Scorpions- what is a good way to kill them ? (home, live)

[chilegal]

I use the sticky pads to catch the scorpions and any other crawley thing in my house. They would also catch the pets, unless you put them where they can not get to them. If they do veg oil will unstick them.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by Stumblina

Cats have absolutely no reaction to scorpion stings. That's one reason people have them around. They like to kill/eat/play with the scorpions and there's no consequence to the cat at all.

Anything that has isnt dead will react to scorpion venom in one way or another. If you dont think a cat will have a reaction to scorpion venom, I invite any cat to come play with my pets. If a cat takes a tag by this one (Androctonus mauretanicus), you probably wont have the grave dug by the time the cat dies.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by BurtsBees

Please tell me you still think the scorpion sting of a Az bark is no more painful than a bee sting when you get tagged by one.

Alright! Someone who knows scorpions!

The AZ bark scorpion (Centruroides exilicauda/sculpturatus) is the one to look out for in AZ. Without anti-venin, elderly and children most likely will suffer severe effects, including death. Noone has died in AZ since the 60s, because ofASU's anti-venin program. Now that ASU has since retired the program, AZ will need to procure a Mexican AV, which the USDA has not approved. Until the USDA approves of the Mexican AV, deaths will occur, mark my words. And then all those little scorpions that you guys dont think twice about, will suddenly create panic. In Mexico, a dierect relative of the AZ bark scorpion (Centruroides limpidus) is responsible for THOUSANDS of deaths annually, mainly because some towns are too far from medical help and/or there is no AV available. NOONE should downplay the seriousness of a bark scorpion sting. For a healthy adult, you can expect intense pain, sometimes lasting days. Those with weakened immune systems or a bad reaction, expect a trip to the ER and a very expensive AV administration.

[silverbear]

As stated above, I think it's a misconception that cats are completely immune to scorpion stings. I know someone whose cat was stung, and while the cat survived, it displayed a variety of disturbing symptoms over a few days. I should therefore clarify my first post in this thread. I don't advocate relying on a cat as your primary means of pest control. It's better to seal up all the cracks in your house to prevent scorpion entry, be careful about bringing firewood and other outside matter into the house, and contract for regular pest control around the perimeter of your house. Those steps will keep scorpion visits to a minimum. If you still have an unwelcome visitor, your cat will be helpful simply in alerting you to its presence, but I recommend that you deal with the scorpion yourself. I have one very brave Siamese cat who killed several scorpions without injury before we got our scorpion situation under control, but I still intervene on the rare occasions when I see her stalking one.

[Nice Nice Baby!]

Four years ago I bought my property, 2.5 acres of dessert in the foothills and plenty of scorpions. After the sun went down and it got dark, I would sit out on the porch and watch dozens of those little scorpions, maybe the AZ bark scorpion, come crawling up to the house! Then I got three outdoor cats, and they are well fed from store bought cat food, and since then I haven't seen a sighting of those scorpions. There has to be a corelation, because I did nothing else different, absolutely NO SPRAYING of chemicals!! I can guess that the cat urine helps deter them.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by Nice Nice Baby!

I can guess that the cat urine helps deter them.

Most likely not, scorpions dont "smell" per se. Its probably the cats that kept them away, not their urine.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by BurtsBees

Please tell me you still think the scorpion sting of a Az bark is no more painful than a bee sting when you get tagged by one.

I've been stung a few times by both and the scorpion pain is not all that much more severe. But it goes on longer and it has neurological effects such as tingling and numbness that a bee string doesn't. All in all, it's not a big deal. If you get stung and call poison control, they tell you to relax and wait to see if anything severe happens. They do not tell you to rush to the emergency room for AV. Many more people have died of killer bee attacks and West Nile. Fear those.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by silverbear

As stated above, I think it's a misconception that cats are completely immune to scorpion stings. I know someone whose cat was stung, and while the cat survived, it displayed a variety of disturbing symptoms over a few days. I should therefore clarify my first post in this thread. I don't advocate relying on a cat as your primary means of pest control. It's better to seal up all the cracks in your house to prevent scorpion entry, be careful about bringing firewood and other outside matter into the house, and contract for regular pest control around the perimeter of your house. Those steps will keep scorpion visits to a minimum. If you still have an unwelcome visitor, your cat will be helpful simply in alerting you to its presence, but I recommend that you deal with the scorpion yourself. I have one very brave Siamese cat who killed several scorpions without injury before we got our scorpion situation under control, but I still intervene on the rare occasions when I see her stalking one.

I agree that cats are great for alerting one to the presence of a scorpion. They have an amazing ability to find them. I have learned to pay attention when my cat starts pawing around a piece of furniture. If I investigate closely, I usually will find a scorpion hidden in a crevice right where the cat is directing his attention.

[IMoveU]

From my experience, the best time to go scorpion hunting is after dark. Arm your self with a hammer and a battery-powered black-light (they glow with a greeny-yellowish flouresence). 99% of the scorpions I have tagged were on the exterior walls of my home and the fence.

They are tough little critters so whack 'em good!

[IMoveU]

I've been stung by bees, wasps & hornets and these guys hurt like HELL when they sting you!!!