WACO, Texas – It may be cold now but warmer weather is coming this weekend – we've already seen weather in the 80s and 90s across Central Texas this week, and it's stirring up winter's dormant critters earlier than expected.
“Calls have been extremely high this week now that it's spring,” Jeff Wooten said.
He started Cen-Tex Pest Control nearly 11 years ago.
“Mayfly rates have been very high this year — I think higher than I've seen in the last 11 years,” Wooten said.
However, something more dangerous may be hiding in your bushes.
“Snakes are starting to move around and become more widespread due to the rising temperatures,” Adam Henry said.
Henry is an assistant district superintendent in Ft. Worth area of the USDA Texas Wildlife Services Program.
“This is the time of year when we start seeing rats and mice – a food source for our snakes, snakes and reptiles.”
About 7,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes each year in the United States, according to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
An average of one or two Texans die each year from snake bites.
Nearly half of venomous snake bites are dry bites, meaning the snake bite is non-venomous.
When this happens, the snakes don't view you as food, they just want you to stay away, Henry says.
Sometimes those stings happen during the picture-perfect moments Texans look forward to every year.
“The blue caps will be coming soon, usually around Easter time,” said Cindy Kovar, program manager for Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Silver Driver Safe Texans.
“The blue hats and paintbrushes are very popular for taking pictures of our families, grandchildren and friends.”
She says those bites can often happen near roads.
“We have to be careful of the fact that there are often snakes — copperheads and rattlesnakes in those areas, because they like to fly close to the roads because of the heat.”
Adam says most snake bites happen while gardening, which many of you may be doing this weekend, during the high temperatures of spring.
You are advised to exercise caution and caution if you decide to remove a snake while using longer gardening tools, or you can also contact your local animal control or pest control company.
