FORT BENNING, Ga., (Aug. 5, 2015) -- The rising temperatures of the central Georgia summer encourage lighter attire and increased opportunities for outside activity, and as pests abound, safety must always be on the mind, warns Ted Roever, Integrated Pest Management Coordinator for Fort Benning.

Heat injuries aren't the only cause for concern, a recent snakebite incident on the installation brought about a need for Fort Benning personnel to be reminded about a different kind of safety awareness.

As the Integrated Pest Management Coordinator, Roever ensures compliance with the DOD Pest Management Program, and ensures integrated pest management is used for the control of pests - reliance not only on chemicals for the control of pests, but also biological, mechanical and cultural means, he said.

The Fort Benning area is habitat for animals, insects and reptiles, but just because they roam the installation, does that mean they should be considered pests?

"Snakes fit the definition of a pest when they present a threat to human health," said Roever.

For this reason, Roever said nonvenomous snakes are not considered pests, despite some people being disturbed by them.

On Fort Benning, the most commonly found venomous snakes are the Copperhead and the Canebrake Rattlesnake. There is a possibility of finding the Water Moccasin, or Cottonmouth, but Roever said that only individuals working or playing near the water would be at risk of encountering that species.

A Fort Benning Soldier was recently bitten by a Copperhead snake in his yard. The bite victim was rushed to the hospital and treated.

Training and cohabitating with such creatures is hard to avoid, so Roever offered a few tips on how to avoid such incidents.

Roever's first rule of safety is to dodge the pests completely.

"The primary strategy for dealing with venomous snakes is avoidance," he said.

Roever described the Rattlesnake and the Copperhead as "very cryptic," as their skin is ideally patterned to keep them hidden from predators. Roever said the snake's first defense against a passing human is to lay very still until the threat has gone.

"It behooves a nonexpert to not try to identify one snake from another; what you want to do is avoid all snakes," Roever said.

When people are in an area such as that margin where the woods stop and grassy areas begin, they need to be aware of their surroundings and avoid brush and woodpiles, he said.

Roever also went against poplar belief and said if bitten by venomous snakes, don't cut the wound, don't apply suction of the wound and don't apply a tourniquet.

"What you do want to do is keep the bite victim calm and transport them as quickly as possible to the hospital," he said. "The only first-aid for snake bite is dosage of anti-venom."

Another animal hazard on the installation is rabies.

"We have a heavy population of wildlife on the installation, and some of those animals are prone to getting rabies," Roever said.

Those animals include raccoons, foxes, skunks, coyotes and bobcats.

"The possibility of getting rabies is very real on the installation," he said.

These animals are nocturnal and so if installation personnel see these animals active during the day, and especially if those animals show no fear of humans or are vicious toward humans, they need to be considered rabid, Roever said. Soldiers and their Families should report such activity to 911 if they see it.

"Also, educate your children not to handle those animals," Roever said. "They need to be avoided at all costs."

Besides mammals and reptiles, there are two types of dangerous spiders found on the installation - the Black Widow and the Brown Recluse.

The Black Widow spiders are commonly found outdoors. The Brown Recluse is most commonly found indoors and in the Midwest region, but Roever said they could be transported in household goods and brought to this area.

Roever recommends wearing leather gloves when working in the garden, moving brush, or moving bricks or wood to avoid spider bites.

Other pests include yellow jackets, hornets, bees, wasps, mosquitos and ticks. Roever warned that ticks and mosquitos can carry disease and can be avoided by using repellents and wearing clothing that covers the skin, while stings from yellow jackets, hornets, bees and wasps can be avoided mainly by situational awareness.

Roever went on to explain that bird feeders, which can attract squirrels and other rodents, can be a problem in that they could lure snakes into inhabited areas.

"Sometimes an animal that you don't consider a problem can create a problem by its presence," Roever said.