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Charlotte Snake Bites – What to Do if You Get Bit

snake killingsworth environmental

How to Handle a Snake Bite

We talked last month about how to spot the different snakes that might show up in your backyard due to the frequent sightings in Charlotte. Now, we want to dive a little deeper into the safety of how you should handle a snake bite if it happens to you or someone you’re with:

Get Away From Snake

First and foremost, it’s important to get as far away from the snake as possible. Sometimes snakes continue to have reflexes postmortem, which can lead to more bites and victims, even without consciousness.

Instead of trying to capture it, make arrangements to get medical help as quickly and calmly as possible.

Remove Constricting Clothing

Keep the body part that has been bitten in a neutral position or just slightly below the level of the heart. This helps prevent any additional swelling from developing. Any constricting clothing or jewelry around the bitten body part should also be removed immediately.

Do Not Repeat What You’ve Seen in Movies

Don’t rely on Hollywood for medical advice. We do not recommend any sort of incision, suction, tourniquet application, or electric shock. These are not only invaluable, but they can be very dangerous. Instead – leave it to the experts. Call 911 or get to the hospital as soon as possible.

What to Expect at the Doctors

First responders will focus on supporting the victim’s airway, breathing, and circulation while transporting the patient to a hospital as quickly as possible.

They will ask for a brief history of the patient, the specifics of the bite, a description of the snake, and the patient’s medical conditions and allergies. It’s important for them to be aware of any allergies to horse or sheep products because these animals are used in the production of the antivenoms.

The doctor will inspect the wound closely for evidence of fang marks and measure the swelling around the wound and track how fast it progresses ‘ this can serve as a guide for administering antivenom.

The doctor will then make the decision to treat a patient with antivenom based on the information provided, such as the species of snake (if known), how quickly the swelling from the bite site is progressing, and any problems with the blood.

Prevent it From Happening in the Future

The best solution is to prevent the snake bite from happening in the future. Be aware of your surroundings while outdoors and never reach into a hole or step over logs without looking.

As we said before, the number of snake sightings in Charlotte is on the rise. If you suspect you have snakes in your yard or neighborhood, schedule a service with our wildlife specialists right away!

Charlotte Snake Bites – What to Do if You Get Bit

Bedbug inspection

How to Know if Your Hotel Has Bedbugs

Upon entering a hotel room, do you typically reach for the tiny toiletries, take a leap onto the bed, or perhaps start by inspecting for bed bugs? Knowing what to look for is essential. Anticimex Carolinas Service Manager Christian Tweed has shared valuable insights on identifying bed bugs in your hotel room and preventing them from hitching a ride back home with you. And if bed bugs do become an unexpected part of your vacation, remember that Clark’s Pest Control is here to assist!



Q&A with a Pest Professional


How do bed bugs get inside hotels?


Bed bugs are primarily hitchhiking insects as opposed to foraging ones, meaning that they get carried around on people’s clothes and belongings. Someone with an active infestation in their home can easily bring bed bugs to their hotel, but they can also be picked up during travel (airplanes, taxis, and rideshare services) and brought to a hotel room.


What do people misunderstand about bed bugs in hotels?


From a probability standpoint, all hotels will deal with bed bugs at some point in time. If you think about a bed bug’s method of travel, there’s literally nothing a hotel can do to stop them from being carried in. What I have realized is that luxury hotels are more likely to have an aggressive response to dealing with a bed bug case once it’s identified as they tend to have a higher quality of service and a reputation to protect. While this isn’t always the case, it has been my experience more often than not.

Got bedbugs? Call Clark’s at 866-781-4991 today!

What do you recommend travelers do when they get to their room to check for bed bugs?


Most hotel headboards hang directly on the wall. I start my inspection here before even looking at the bed itself. I have found bed bugs, their exoskeletons, and the telltale black stains they leave behind around the edges of or in the crevices of headboards. If the headboard looks clean, move on to looking over the pillowcases and comforter for any signs or stains. You can dig into the bedding as deep as you want here, but I encourage people to look over the top layer of things at the very least.


What are some lesser-known signs of bed bugs in your hotel room?


The specifics of the black stains they leave behind, which as gross as it sounds, are just digested blood as that’s all that bed bugs feed on. If the stains are on a hard surface, they will be small dots as if left behind by an ink pen and will smear into a brownish gray when moisture is applied. If they’re on fabric, they will usually bleed along the fibers making a small diamond, square or X shape.


If there are bed bugs in your hotel room, can they travel home with you?


They absolutely can, however this is easy to prevent. While staying in a hotel, keep as much of your clothing and luggage off the beds as possible. Storing suitcases in the bathroom might sound odd, but it’s an effective method of prevention.

Don’t tackle bedbugs yourself, call Clark’s at 866-781-4991!

What should you do with your suitcase if you suspect your hotel has bed bugs?


When arriving home from a trip, leave your luggage in the garage or on a porch and bring your clothes in one load of laundry at a time. If the clothes are dirty, wash them like you normally would, if they’re clean then run them through the dryer for at least forty-five minutes. Once your suitcase is empty, vacuum over it meticulously (don’t forget to empty the vacuum when you’re done), or if you’re in the right climate, expose it to heat for a few days by placing it in your vehicle (parked in the sun) or for a few weeks in your attic.


The Clark’s Solution


If you brought bed bugs back to you home, Clark’s is here to help. Our Bedbug Control service is designed to eliminate bedbugs and create a safe, comfortable environment.


A Clark’s Pest Professional will do an inspection and recommend a plan of attack to get rid of bed bugs now and prevent them from hatching in the future. Call Clark’s at 866-781-4991 today for more information.



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