actually tastes OK.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stinging_nettle

[shaun]

I I wanted to get naked and roll around in the stones naked to make sure I got them all!?!?!.:mad:

I can do some photos and writing if you think it would be helpful,

I'll pass. Thanks though RH. :rolleyes:

(Seriously, that's a pretty great idea you're on to....ehh..I'm reffering to your original thread and not me trying to be funny) I'd appreciate it since I get poison ivy pretty bad, know what it looks like, avoid it like the plague, but still manage to end up with it :(.

[Stick-it]

I can tell you why a raccoon can kick your ass.

Let's hear more about the racoons. I'll take one on.....

[RadonHuffer]

Let's hear more about the racoons. I'll take one on.....

I have my Rabies shots, The damm thing bit me right through welding gloves, There lots stronger than you think.

Here is me catching one with my hands.

http://albert-cordova.com/raccoon.htm

This is the video that went international.
http://albert-cordova.com/critters/raccoon_VS_tracy.wmv

Here is my attempt to write it all down, I have a long ways to go. The Police call me when there is an animal involved.;)

http://www.albert-cordova.com/critters.doc


Yes a raccoon can kick your ass!

Been there done that.

[RadonHuffer]

I'll pass. Thanks though RH. :rolleyes:

(Seriously, that's a pretty great idea you're on to....ehh..I'm reffering to your original thread and not me trying to be funny) I'd appreciate it since I get poison ivy pretty bad, know what it looks like, avoid it like the plague, but still manage to end up with it :(.

Some people seem to get it from the air around the plant, I really think they are more sensitive to the active Ursoral.

I had a neighbor lady die from poison ivy when I was a young kid, She was clearling a fence row and burning it on a brush pile. She had it through her whole body. June Trombley died at 47 years old from poison ivy.

I have never actually had it, But I also know of people that have spent time in the hospitol because they got a bad case.

Play Safe!

[BigClive]

Wikipedia did specifically mention that you shouldn't burn it, since inhaling the smoke will cause inflammation of the lungs and possible death as a result.

Nice. I'll stick to the odd inadvertent brush of a stinging nettle.

[Patriot]

Try Dawn dish soap on the ticks. Q-tip dipped in soap the dabbed on the tick. It works.

We have rattlers, scorpions, black widows, and brown recluse, they all love pad mounts.

I have caught injured eagles, coons, hawks, two badgers, and countless snakes. And one bobcat that was on a three phase bank pole.

[BigClive]

A technique used in Scotland for getting ticks to pull out is to dab them with surgical spirits. I guess your equivalent would be rubbing alcohol.

[WCLR]

Having been bit by a massauga rattle snake several years ago I can tell you its no fun.

Ouch! I bet that wasnt much fun. I've seen shows about people getting bit by rattlers and the side effects from the anti-venom could kill most before the bite could. They are bad down here in the woods this time of the year. Good to hear you made it out alright.

[Alan Mac]

Down in deepest, darkest Dorset (my home county) they hold the world stinging nettle eating championships each year.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dorset/content/articles/2005/06/17/nettle_eating_feature.shtml

I don't go to that end of the county too often, rumour has it that they still eat they're young in those parts.

Mac

[RadonHuffer]

Ouch! I bet that wasnt much fun. I've seen shows about people getting bit by rattlers and the side effects from the anti-venom could kill most before the bite could. They are bad down here in the woods this time of the year. Good to hear you made it out alright.

They dont always rattle before they bite, I was helping an old friend get his honeybee hives out of the way of flood waters on September 9th 1986.

Frank was trying to get a sling under the hive with his cane and I reached under the hive trying to get hold of the sling, At first I thought I hooked my hand on a nail. Then it felt like I had molten lead running through my veins.

By the time we got to the hospitol about 20 miles away my hand was 2X its normal size.

I was in the hospitol 6 days and It took another 3 weeks to fully recover.

They had to cut my hand and arm open to relieve the pressure and keep the circulation going.

The scars look like a piece of machinery got a hold of me.

If you get bit, Pack the bite in ICE.

[WCLR]

Man that sucks! I had a friend get bit by a brown recluse (didnt know it) and she went to Florida for vacation. Halfway through the week she came back and went to the doctor. The little bit down swole the side of her leg just above her knee and was turning dark. Immediately went to the doc and thats what it was. Had the same thing happen to a cousin of mine, and he lost skin tissue from the bit and had to have skin graphs to fix it.

