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by Rett Davis | |
Gardening Q&A by Rett Davis appears in
Alamance County's daily newspaper, The Times-News,
every Sunday in the Accent section. Each week's installment is
posted to this
website, beginning with January of this year. Scroll to the bottom of
this page to navigate to other Gardening Q&As. Please contact
Rett via e-mail with questions
or
comments in regard to this column.
Question:
My son was bit by a copperhead last week and he was told that there has been a rash of copperhead bites reported this year. How serious is the situation and what should we do if we get bitten?
Answer:
According to Dr. Jim Strickland, an emergency room physician at Alamance Regional Hospital, they have seen 3 people bitten by copperheads as of May 9th. Dr. Strickland considers this normal for this time of the year but he knows more will come in as the summer progresses. Our local hospital is well prepared to deal with these bites thanks to a new anti venom called Crofab. This anti venom has far fewer side effects than the previous one. Not everyone will get anti venom if bitten. Only those bites that cause severe swelling will lead to anti venom treatment. If you are bitten this summer here are Dr. Strickland's recommendations. Do not apply ice to the bite area, do not try to suck the venom out, and do not use a tourniquet unless you are more than 2 hours from a hospital. If you do use a tourniquet, keep it somewhat loose. The best thing for a bite victim to do is remain calm and if bitten on the hand or arm, keep it at your heart level. Do not raise or lower the bite area above or below the heart. The same goes for your foot. Fortunately 50% of the bites from copperheads are dry bites and contain little or no venom. There were approximately 8,000 reported copperhead bites nationally last year. Of those, there were 10 deaths.
Question:
I am deathly afraid of snakes. Why are there so many snakes this year and how do I keep them off my property?
Answer:
Snakes do not seek us out. There are just as many snakes here now as there has always been. But with all the growth and development destroying their habitats the encounters with them will go up. Snakes will adapt very quickly to their new surroundings. Of all the snakes in Alamance County, only one species is poisonous, the copperhead. Regardless of what you have heard from the 'locals', we do not have rattlesnakes nor water moccasins here Despite all the sightings and hundreds of snakes that have been identified by wildlife officials, the snakes in our ponds and lakes are various species of water snakes, not moccasins. Keeping snakes off your property is a tall order. There are no effective snake repellents on the market. Despite claims made, snake repellents, sulfur, lime, wood ash, and moth balls will not deter a snake. If you think they do, talk to a herpetologist or snake expert. Because snakes are very reclusive, they will hide in areas of brush, under logs and boards, get in excessive mulch, and hide in rocks. They will search out cool areas in the shade under decks and in garages during the heat of the day, and then return to warm areas on drives and patios during the evening and morning hours. Copperheads are nocturnal and very active in early evening and at night. Be careful when putting out the garbage at 10 pm! My advice is to learn to identify snakes and to leave them alone. If you do encounter a copperhead, use a hoe or shovel to dispatch it.
Question:
I use a paper shredder and therefore generate a lot of paper that I have been throwing away. Can this paper be used as mulch in my vegetable garden?
Answer:
I don't know of any problem it could cause. Newspapers can be used too provided you put something over them such as straw or grass clippings to keep them from blowing all around. Shredded paper should settle down very quickly following a rain or you can wet it after application.
Question:
I have had a kiwi vine for 4 years and no kiwis. It blooms each year and little fruits will form but I never get any fruit. What is wrong?
Answer:
With kiwis, it takes two to tango. You have a female kiwi vine in need of a male. You can run an ad saying 'young attractive female kiwi vine seeks young virile male of same species Actinidai deliciosa to share trellis with'. See what kind of response you get. If you have not heard within a month, I would order one from a mail order fruit nursery.
Question:
How often should I have my lawn mower blade sharpened?
Answer:
This depends on how much grass you mow. Most home lawns in suburbia are around 10 thousand square feet. Sharpening your blades in the spring and again in the fall is all that is needed Professionals in the lawn maintenance business will sharpen blades monthly. I know one such professional that sharpens weekly. Dull blades will shred or tear the grass on the tips and leave the lawn looking brown as they dry. Your grass needs to look like it has been cut with a scissor. Clean cuts heal quicker and reduce disease. If you use your lawn mower to mow rocks, brush, and fallen limbs, you may need a new blade once a year too.
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