Need advice about Scorpions, Bugs, Pets, Landscaping for all Three... (Phoenix: hotel, scorpion)

[Panks]

Originally Posted by Artliquide

We use diamotaceous earth to get rid of them, and it's worked for us so far. It's non-toxic to humans and animals. It's basically fossil dust, which is too big to get into your pores, though you want to wear a mask when you're sprinkling it so that you don't breathe it in. We noticed a huge decrease in the population from one week to the next after using it around the outside of the house.

WARNING!!! DIAMOTACEOUS EARTH IS VERY BAD FOR YOUR PETS IF THEY BREATHE IT IN!!!!!!!!!
Its also very bad for you of course but people are not within inches of the ground like animals are.

Its basically like very fine glass in that it cuts use Bothrough the exoskeleton of insects like fleas etc.. but it does the same thing to lung tissue!

I made the HUGE mistake of using it inside my house on the carpets to get rid of fleas and even though I vacuumed the carpet 10 times, it was impossible to get it out completely because its as fine as talcum powder. I have asthma but I could definitely tell that my lungs were in worse shape after that fiasco.
(use Borax to get rid of fleas in carpets)

By the way, everything I am writing comes directly from a vet, including the tip on Borax.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by Artliquide

Cats are immune to scorp stings. I've seen my cat play with them before

Theyre not immune to the stings, cats have died before. Cats are quicker than scorpions, plus extremely curious, thats why theyp play with scorpions. If the scorpion gets in a sting, the cat will definitely feel the effects. Note how the cat in the video wont go near the scorpion? Yeah, it probably knows its not very wise to do, it probably learned the hard way.

[Sunvixen]

Originally Posted by Artliquide

I would recommend skipping the pool grade diamotaceous earth because we accidently got that kind and it didn't work. You never know though.

We got food grade (I think it's thinner, different consistency than pool grade), and that worked immediately.

As far as the roof rats go...ew, gross!

No, my aunt and uncle found a few floating in the pool. Their house is definitely not crawling with them.

And, I believe their area (arcadia district in east phoenix) is notorious for having roof rats. My parents live a few miles away in south scottsdale and don't ever have any roof rats. They do have those giant sewer roaches and the occasional black widow, despite their immaculate house and landscaping. Nothing they can do to get rid of those either

GIANT SEWER COCKROACHES??

I know some people in Detroit put a 1/4 gallon of bleach down EACH drain (including the basement floor drains) every couples weeks and let it sit for a while before rinsing it down and have no roach problem.

You're telling me that even if you are meticulous, you will get cockroaches in AZ?

Don't exterminators help?

[Artliquide]

Originally Posted by Panks

WARNING!!! DIAMOTACEOUS EARTH IS VERY BAD FOR YOUR PETS IF THEY BREATHE IT IN!!!!!!!!!
Its also very bad for you of course but people are not within inches of the ground like animals are.

Its basically like very fine glass in that it cuts use Bothrough the exoskeleton of insects like fleas etc.. but it does the same thing to lung tissue!

I made the HUGE mistake of using it inside my house on the carpets to get rid of fleas and even though I vacuumed the carpet 10 times, it was impossible to get it out completely because its as fine as talcum powder. I have asthma but I could definitely tell that my lungs were in worse shape after that fiasco.
(use Borax to get rid of fleas in carpets)

By the way, everything I am writing comes directly from a vet, including the tip on Borax.

Does boric acid (which is what borax is) work for scorps? I've used borax for roaches before, but haven't tried it with scorps. Also, you're not supposed to breathe in boric acid either, so I wonder how healthy it is for pets?

I've read that diamotaceous earth is not harmful to animals. Maybe it depends on how much you put down and how curious your pet is. I know that my cat and my chickens aren't bothered by it. Just want to make sure we know all the facts to be on the safe side

[Artliquide]

Originally Posted by Sunvixen

GIANT SEWER COCKROACHES??

I know some people in Detroit put a 1/4 gallon of bleach down EACH drain (including the basement floor drains) every couples weeks and let it sit for a while before rinsing it down and have no roach problem.

You're telling me that even if you are meticulous, you will get cockroaches in AZ?

Don't exterminators help?

Yes. It doesn't matter how clean your place is. If an area has a roach problem, there will be roaches. My parents live about 1/2 mile from the wash in south scottsdale, so that might contribute to the problem. Also, their house was built in the 70s, so the pipes might be old enough to have cracks, etc. I also remember reading about Scottsdale flushing the sewer system a few years back, and they did it from north to south, which means that my parents' area would be even more infested than they were before.

