Copperheads are moving in Georgia | Here's how to protect yourself

ATLANTA — A young boy is recovering from a snakebite, Tuesday, as people around the country gear up for summer.

Photos show just how serious the injury was. But they also serve as a reminder to make sure you're not attracting the creatures to your yard - and your family.

PHOTOS | Child recovering after snake bite

11Alive's Kaitlyn Ross spoke with experts to see what steps you should take if you're bitten by a venomous snake - and what you can do to keep them away.

For one thing, Jason Clark, a snake expert, said you should definitely leave snakes alone if you spot them.

"Run, cartwheel, flip, crawl," Clark said. "However you get away from the snake, it's not going to chase you."

PHOTOS | Snakes seen in metro Atlanta

The best way to protect yourself is to just stay away from them.

"If you're outside and you see a copperhead 10 feet away, you're safe," Clark said. "But as you start walking towards it, you increase your chances of getting bit."

He doesn't think there are any more snakes around this year than any other year. It just might be different people seeing the same snake.

"Copperheads have a home range of a couple acres," Clark said. "So, if you have a copperhead today, you may have none tomorrow and three the next day. So, the population is going to fluctuate."

PHOTOS | Snakes in (mostly) strange places

If you do get bit, he said there are some hard and fast rules of what you do not want to do.

"No ice on a snake bite, no ice no matter how bad it hurts or how much it swells," he said. "No tourniquets."

He said to call 911 right away and had some advice if you decide to drive yourself to the hospital.

"Let them know who you are, what you're driving, who you are, what route you're taking and what bit you," he said. "Because if you're on the way and you pass out and wreck, the EMTs will never know you're also a snakebite victim."

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But he also explained that the best steps anyone can take involve preventing a snake bite in the first place. And while you can't really prevent snakes from wondering through when you live in Georgia, there are ways to minimize how many take up residence around your home.

"Mothballs, limes, snake repellents - all useless," Clark said.

He said that if you want to get rid of snakes, you have to take care of their favorite shrubbery.

"Monkey grass, juniper, ivy - any low-growing grass," he said. "If you have ivy, expect to have copperheads."

He said to keep those away from walkways and stairs - or replace the plants altogether.

"I recommend changing to rock, some gravel, bark or mulch," Clark said. "They don't repel snakes but it's harder for them to burrow under it."

And if you feed your pets outside, he said to take the food up every night. And bird lovers might not like the next part.

"Don't feed the birds in the spring, summer, and fall when snakes are more active," Clark said. "Feed the birds in the winter when the birds need it most and snakes are less active."

Basically, anything other animals will eat, a snake probably will do the same.

"Just like a canine tracking a criminal, the snake picks up on the scent of the food source," he said.

He said that only about 10 percent of the calls he gets about snakes are regarding ones that are venomous. And you might actually like the non-venomous ones in your yard since they chase away the venomous ones.

It's also worth noting the non-poisonous snakes are protected by law in Georgia.

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