Oh No, Not Another Scorpion Thread! (Mesa, Chandler: transplants, rental, inspection)

[kodokan]

We've found 6-7 outside in the yard so far (NE Mesa); this is a vast improvement on the at least 600-700 - stone cold true figures! - that we killed last summer in our previous yard, on Gilbert Road north of the 202, edging the desert.

In this house, we're doing our own spraying with Cykick - I've done it once so far, last week, and plan to do it every few weeks throughout summer and top up if it rains - and I've bought a large box of sticky traps off Amazon, 75 for about the same price as 10 in the stores. That should do, unless other DIY bug patrollers have any good tips for me.

[hikernut]

Just FYI. I made one update this year to the night time blacklight trips. I got tired of feeding batteries in the LED flashlight, so I just bought a blacklight bulb at Home Depot, I think it was around $6. I already had a long extension cord and a "trouble light" to put it into. It's a little more hassle than a flashlight, but always bright.

hikernut

[johnp292]

Ah, yes, here I am reviving my ever popular scorpion thread yet again!

Since I know everyone on C-D anticipates my latest report like they are awaiting the return of their favorite TV show after a series ending cliffhanger....here's the latest....

But first "Previously on the ONNAST thread":

We moved from the east coat 11 months ago to a home that borders the desert. During the first summer months of 2012 we were visited in our new home by a plethora (about 6) of bark scorpions, and the only known survivor of this arachnoid invasion was the one that stung my wife (who also survived). We were also visited inside the house by a tarantula and a suspected black widow. The tarantula was humanely captured and released outdoors, while the suspicious black spider met a gruesome end inside a vacuum cleaner.

Outside, we had all manner of critters, including wind scorpions, bees, a couple of tarantula hawks, bats, birds, quail (a whole brood of which now visits our yard daily, but I digress...) more black widows, coyote, doves, pigeons (which apparently became hawk food), rabbits, A Horse With No Name (not really I just want to see who's paying attention), hummingbirds, a desert tortoise (he lives here too), a few more scorpions, and probably others I've forgotten. So far, though, no snakes, bobcats, mountain lions, javelina, or - to my wife's disappointment - road runners.

And now....

Well today I had to smash the second inside scorpion of the season. Little bugger was hiding inside a window blind. Had to knock it out of the blind and pound it with a sneaker. The score thus far...People 2. Scorpions 0


To be continued.....

[DR2012]

14 months. No scorpions yet. Fingers crossed! Fam in Surprise see a couple each year.
Watch, I just jinxed myself.

[DetroitN8V]

Originally Posted by johnp292

Ah, yes, here I am reviving my ever popular scorpion thread yet again!

Since I know everyone on C-D anticipates my latest report like they are awaiting the return of their favorite TV show after a series ending cliffhanger....here's the latest....

But first "Previously on the ONNAST thread":

We moved from the east coat 11 months ago to a home that borders the desert. During the first summer months of 2012 we were visited in our new home by a plethora (about 6) of bark scorpions, and the only known survivor of this arachnoid invasion was the one that stung my wife (who also survived). We were also visited inside the house by a tarantula and a suspected black widow. The tarantula was humanely captured and released outdoors, while the suspicious black spider met a gruesome end inside a vacuum cleaner.

Outside, we had all manner of critters, including wind scorpions, bees, a couple of tarantula hawks, bats, birds, quail (a whole brood of which now visits our yard daily, but I digress...) more black widows, coyote, doves, pigeons (which apparently became hawk food), rabbits, A Horse With No Name (not really I just want to see who's paying attention), hummingbirds, a desert tortoise (he lives here too), a few more scorpions, and probably others I've forgotten. So far, though, no snakes, bobcats, mountain lions, javelina, or - to my wife's disappointment - road runners.

And now....

Well today I had to smash the second inside scorpion of the season. Little bugger was hiding inside a window blind. Had to knock it out of the blind and pound it with a sneaker. The score thus far...People 2. Scorpions 0


To be continued.....

Yikes! In what area do you live? Please don't say somewhere by me!

