Bugs of Southern CO (Pueblo, Canon City: how much, house, scorpion)

[famlife]

I saw a similar question posted in the ABQ forum, and i thought.. huh... good question!

they were talking about scorpions, tyrantulas, black widows, giant centipedes... even rattlesnakes!

are there any crazy or poisonous creatures running around the Pueblo area????


Much Thanks!

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by famlife

I saw a similar question posted in the ABQ forum, and i thought.. huh... good question!

they were talking about scorpions, tyrantulas, black widows, giant centipedes... even rattlesnakes!

are there any crazy or poisonous creatures running around the Pueblo area????


Much Thanks!

Pretty much. Add brown recluse spiders to the list. About all I haven't seen somewhere in Colorado is a giant centipede. Scorpions found in Colorado (mostly in the west central valleys and probably around Pueblo/Canon City) are not the big ones found in Arizona, but are smaller. Rattlesnakes are VERY common around Canon City, and I suspect down the Arkansas valley towards Pueblo, too.

Also, ticks, and West Nile carrying mosquitoes are found in Colorado. Oh, and hantavirus and plague-carrying rodents.

Then, of course, there is the human vermin that can be found anywhere.

[famlife]

wow yeah i've heard about the chipmunks and stuff carrying the plague around there.. crazy stuff!

i'm guessing these things aren't considered a huge problem or else i'd be hearing more about it... do you see brown recluses much, or are they a rare sight? what about the other things?

i wouldn't say i'm overly squeamish.. but since i have alot of little kids, i just wanna know how much of a concern it is.

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by famlife

wow yeah i've heard about the chipmunks and stuff carrying the plague around there.. crazy stuff!

i'm guessing these things aren't considered a huge problem or else i'd be hearing more about it... do you see brown recluses much, or are they a rare sight? what about the other things?

i wouldn't say i'm overly squeamish.. but since i have alot of little kids, i just wanna know how much of a concern it is.

Define "much." In the last several years (during that time I also lived in Wyoming, but not far from Colorado), I have had three people I know get West Nile--two died. I have known two people in the last 10 years or so who were infected with bubonic plague--one died. I've lost count of how many black widows I've killed over the years--plenty. One of my employees got bit by a brown recluse in her garage and had to have a big chunk of flesh around the bite cut away. I haven't seen many brown relcuses personally, but I have seen them periodically.

At the ranch I lived at for several years in west-central Colorado, I would see scorpions almost daily.

Rattlesnakes? Can't say that I've seen them regularly, but I don't go out looking for them, either. When I lived on a ranch in the Front Range foothills, we would see probably a dozen or so every summer--just around the ranch house.

[famlife]

[quote=jazzlover;4502711]Define "much." In the last several years (during that time I also lived in Wyoming, but not far from Colorado), I have had three people I know get West Nile--two died. I have known two people in the last 10 years or so who were infected with bubonic plague--one died. I've lost count of how many black widows I've killed over the years--plenty. One of my employees got bit by a brown recluse in her garage and had to have a big chunk of flesh around the bite cut away. I haven't seen many brown relcuses personally, but I have seen them periodically.quote]


wow sorry to hear that! that's either really bad luck, or it is really an issue!

[Crematia]

I haven't seen any live snakes yet, but we did see a four foot rattler dead in the road about a week ago. Haven't seen any scorpions, poisonous spiders, or tarantulas yet. We have seen quite a few rabbits, a variety of birds, including quail, and prarie dogs. So since there's things snakes eat hanging out in my yard, I'm sure the snakes are there too, but I have not seen them, nor do I go looking for them!

[famlife]

well i'm gonna be dusting alot i can see.. not even a cobweb in my house lol

i guess i'm most nervous about the spiders. they seem to be the most dangerous, hardest to detect. whatever's potentially fatal i guess.

also not crazy about the idea of bubonic plague. especially with kids! i wonder if everyone there knows people who have contracted that. i always thought it was kinda a fluke thing!

i guess i'll have to make absolute sure that i keep pests away from my house somehow. i don't know how big of a problem mice n stuff is out there.. i guess i'd welcome the coyotes if they'd get rid of the rodents!

up here we just have lyme's disease from ticks (ticks are everywhere here.. it's basically an infestation in this area) and some west nile from mosquitos. i thought that was a hassle! my friend's son got meningitis from that last summer. scary stuff. somehow, i think i'd rather have that than bubonic plague.. hoping for neither!

[COflower]

While we have certain critters that can be dangerous or deadly, it's not common. I've never had anyone I know get sick from anything but my brother was stung by a scorpion spider - they look like scorpions but aren't - and his ankle swelled up to the size of a baseball.

Don't live your life in fear of bad critters. Just be knowledgable about what is here and the common sense precautions (like wearing boots when hiking in rattlesnake areas. long clothing in the mountains - like anyone does that - for ticks, spraying on a good bug repellent during the early morning and early evening hours if you are out in mosquito prone areas...).

I think there has only one confirmed case of a human dying in El Paso County in the last ten years I have been back from the plague. Hanta Virus is not good but learn how to clean out your garage and your sheds...just simple precautions you take without being scared.

I'm more afraid of being stung by a wasp than most any other potential. Those suckers hurt!

[SheridanL]

I have had the little scorpions in my home ( even with Orkin). My DH got stung once in the middle of the night, woke up screaming like a baby, scared the crap out of me!!
I have seen 1 tarantula on my property. My DH and son followed it down the block.....I never put on my glasses, that way I couldn't see the details! I HATE spiders (no matter the size!)
We have snakes and other critters. I just hate the 8 legged ones!

[Noahma]

one of my co workers has had to kill two rattlers in his driveway within the past year, one almost got him. he stepped out of his car, and felt something hit his boot, he looked down and got the surprise of his life. He managed to get far enough away, and took care of the job of ridding himself and his family of it. he lives along the frontrange just north of boulder.