Questions about AZ!!! (Phoenix, Scottsdale, Paradise Valley: apartment, scorpion, live in)

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by sablebaby

I lived in the PV mall area for over 20 years and never once saw a scorpion or snake... not once.

Ill ask the question I ask everyone: Did you go out and look for them? If you did, youd be surprised what youd turn up.

[sablebaby]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

Ill ask the question I ask everyone: Did you go out and look for them? If you did, youd be surprised what youd turn up.

Yeah, that's the reason I don't go out in my backyard at night. Last night, my bf wanted me to help him carry out some pieces of wood from our side yard to the curb (trash pickup this week) and that's the first thing that came to my mind! Darn Steve-o's got it in my head!! Needless to say I declined and it's still sitting on the side.

[nomorearizona]

I only ever saw scorpions while living in North Scottsdale where they're common, and in South Chandler. Outside of there most people have never seen one.

I've never seen a snake to this day. I only know one person who has and he's way out in the desert of Troon in North Scottsdale.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by sablebaby

Yeah, that's the reason I don't go out in my backyard at night. Last night, my bf wanted me to help him carry out some pieces of wood from our side yard to the curb (trash pickup this week) and that's the first thing that came to my mind! Darn Steve-o's got it in my head!! Needless to say I declined and it's still sitting on the side.

Well, you did the right thing. Picking up wood in the middle of the night? Is your bf crazy? Seriously, thats an area where scorpions and widows hide the most, and an area where snakes take up too. I wouldnt be scared, but a thorough check of the wood before you move it is definitely in order. Use a blacklight for scorpions, a flashlight for snakes and black widows. Blacklights work wonders! Here is a short video I took yesterday, specifically for this site.

Click on it to play it:

[sablebaby]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

Well, you did the right thing. Picking up wood in the middle of the night? Is your bf crazy? Seriously, thats an area where scorpions and widows hide the most, and an area where snakes take up too. I wouldnt be scared, but a thorough check of the wood before you move it is definitely in order. Use a blacklight for scorpions, a flashlight for snakes and black widows. Blacklights work wonders! Here is a short video I took yesterday, specifically for this site.

Thanks, Steve-o, that really makes me want to go out looking for them! Yes, I think he's crazy. I think he's only seen one scorpion since he's lived here (15 yrs), so it's nothing he would ever think about running into. But, it's something I think about a lot since being on this forum.

[londonbarcelona]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

What? My FIL's house on Shea (Scottsdale) was infested with scorpions and they had a rattler in their garage too. In fact, rattlesnakes eat mice, and mice congregate around human populations. Where there are mice, there are rattlesnakes.

Really? And he lives around the PV area? Do you think that having a green yard cuts down on the critters? I do. Our first house here was very Florida like. Lush, green front and back, tons of palms (37!). And I used to find
gi-normous brown spiders in our pool. I heard that roaches and scorps hide in palm trunks, but I never saw any. However, down the street where the street drain was, I would see an occasional flying cockroach. I think they like water? Never saw any snakes or even black widows.
But here, in the deserty place, there are scorpians, havalenas (they smell like skunks but look like furry pigs. ), coyotes, mountain lions and rattlers! A friend of mine recently found a rattler in her garage, called the Scottsdale fire department to come get it, they did, and I kid you not; within half an hour there was another one! They weren't the same one either because they let her take pictures of them when they had the lock around the snakes necks!
I guess that's why I thought there weren't many critters in the PV area, I thought the more developed it was, the less of it you'd have and the closer to the mountains or rural areas there'd be more. My bad.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by londonbarcelona

Really? And he lives around the PV area? Do you think that having a green yard cuts down on the critters? I do. Our first house here was very Florida like. Lush, green front and back, tons of palms (37!). And I used to find
gi-normous brown spiders in our pool. I heard that roaches and scorps hide in palm trunks, but I never saw any. However, down the street where the street drain was, I would see an occasional flying cockroach. I think they like water? Never saw any snakes or even black widows.
But here, in the deserty place, there are scorpians, havalenas (they smell like skunks but look like furry pigs. ), coyotes, mountain lions and rattlers! A friend of mine recently found a rattler in her garage, called the Scottsdale fire department to come get it, they did, and I kid you not; within half an hour there was another one! They weren't the same one either because they let her take pictures of them when they had the lock around the snakes necks!
I guess that's why I thought there weren't many critters in the PV area, I thought the more developed it was, the less of it you'd have and the closer to the mountains or rural areas there'd be more. My bad.

