Scorpions (Austin, Tyler, Center: house, scorpion, tornado)

[Jazzedforhim]

A while back there was a thread...don't see it now...but bugs and such. My daughter loves bugs and I was telling her that there are scorpions but they sting so we need to leave them alone...you know...don't hunt those down to observe in your bug habitat. Then my six year old daughter said "Aren't scorpions poisonous?" Hmmm...I think there are some that are poisonous...but are they poisonous to people...and are they in Austin?

So...just wondering...are there any poisonous (to people or dogs) scorpions in Austin?

[Trainwreck20]

They are technically 'venemous' in the same sense that a wasp is venmous. The venom of a scorpion is very similar, so most people are not really in any serious danger from a scorpion sting...it is just a wee bit painful.

However, you can have an allergic reaction, the same as a bee or wasp, too. If I understand my allergies right, the first time you would not react, but on subsequent stings you may have a reaction.

That all said, I don't actully know anyone that has had an allergic reaction to a scorpion....

[equus007]

Wee bit nothing. Scorpion stings are some of the worst insect attacks you can go through that doesnt kill you. In general the smaller the scorpion the more it hurts. We have a few different types but the most common is this little brown bugger that feels like you have napalm shooting through your skin when they sting you. Its shocking really. There is some kooky home remedy for it but I forget what it is. All it really does is make the area around the sting swell up a lot and that area is invariably either your hand or foot making work a real treat. But we love em. I suppose a sting in the right spot could kill you and its probably enough of a dose to really hurt an infant but I wouldn't worry about them that much.

Other critters of wonder in Austin:
Ticks: mmmm...lyme disease

Spiders: Lots of cool ones but also black widows and brown recluse. Both small and fairly non-descript. Both can kill you.

Centipedes/Milipedes: big fat cool centepedes that are next to impossible to kill using brute force

Monarchs, moon moths, mantises and mosquitoes

fire ants, fire ants, fire ants, fire ants, fire ants

Palmeto Bugs: AKA those giant flying cockroaches. They aren't cockroaches, they are tree roaches and are quite a bit cleaner as they normaly live in trees and not in homes but they do visit from time to time. They are interesting in that most bugs will fly away from you. These guys know the terror they create. They go for the face. I think they feed on fear.

Bees/wasps/hornets: killer and otherwise. Just stay away from them. If you hear something that sounds like a train coming towards you and you aren't standing on tracks run the other way and get inside something. Its either a tornado or a swarm. If there isn't anywhere to get inside of hit the dirt and cover your face.

[equus007]

I've also found a few Amazonian Horseflies: Their bite is like that of the brown recluse. Rots your body away from the inside.

[Trainwreck20]

I have used meat tenderizer on scorpions stings (same for wasp stings and jellyfish). If used immediately, if helps 'deactivate' the venom...I have been told the proteins that the tenderizer breaks down in meat are similar to the proteins in many of these venoms.

From (of all places) Texas Bass Fishing:

For stings causing itch, irritation, redness and swelling at the sting site, the following may be useful:

• Ice
• Baking Soda
• Meat Tenderizer--for people not allergic to bee stings. Use any brand with Papain. Make a paste with a few drops of water to a teaspoon of meat tenderizer and quickly apply to the sting to reduce pain and inflammation (breaks down components of sting fluid).
• Ammonia Solution--Apply a 1 to 2.5 percent solution no more than three to four times daily.
• Oral Antihistamines--Tablets may be chewed for faster relief, but liquids are more readily absorbed after oral ingestion (Chlortrimeton, Dimetane, Teldrin).
• Epinephrine Inhaler (Bronkaid mist, Primatene, Medihaler-Epi)
• Topical Steroids (Cortaid, Dermolate, Lanacort, etc.)
• Local Anesthetics (Benzocaine, Americaine, Dermoplast, Bactine, Foille, Lanacaine, Solarcaine)
• Oral Steroids--Prescription only.

Note that this applies to the local scorpions, not the more venemous ones in Az or Mx.

Although getting stung be a scorpion is not pleasant, the pain seems to vary quite a bit. I have been stund probably 10 times in my life (growing up in G'town and clearing rocks out of the pasture/garden, mainly), and if treated quickly, it was generally no worse than a wasp, sometimes not as bad. The severity depends on the amount of venom, the depth of the sting, and the location of the sting.

Edit: Tried to find a more reliable source (no offense to Tx Bass Fishing), and the South Texas Poison Control Center has similar info re: the tenderizer (Bug Bites & Stings - South Texas Poison Center (http://surgery.uthscsa.edu/stpc/bugs.asp - broken link)).

[Driftwood1]

I just dont get all the hysteria around scorpions, (those found in tx anyways)

I my experience, they are nothing more than bees that dont fly! And that is what we tell our kids, that they sting, but being terrified of them? I think not. The local kids here cut off the stinger and play with them, kinda sick yes, but an indication as to the behavior of them, slow, nearly blind, dumb enough to be easily caught, etc ( the scorpions, not the kids, well not most of them )

Just keep your land and your house neat (rock piles, wood piles) and you will likely not ever encounter one.. A classic inside is the pile of clothes left on the floor, if you do this in scorpion territory, give those shorts a shake before you slip em on, unless you enjoy that burning sensation in the nether regions..

Cheers

Originally Posted by Jazzedforhim

A while back there was a thread...don't see it now...but bugs and such. My daughter loves bugs and I was telling her that there are scorpions but they sting so we need to leave them alone...you know...don't hunt those down to observe in your bug habitat. Then my six year old daughter said "Aren't scorpions poisonous?" Hmmm...I think there are some that are poisonous...but are they poisonous to people...and are they in Austin?

So...just wondering...are there any poisonous (to people or dogs) scorpions in Austin?

[equus007]

I think it all has to do with a story that FOX ran about the cricket swarms we will have this year. They went to a pet store that specilizes in odd insects. In usual Fox fashion they exemplified the "dangers" without allaying any fears

[Jazzedforhim]

Great info thanks everyone! My main concern was the kids because the LOVE bugs and are always trying to catch them to observe them. I'm fine with that...and I don't want to scare them, but warn them. Also, wanted to know what to expect pain wise if they do get stung.

Sigh....sell house sell!

[love roses]

My grandma lives out in the country in Tyler, and has scorpions. She said the bite is not worse than a bee sting.