Do you have poisonous creepy crawlies where you live? [View All]

[GreenPartyVoter]

I live in Maine, so I have zero fear of sending my little kids out to play in the yard. On my few trips to other states (before becoming a mom), I encountered copperheads and cotton mouths, and it occured to me today that I would be very nervous taking my kids camping in other states because of the wildlife. (I once snatched my little brother away from the jaws of an annoyed cottonmouth. He was used to picking up garter snakes, and thought that little guy would be fun to play with too!)

So, folks who live with poisonous critters, what's your advice? I think I am doing my kids a disservice by not taking them to those "scary" states. What's teh rule of thumb keeping your kids (and yourself) from getting bitten by surprise by a poisonous snake or spider or something.