Brundageba

We live in Brisas Boquetenas. Both Tropi and Panagas service our community. The trucks loaded with tanks drive through and will actually beep or come to our door to ask if we need a new tank from time to time. Each company will take the others tank. They have always brought the tank to our tank area and change it for us. They also will do occasional repairs if you smell a leak. We always tip the fellows a couple of bucks. Our tanks last 3 months and we have gas on demand water heater, dryer, and stove. We have two tanks and they are secured inside a locked storage area.... Theft of tanks is common...lock them.

Put some moth balls in the corners in dark spots behind stuff. Naphthalene balls...you can find them everywhere. Go easy in enclosed areas with poor ventilation where you are living ( inside the house) ...the fumes aren't great for the health.

I can't thank Bud enough for taking the initiative to do this work...and it's work. He sez: "A labor of love" ...and he sez: " it's a group effort" Don't kid yourself Bud's done the major share of the work. That said he's open to admit when the site might miss the mark (and especially in the beginning). Frankly, I don't see the mark missed here yet and it's early and (a time when that's going to happen). I have no doubt if the mark is missed Bud won't have thin skin about it. It's a labor of love for him. That's HUGE. Thanks Bud once again, Alison

Well the BEST thing is to develop an awareness of where they are and the avoid those places. High grass, bush clusters, dead leaves, rotten logs, moist areas, banks of river beds among rocks, caves, dark corners behind things..in your garage( found one there) or behind your propane gas tank ....then have a long walking stick that goes before you . Get the victim to the Regional Medical Center ASAP. Call Rodny to alert the hospital an possibly police en-route (just a thought) . REGIONAL...not a private hospital. Locals tell me that evidence of "what snake' needs to accompany the patient. The gardener that was bit at a house next to us was being put into a car while his son whacked the snake to take with them... I assume you could take a picture. I believe a tourniquet above the bite is old medicine and an ace wrapping starting from above to end at the bite is more current...but I am not an expert. Seems ice would not be a bad idea. These are my thoughts on it...but again, I'm no expert.

My husband was out walking the dog this morning and observed a young father with child walking across an uncut field of waist high weed grass in our subdivision. The man was wearing flip-flop shoes. Now yesterday we had a boatload of rain...it was a wet field known to be loaded with Fer de Lance. My husband made it a point to talk to the fellow about the danger of walking through that field like that. The mans response: " I've never seen a snake here" My husband reiterated that it was in fact high on the danger scale to walk through there like that ( in flip flops and with a youngster mind you) . The only thing we can come away with, is that these are new folks in town, and exactly why I started this entire thread on snake season in the first place. We may come off as "know it all" , "paranoid" ,"old farts lacking a spirit of adventure" but tell them anyway.

Gross but it gets the point across in that this is one of the less repulsive photos on-line. Ok here's something interesting... I was watching a nature show on TV. The guy was commissioned to catch Fer de lance in Mexico for a research facility. So the camera guys follow him around documenting tales of encounters as he goes on the hunt. He interviews a guy bit on the hand. He lost fingers...gone. But he lost as well part of his leg.....and was NOT bit on the leg. I'd LOVE to see that again because to this day I find this hard to believe. But the explanation was the venom traveling in the body can do this. So anyway...be careful

Great Book on Panama history and the canal: Path Between the Seas by David McCullough. I strongly recommend reading it . You can find it in bookstores and as well used at the BookMark and as well on Amazon.com. Why that came to mind is the book tells the story of how the flag you see there became the flag of Panama. The history of Panama is pretty interesting....at least I thought so.

Mello sells a product: "Snake Away" When you look on the side of the can of granules it appears to be kitty litter and ground up moth balls ( Naphthalene) You can use Kangaroo...but it really stinks. The moth balls last in the rain and are cheap. yah...I HOPE they work ! I won't weed the beds until lots of moth balls are in there for a few days. ( the yard then smells like my mothers closet) Even then I prefer to let it go until the dry season. Then I go at it with leather gloves and a stick to spread the plants so I can see the ground and my hands....no surprises. I've included this entire thread for new folks here. The longer I live here the more stories I hear and snakes I see. I took poisonous snakes rather lightly when I was new here. I wasn't really as careful as I should have been. This is an internet photo of a snake bite on a finger. There were so many others that were worse....so that gives you an idea. BE CAREFUL where you walk and stick your hands.

"They made my doggie house(s) too small !!!!"

Why "the last" ? This show is one not to miss. Howard has been sneaking around with his camera here for quite awhile.

Yes......but as we know that can change ( laughing)

If "they" wish to relocate the Fer de Lance(s) in my yard...they are welcome. A gardener here in my community got bit on the hand & he was foaming at the mouth and passing out before they could get him in the car. He was in the ICU a long time and has some neurological problems for awhile. He kept his fingers and lived only because he got to Regional Medical Ctr quickly. Our neighbor paid for his medical expenses and loss of employment. Fer de Lance are seriously bad. Talk to any Ngobe Bugle about snakes. They will keep you listening for at least a half hour talking about friends and relatives who died from snake bite. Gets your attention!

Here ya go: The one we got yesterday was a baby...maybe 6 inches long at the most. THOSE are the ones that can really do you in ! The one in the picture was taken a year or so ago off the back canyon ( just behind me) . We had let the wild grass get high and the gardener that was whackin the weeds down spotted it. He went home and got his .22 and nailed it in the head ( good shot). Now we keep the brush whacked low. The garden beds behind me?....I put mothballs in there and I don't worry about weeds until the dry season when everything thins out. As well I toss mothballs out on the hill behind me.

GREAT article !!! Very well written and so very true. You'll be caught by surprise. The very folks you thought would die with you here will be leaving next year....the best of friends go. The newest ones can be at your throat in a second because they have "better ides", "better ways of doing stuff' and can't stand the way you think or do things. ( you've become "local") In time if you stay ...you slow down, you become a bit more tolerant, you roll with the punches and get over being upset about stuff here quicker. So much of it really doesn't matter. In time we forget about the conspiracy theories we talked about all the time and they don't matter either. Suddenly what matters is the beauty of the sunrise and sunset, good health, fresh air, a loving husband, great neighbors and a sweet dog. You stay....you're content. Life's good.

Neighbor killed a Fer de lance today...we killed one yesterday ( Brisas) Don't go sticking your hand in bushes doing weeding work. Boots, leather gloves...moth balls tossed in the beds a few days prior to weeding are all good ideas. As well, I have snake chaps I wear with boots when I'm in the field doing machete work. Be careful if you are new here....those snakes hide real well and can really do some damage.

Our very first dent in our then new pick up is in the shape of two cops on a bike. Bill stopped then made a quick left turn and they plowed into the rear quarter panel. Dent's still there. There was on the spot negotiation and hand shakes and we were off. ( after the initial attempts to scare the cr** outta Bill ) OK, Bill stopped too fast on a turn and they were traveling too close to our tail. It was both of our faults...so ...hand shakes and off we went. Yup...tough baptism of our new truck....

Atta way !...and most likely the thugs won't follow you home after you go to the bank. Low profilin it . Way ta go. Our Yaris will be there soon at the rate my husband is colliding with the curb.

Judy...you crack me up...still laughing !!!!!