As we start venturing outside more with the warming weather, I caution you to be careful of creatures lurking.

Don’t be too quick to prune shrubs or cut down trees. Observe first. This is nesting season for many birds, and you may inadvertently destroy their future family. I have noticed TWO cardinal families nesting in the loropetalum hedges on either side of my front door. I studied up on incubation and maturity timelines on Audubon’s website so that I can plan my pruning properly. I will wait for these cardinal families to leave the nests before I drastically cut back my freeze-damaged bushes.

I often step out the front door for some other reason, but then end up pulling a weed or two (or 14), barehanded. Well, after I saw an Eastern Kingsnake slither under my rose bushes in April, I won’t be grabbing handfuls of weeds or yard debris without gloves any longer! This time of year, all kinds of snakes are commonly found resting in cool, shaded areas. So before moving around those parts of the yard, make your presence known by stomping or rustling around with tools. Get to know which are venomous, which are beneficial, and which are protected here.

While my husband was mowing the tall grass, a baby bunny ran out from in front of the mower just in time. Be mindful that bunny burrows could be anywhere in beds or the yard. And rabbits are nesting for the next number of months. Read more here for how to spot their nests.

Always wear protective clothing and closed toe shoes when doing yard work. Protect yourself from things often unseen, like spider webs, ant mounds, and poison ivy. Come summertime, folks will be spotting the yellow Joro spider and walking into its intricate web! Be sure to treat fire ant mounds in high traffic areas. And if clothes, garden gloves, or hand tools come in contact with poison ivy, it’s important to wash them so the oils don’t spread.

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