I couldnt imagine getting bit by a rattler.:eek:

[wtdoor67]

In Aug. 1962 got bit in the arch of the left foot by a rattler who was underneath a rock. Applied a tourniquet with a bootlace and walked about a quarter mile. Saw a neighbor arrive at his house across the field and fired my rifle in the air after he killed his tractor. Waved him up, he jumped in his pickup and hauled me to my parents. The tourniquet was hurting like blazes by then. I removed it and my father hauled me to the Dr.

The Dr. said I was lucky, as the bite was in a bony, slightly veined part of my foot. He cut the fang holes and kneaded the site with his hands. Also gave me a small shot of anti venom in order to check for an allergic reaction. After this he gave me a full dose of anti-venom. He wanted me to stay overnite in the hospt. but I refused and went home. Had a bad nite but made it through it.

Had to use crutches for 3 wks. as my leg swelled immensely and was very discolored. It was drawn up as if flexed and I could not straighten it. After 3 wks. I was able to walk alright.

About 1918 my mother had an 11 year old cousin who was killed by a rattlesnake bite. When they finally hauled him the 20 or so miles to town in a wagon it was too late and he died.

I was very jumpy in areas that might hold a snake after that but I got over it.

[Squizzy]

A couple of weeks ago I was isolating a supply for some of our sub contractors. The area is often covered in water this time of year and with under-ground power the pad-mounts are are placed on top of a raised earth bund. This particular ones' bund was covered in long grass about knee height. I took the cover of the LV side and it was covered in around 20 scorpians around an inch and a half long, no great concern I had already put all my gloves etc on. I caught a whiff of something stinking inside and noticed a dead tiger snake draped over the blue phase bushing , there was about 4 foot of it on this side and disapeared over to the HV side. Cool have to check out how long it is, so I took the HV cover off put my hand on top of the cabinet and squatted down to have a look. There about a foot from hand and two feet from my face was another one! And this on live and well and hissing at me. Tiger snakes are up the scale in the worlds top most venomous and have a nasty habit of chasing people when aggrovated and this one was going crazy hissing at me. Sufficed to say I haven't moved that quick for a while lol.

[BigClive]

Tiger snakes are up the scale in the worlds top most venomous and have a nasty habit of chasing people when aggrovated and this one was going crazy hissing at me. Sufficed to say I haven't moved that quick for a while lol.

I wonder if the Oz power companies mention things like that in their UK recruitment adverts. :eek:

[Squizzy]

I doubt it lol. The good old tiger snake is always around number 7 on the world's most deadly depending on what list you look at. Not sure about the scorpians but I did sort them out later with a gas torch when I had taped a jacket around on lower leg and my raincoat around the other lol. Even then I was standing on the road for 10 mins with my switching stick whacking the grass down and seeing if anything else moved. I stashed a piece servive cable in the grass and got one of the English cable joiners to come up the bund and see the dead snake as he was assured there was no snake apart from the dead one as the other one had dissapeared. When I pulled the service wire I thought he was going to sh!t his pants.

[Woodson1976]

I'm a 25 year old, 2 year - Journeyman Lineman and I Know What Poison Ivy Looks Like. I obviously Avoid It Whenever I Can but It's Impossible To Avoid In Some Of The Areas We're Setting Poles.

I Have Gotten It When Deer Hunting With My Dad, Etc. As A Kid, But Thought By Now, I'd have built up an Immunity To It, But Not So. Have Another Bad Case Of Poison Oak Even Though I'm Wearing The Long-sleeved Shirts, Pants, Boots., Etc.

Sick Of The Shots And The Itching And The Blisters.

Anyone Out There Have Any Ideas On How To Diminish The Itching When You've Gotten Poison Ivy??? Thanks.

R. Woodson

[Squizzy]

I'd recogmend taking about 700mls of Jack Daniels but thats just me.

[Remmy]

One of the nice things about Alaska, we don't have anything like that up here, especially the ticks. But it does get cold.

Oh ya, you do have to worry about the Grizzly and Black bears though HaHa, nothing a .454 Casull won't take care of though.

[BigClive]

Ticks are something to take rather seriously. Do a search for Lymes disease to see why. It's either on the increase, or they have just started diagnosing it properly.

Note about removing ticks. If you put stuff on them like oil or spirit it stops them breathing through their skin and they kinda "vomit" before they come out. That increases the risk of infection greatly. You're better using the little tick hooks that look like a tiny sort of claw hammer end.

[Squizzy]

I just pull them out with, I use my thumb and index finger pull and twist and they come out alright. Just have to check that you get the head out as it will cause an infection quickly if you don't get it out. If it doesn't come out you have to get some one - preferably a doctor to "dig" it out...

[barehander]

If you get bit, Pack the bite in ICE.

That's the worst thing you can do!
http://www.canyons.edu/Offices/PIO/rattlesnakeinfor.html