Snakes & Poisonous Spiders in Virginia (Culpeper: appointed, live, storage)

[Bubbles01x]

Hello, I was wondering how common it is to be around a bad snake or a black widow in northern VA? Or any parts of VA? People make it seem like there is a black widow and a rattlesnake on every corner of VA, is this any true? Or is it actually pretty rare to run into either?

[lovnova]

Originally Posted by Bubbles01x

Hello, I was wondering how common it is to be around a bad snake or a black widow in northern VA? Or any parts of VA? People make it seem like there is a black widow and a rattlesnake on every corner of VA, is this any true? Or is it actually pretty rare to run into either?

We lived in NOVA a very long time and never saw any of the above mentioned except for a occasional Black snake.

We are now in far Southeast Virginia. Not unusual to see Black Widows in dark corners in the garage or outdoor storage areas. I had a Cottonmouth under my lawnmower a few years ago. Found a dead Copperhead in the yard last year. Then again we are just about surrounded by Back Bay NWR.

[thatdurncat13]

I've been in SWVA for four years from Culpeper area. Not much up there. Black widows here like to be seen. All the time. I see a few every month. Only saw one snake, about a 4ft black snake.

[Bigfoot424]

Originally Posted by Bubbles01x

Hello, I was wondering how common it is to be around a bad snake or a black widow in northern VA? Or any parts of VA? People make it seem like there is a black widow and a rattlesnake on every corner of VA, is this any true? Or is it actually pretty rare to run into either?

What people? By the way. They are venomous and not poisonous. I've been in VA since 73. We have a black snake that lives under our porch and has for the last couple years and he's welcome there as they eat rodents. I see Rattlesnakes when I work in AZ in the desert but I'm not sure I've ever spotted one in VA and I've lived more in mountainous areas than I have in non-mountainous areas since I've been here.

[Bungalove]

When I lived a bit further out in the semi-boonies, I had a nice black snake in my garage. He really kept the mice down. I was disappointed when he moved out and into the hollow trunk of my mulberry tree. I've seen other small snakes in the yard, but I don't bother them, nor they me. Now, as far as black widows, I've seen a bunch of them. They like to hide in dark, moist spots. When my yard helpers were finally getting the rest of my pile of mulch bags unloaded a couple of weeks ago, they came upon some of the biggest black widows I've ever seen - their abdomens were the size of my thumb. Fortunately they are slow-moving spiders. You'll get more damage from a brown recluse, which is much smaller. My late husband had one crawl up his leg while he was tiling a basement bathroom and bite his leg. That resulted in a quick drive to the ER!