Scorpions... (Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale: relocate, house, retire)

[ms973]

My husband and I just came back from Arizona. We stayed in the Litchfield Park/Goodyear areas and drove from west to east of the Valley. Except for traffic, we really liked what we saw. So we came back to NY and decided to really consider making the move to AZ. Until last night!! The Discovery Channel aired a program called the BIG STING! I freaked out. I started to reconsider. This couple and kids got bitten in bed by a scorpion! I have a toddler and 2 dogs (sharpei). I did some research on the internet and I heard about chickens. That having them actually helps. LOL. I found that hysterical. Do people actually have chickens in AZ?? I am normally not scared of bees, insects, roaches etc.
Should i be this scared? I really appreciate your help. Good or bad news, I liked to hear about it. Thanks!!!

[AksarbeN]

I’ve lived here for more then 25 years and have not had a scorpion in the house or outside of it. My friends have problems but we’ve found that home built in citrus groves have the biggest problems. The scorpion loves to live in citrus groves and in areas where there is a rocky wash (dry stream bed).

Scorpions like to eat things (other bugs). If you keep other bugs away from inside and outside your home you don’t have an area that will attract scorpions. I don’t live in a citrus grove area or have citrus trees around, nor do I have a dry wash nearby, and I keep the area free from bugs. I’ve never seen a scorpion yet, and I live only a couple of blocks away from a mountain preserve area. I will say that those home next to the open mountain preserve have problems but I’m a block or so away.

[irwin]

Of all the problems in Arizona, scorpions are the least of your worries.

[brittZ]

This s something common across the country. As people move into and develope what used to be natural land the native wildlife gets stirred up and relocated. Sometimes that means they end up in your house, yard etc. . . I am a Phoenix native and have many many hours playing in the desert and in 29 years have never once had a problem with scorpions or any other wildlife harming myself, my family, or my animals. We might have scorpions that occasionally sting someone but no one in Phoenix has ever been carried away by a mosquito

[brittZ]

I take that back. I remember one crazy night with some fellow herpetologists in which we were looking for specimens and ended up being chased back to our car by javelina and later had a mountain lion scream at us. But that was also in a very remote area Northwest of Lake Pleasant where few people go . . . especially in the middle of the night.

[ms973]

I do feel a lot better after reading these posts. However, while there, we met up with a realtor who resides in Mesa and said that he nor his family has ever gotten stung by one, yet he tends to find at least 10 per year inside his house! He said he had to be honest...but he wasn't worried about them and said we shouldn't be either. Until I saw that program on Discovery!

[Steve-o]

Ha! I love these posts, I really do. Sooner or later youll have some in your house, almost guaranteed. I get stories all the time from friends/family/media who live there and claim to never have seen one, and yada, yada, yada. To them I say "you havent looked". Xeric scorpions are usually tan, especially the species in AZ, meaning THEYRE HARD TO SEE. Good luck pointing out a bark scorpion on a stucco wall, theyre masters of hiding. Your best bet is to get a portable blacklight and look for them at night with the lights off, especially in the yard. I have family who lived in central Scottsdale (off of Shea) and now theyre in North Scottsdale (up near Dynamite) and in FACT they had a lot bigger problem with scorpions and black widows in central Scottsdale than they do know on the fringes of the desert. One night I turned up 8 barks, 2 Vaejovids, 3 black widows, one diamondback rattlesnake, and one giant centipede in his yard in Saguaro Highlands. Funny thing is, I was told off by some folks when I asked them if they were stupid for not wearing shoes at night (I got the usual "oh we dont see many" BS). Once I caught the rattler and brought it inside (that was hilarious--wathcing their mouths drop), they sung a different tune. There are over 10K stings by scorpions in AZ every year, lots require anti-venin, particularly for small children and elderly folks. Anti-venin was developed by ASU, but the lady who made the serum has retired leaving the state with a short supply. The USDA is trying to approve a Mexican AV that is reportedly better than the ASU version, so for the sake of children, I hope they approve it and FAST. Over 3,000 people die from scorpion stings in Mexico ever year, by a direct relative to AZ's famous bark scorpions (arboreal). Below is a list that I can think of off the top of my head that you can use to Google for more info about these awesome critters.

Centruroides exilicauda (or sculpturatus): AZ bark scorpion--potentially lethal.
Latrodectus hesperus: western black widow--potentially lethal.
Crotalus atrox:western diamondback--" " " "
Crotalidae (in general) for a list of all AZ venomous snakes.
Scolopendra arizonensis arizonensis: giant desert centipede--nasty bites/not normally lethal.
Scolopendra heros arizonensis: " " " " " "

Other scorpions you might encounter:

Vaejovis confusus, Vaejovis spinigerus, Smeringurus mesaensis, Serradigitus spp, Vaejovis paysonensis, Hadrurus spadix and arizonensis (up to 5"!).

Tarantulas: Google Aphonopelma species in AZ (harmless, but bad bites)

[RabidFox]

I wouldn't worry about scorpions. Most species aren't lethal to humans. It's usually just the bugs that have to watch out.

[Steve-o]

Very true, but the Centruiroides exilicauda can be lethal, and theyre very common in the valley. Check your clothes, towels, etc before you put them on. Dont put your hands where you cant see them, etc and you should be fine. Ive had 2 family members get stung in AZ, by Vaejovis species (non-lethal) and its a VERY unpleasant feeling. My BIL told me if felt like someone put out a lit cigarette on his hands. The effects were long-term, with him experiencing a "electric" like shock for months everytime he squeezed his finger where the scorpion stung him.

[ms973]

Steve-O you officially scared the s*** out of me!!
How do people sleep peacefully after they find a scorpion in their house???