There are many native plant species in Ohio that are considered poisonous if exposed to your skin and/or swallowed. It is important to familiarize yourself with plants that are growing in your garden beds as well as the plants you keep indoors. Not all plants are fatal if ingested, however you should know if your indoor and outdoor plants could be toxic.
Here is a list of poisonous plants that are found in Ohio. This list is not all inclusive.
If you are doing yard work or hiking in the woods, you could come in contact with a poisonous plant. To protect your skin, wear long sleeves, pants, boots and gloves when walking in wooded areas or working with thick brush. Be sure to wash your clothes and tools after being outdoors. DO NOT burn poisonous plants or brush piles that COULD contain poisonous plants. If you have poisonous plants in your garden beds or as indoor plants, label the plants and keep them out of reach of pets and children.
There are over 2,000 kinds of mushrooms in Ohio and many of them are poisonous if eaten. Do not eat wild mushrooms growing in your yard or in the woods. Remove the mushrooms growing in your yard and throw them away in a covered trash bin. It is very difficult to tell if a mushroom is poisonous to eat or not.
If you think you touched a poisonous plant, immediately rinse the exposed skin with rubbing alcohol, degreased soap or detergent and lots of water. You also need to scrub under your nails with a brush. Call the poison center for treatment options and if reaction is severe, seek medial attention.
Lawn care products such as pesticides or fertilizers can be toxic to pets as well as people. Always store these products in their original containers in a place where children and pets are not allowed to go. Keep pets and children away from areas that are being treated with these products. Be sure to read labels before using and follow directions carefully.
Petroleum based products such as Tiki-Torch fluid and charcoal lighter fluids are extremely toxic and are often used in outdoor entertaining spaces. Store these products in a place where children do not have access. Never keep non-food items in food containers. Adults, as well as children have been poisoned drinking Tiki-Torch fluid mistaken for apple juice.
Swimming pools rely on the safe use of chemicals to prevent the spread of germs in the water. Chemicals used to maintain the water’s pH and disinfectant levels can be toxic if exposed to in concentrated amounts. Be sure to store these chemicals up high and out of sight and reach of children.
Summer time often means cookouts with family and friends. Make sure that food is not out in hot temperatures to prevent spoiling. Meat should be cooked to a safe minimum temperature to prevent food poisoning.
| Product | Minimum Internal Temperature & Rest Time |
|---|---|
| Beef, Pork, Veal & Lamb Steaks, chops, roasts | 145 °F (62.8 °C) and allow to rest for at least 3 minutes |
| Ground Meats | 160 °F (71.1 °C) |
| Ground Poultry | 165 °F |
| Ham, fresh or smoked (uncooked) | 145 °F (62.8 °C) and allow to rest for at least 3 minutes |
| Fully Cooked Ham (to reheat) | Reheat cooked hams packaged in USDA-inspected plants to 140 °F (60 °C) and all others to 165 °F (73.9 °C). |
| All Poultry (breasts, whole bird, legs, thighs, wings, ground poultry, giblets, and stuffing) | 165 °F (73.9 °C) |
| Eggs | 160 °F (71.1 °C) |
| Fish & Shellfish | 145 °F (62.8 °C) |
| Leftovers | 165 °F (73.9 °C) |
| Casseroles | 165 °F (73.9 °C) |
What can bite and sting in Ohio?
Two groups of spiders that are considered dangerous to humans are the black widow and the recluse spiders.
Recluse spiders are yellowish to grayish brown with faint or distinct violin-shaped marks on their backs. They can be found both indoors and outdoors and prefer dimly lit areas. Recluse bites can cause lesions, nausea, fever and wounds that are slowly healing which can cause secondary infections.
Black widow female spiders are shiny black with a red hourglass shaped mark on the underside of their abdomen. Male spiders are about half the size of females with red dots on the top of his abdomen. Only females can have bites large enough to pierce skin, males do not. These spiders are considered the most dangerous in Ohio and are often found in woodpiles, under overhangs, or under outdoor furniture. They prefer dryer, darker areas. Black widow bites can cause muscle cramps and spasms that start near the bite and spread outward, seizures, chills, fever, nausea, sweating, and pain in the stomach, back or chest.
If you suspect that you may have been bitten by a poisonous spider, call your poison center right away.
There are three species of poisonous snakes found in Ohio, the copperhead, the massasauga and the timber rattlesnakes.
The copperhead has hour glass shaped markings that are brown to orange in color which helps them blend with the forest floor where they generally live.
The massasauga can be up to two feet long and rarely seen in Ohio and often live near the edges of wetland areas. They do have a high pitched buzz-like rattle that almost sounds like a grasshopper. These snakes are usually gray or light brown in color with large light-edges chocolate brown to black splotches on back with smaller blotches on their sides. This snake species is threatened and not very common in Ohio.
The timber rattlesnake is rather large and can reach up to 4 feet in length. They have a pattern of dark colored chevrons/triangles on dark brown to golden colored background. Some timbers are almost completely black. You can find these snakes on the forest floor in warmer months.
If you encounter a snake, back away slowly or walk as far away from them as possible. Once you are a safe distance away, you can make loud noises to scare it away. While doing outdoor activities such as hiking or camping, wear long pants, long sleeves, shoes with closed toes and avoid walking in tall brush or thick wooded areas. Use caution near fallen trees, rocky crevices and large rocky areas as snakes or spiders can live in these areas.
If you suspect you may have been bitted by a snake, call your poison center right away.