[Guitarmaan]

Originally Posted by johnp292

Outside, we had all manner of critters, including wind scorpions, bees, a couple of tarantula hawks, bats, birds, quail (a whole brood of which now visits our yard daily, but I digress...) more black widows, coyote, doves, pigeons (which apparently became hawk food), rabbits, A Horse With No Name (not really I just want to see who's paying attention), hummingbirds, a desert tortoise (he lives here too), a few more scorpions, and probably others I've forgotten.

From my spell in pest control I learnt those things are dangerous to your pets. They'll jump a wall, break your dogs neck, and then disappear. The last one I saw was jogging down a street in broad daylight. They don't always hide away.

Originally Posted by kodokan

In this house, we're doing our own spraying with Cykick - I've done it once so far, last week, and plan to do it every few weeks throughout summer and top up if it rains - and I've bought a large box of sticky traps off Amazon, 75 for about the same price as 10 in the stores. That should do, unless other DIY bug patrollers have any good tips for me.

Do you mean Cyzmic? We used to stick with permethrin most of the time. But Cyzmic was particularly affective on scorpions. It could be used indoors as well as outdoors.

Scorpions tend to walk along edges, so along the house perimeter and patio edges etc is pretty effective. They'll still wander inside the house though, but they'll be dying.

Originally Posted by Lisslebrun

Oh my gosh I'm from the east coast and want to know " what happens when you get stung by one?!"

Your local hospital tries to bill you $80,000 for an antidote

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by Guitarmaan

From my spell in pest control I learnt those things are dangerous to your pets. They'll jump a wall, break your dogs neck, and then disappear. The last one I saw was jogging down a street in broad daylight. They don't always hide away.


Do you mean Cyzmic? We used to stick with permethrin most of the time. But Cyzmic was particularly affective on scorpions. It could be used indoors as well as outdoors.

Scorpions tend to walk along edges, so along the house perimeter and patio edges etc is pretty effective. They'll still wander inside the house though, but they'll be dying.


Your local hospital tries to bill you $80,000 for an antidote

That costs 100 bucks in Mexico where it is made. Fortunately, few people need antivenin. The vast majority of scorpion bites hurt, then the area goes numb or tingles for a while and then it all goes away.

[Guitarmaan]

Originally Posted by EnglishGirl

I'm really wishing we hadn't committed to coming out to Mesa in August now. I know the house we are looking to rent is sprayed monthly but coming from the UK we aren't used to needing to walk around with shoes on or needing black lights to find critters. I've been travelling to the States for 15 years but feel terribly naive in our choice of destination now and I'm really worried about my 7 year old getting stung!

I came over from the UK in September. I walk around without shoes sometimes. No big deal. I've never seen a scorpion here in our home, ever. I've only seen them through a brief stint in pest control. And that was long enough to realise they are not worth worrying about. Just educate your child.

I won't mention the other critters that *are* worth extreme caution hehe.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by EnglishGirl

I'm really wishing we hadn't committed to coming out to Mesa in August now. I know the house we are looking to rent is sprayed monthly but coming from the UK we aren't used to needing to walk around with shoes on or needing black lights to find critters. I've been travelling to the States for 15 years but feel terribly naive in our choice of destination now and I'm really worried about my 7 year old getting stung!

Stop worrying about scorpions. No one in my house walks around in shoes and we certainly are not crazy enough to be going around with a black light looking for scorpions. The fear we see in you visitors and newbs is completely out of proportion to the risk. I seriously doubt you will see hide nor hair of a scorpion during your visit. You will feel ridiculous after you visit for harboring such thoughts. If you want to worry about something, worry about west Nile virus. Several people die of it each year here. No one has died of a scorpion sting in 50 years in AZ.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by EnglishGirl

I'm really wishing we hadn't committed to coming out to Mesa in August now. I know the house we are looking to rent is sprayed monthly but coming from the UK we aren't used to needing to walk around with shoes on or needing black lights to find critters. I've been travelling to the States for 15 years but feel terribly naive in our choice of destination now and I'm really worried about my 7 year old getting stung!

The odds of you actually having a problem are quite long. Don't get yourself too worked up over a problem you probably won't have!!