He doesnt live there anymore, he's up in North Scottsdale off of Dynamite Rd now. Back at his house on Shea, theyd sometimes see 3 scorpions a night in their house. The rattler was found in late fall in their garage, removed by the FD. Their new house is worse, they have lots of scorpions, tarantulas, black widows, and a few snakes (including a small rattler I found there 2 years ago). Ive also seen javelina's, theyre quite freaky. My brother and I ran into about 5-6 of them one night in his neighborhood. These suckers were HUGE!!! We quickly backtracked and got the heck out of there. Here are some pics I snapped in June at his place:

We'd wait until the wee hours of the morning when it wasnt so blastin hot out (still around 95 degrees), so we'd have a better chance of seeing some critters:

velvet ant:


True spider of sorts (mygalomorph?):
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j292/Illinoisboy/TrapdoorIthinkonPinnaclePeak.jpg (broken link)

Banded geckos:


Coupla large huntsman spiders:
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j292/Illinoisboy/Huntsmanonwall.jpg (broken link)

Size comparo (next to ciggy pack):


One in the yard:


The Aphonopelma chalcodes (tarantula) we found in his yard. We released it and took this pic the following morning at the Phoenix Mountain Preserves:

[londonbarcelona]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

He doesnt live there anymore, he's up in North Scottsdale off of Dynamite Rd now. Back at his house on Shea, theyd sometimes see 3 scorpions a night in their house. The rattler was found in late fall in their garage, removed by the FD. Their new house is worse, they have lots of scorpions, tarantulas, black widows, and a few snakes (including a small rattler I found there 2 years ago). Ive also seen javelina's, theyre quite freaky. My brother and I ran into about 5-6 of them one night in his neighborhood. These suckers were HUGE!!! We quickly backtracked and got the heck out of there. Here are some pics I snapped in June at his place:

We'd wait until the wee hours of the morning when it wasnt so blastin hot out (still around 95 degrees), so we'd have a better chance of seeing some critters:

velvet ant:


True spider of sorts (mygalomorph?):
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j292/Illinoisboy/TrapdoorIthinkonPinnaclePeak.jpg (broken link)

Banded geckos:


Coupla large huntsman spiders:
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j292/Illinoisboy/Huntsmanonwall.jpg (broken link)

Size comparo (next to ciggy pack):


One in the yard:


The Aphonopelma chalcodes (tarantula) we found in his yard. We released it and took this pic the following morning at the Phoenix Mountain Preserves:

Oh my god. Really, did you "have" to show the photos?? LOL I recognize teh big spiders though, they used to end up in my pool. I have never even heard of a velvet ant. It's actually kind of cute, it a weird sort of way. I found a baby jackrabbit this morning! While taking my dog for a walk she found it, chased it for quite a bit and then I ended up having to pick up the poor screaming little thumper! I ended up taking it to a rescue house in Fountain Hills (talk about a gorgeous area....) because the little guy was only around 2 weeks old. I wanted to keep it, but she said that jackrabbits are not good to keep as pets because they freak out being locked up. Even if you raise them from the time they are babies.

[ptbrennan]

Back to the original question: Extended Stay Network ( XSN ) - Extended Stay - All Suites - Hotels

Again, I highly recommend the MainStay Suites on the I-17 for quality/value. What is your price range?

[ptbrennan]

Originally Posted by ptbrennan

Back to the original question: Extended Stay Network ( XSN ) - Extended Stay - All Suites - Hotels

Again, I highly recommend the MainStay Suites on the I-17 for quality/value. What is your price range?

And by the way, not all hotels listed on the referenced website are true extended stay facilities. I replied to one of your other posts to say that I will gladly provide advice on individual properties if you post them. I work in the industry and know most of these properties.

You are covering a long distance from East to West, so anything in the middle could work for convenience factors.