There have been several instances of copperhead snakes biting people and animals in Reston in the past few weeks. One of my friends from the Reston Garden Club brought this up at our meeting today. She lives in the Ring Rd area where three neighbors have had problems, with one having to stay in the hospital for three days and another spending $2,000 on a cat that was bitten. She also mentioned that a friend of a friend in the Hunters Woods area had been bitten.

It seems that Copperheads have babies in late August/September in our area, so are in a protective mode. They live in wooded areas and like to stay under rocks or decayed wood. Here's some more info and a couple of photos from North Carolina:  www.ces.ncsu.edu/gaston/Pests/reptiles/copperhead-1.htm  

Please pass on this info to other neighbors and to friends in the area, especially those with children and animals.
Take Care-