Exterminators help to a point, but it's really like putting a bandaid on a deep wound, you know?

[Sunvixen]

Thanks for all your help!

I am still wondering if anybody has had their DOG encounter a scorpion? I wanted to know if they have instincts to keep away or not.

I have also heard that dogs not born in AZ can get valley fever and die from it. Other people say it's nothing to worry about.

[Panks]

Originally Posted by Artliquide

Does boric acid (which is what borax is) work for scorps? I've used borax for roaches before, but haven't tried it with scorps. Also, you're not supposed to breathe in boric acid either, so I wonder how healthy it is for pets?

I've read that diamotaceous earth is not harmful to animals. Maybe it depends on how much you put down and how curious your pet is. I know that my cat and my chickens aren't bothered by it. Just want to make sure we know all the facts to be on the safe side

Not sure about scorpions ...they may be too big (not get enough stuck to them when they walk through it). Boric acid is not dangerous because it dissolves in the lungs..its basically soap.

The diatomacous earth will actually cut up your lungs on a micro level and you can't get it out once its in...your body/lungs has to form cysts around it to stop it from getting irritated. (Thats why you should never use talcum powder..does exactly the same thing!)

Regarding scorpions, I asked my vet what I should do if my cat got stung and he said to give it Benedryl asap. Be sure its the regular kind not sinus or cold and ask your vet for the right cat dose ....its less than 1 whole pill!!!!!!

[Great Joy]

1. The "settled" vs "new" area is not true. I remember seeing a Phoenix scorpion map on this site a while ago, and it showed areas by scorpion density/number of stings. We bought a home on the outskirts of Phoenix next to a green space. We've lived here for almost 3 yrs now, and still haven't seen even one in/around our home. From what I've heard, water fountains/pools attract crickets, and crickets attract scorpions. So if you control the cricket population near your home, then you will control your scorpion population. We use a pest control service. We're originally from the midwest and have also lived in other states. Bugs here are really not a problem compared to other states.

2. Some pets get valley fever. We have a dog, and she hasn't gotten it in the 3 yrs we've been here. Hopefully she won't. We have a friend whose dog got it and died, and another friend whose dog got it and survived. We've lots of friends here also who have dogs that haven't gotten it, so most likely your dog will be fine.

About the heat, I would not recommend leaving any dog outside during the entire day in the summer as it is much safer for them inside. I also strongly recommend not getting a "doggie door" for your dog because I know of a few people that have them here, and they gotten in trouble for their dogs barking continuously while they're gone. If you leave your dog outside, my guess is that you will irritate your neighbors because even occasional barking can bother neighbors here. For the most part, the yards are smaller here than they are in the midwest and the barking noise (even a few barks) seems to amplify here more (maybe it's because of the block walls between yards?) A garage also gets hot during the summer, but of course not as hot as it is outside due to being shaded. I don't know of anyone who air conditions their garage, but I think it would be expensive.

Another thing about leaving your dog outside: does your dog like to dig? We know some people whose dog dug a hole under their gate, got out of their yard, and never returned. They think their dog was killed by coyotes. Just something to keep in mind if you're considering leaving your dog outside in your yard without you watching him/her.

3. We haven't had any scorpions or heard of this issue from any of our friends, so I'm unable to help answer this question. I believe a dog encountering a scorpion is rare.

4. An evening walk is great. You won't have to worry about mosquitos here like you do in the midwest. I've only seen one mosquito in the 3 years we've been here. That's right...only 1! And, you won't even notice the humidity here compared to there. We spend lots of time outdoors, and we have yet to see a coyote while we are walking, biking, etc. We have seen them along the road when we're driving.

5. Even though we treat our dog with Heart-Guard all year round because our vet says to, fleas and mosquitos are truly not an issue here. I've never seen fleas here and nor do any of our friends ever mentioned a flea problem. And, believe me, I know how bad fleas can be. When we lived in Mississippi, our dog had to have multiple shots, baths, etc, and we still could not get completely rid of them. I was so glad when we moved from there.

[Sunvixen]

One of the reasons I would not look at Florida is the fleas. I am so tired of not being able to enjoy the summer evenings here in MI outdoors without being drenched in insect repellent, or eaten alive. I mean, by mosquitoes.

I'm going to try and find that scorpion map as well as the map of the "heat zones" for auto theft in Phoenix. If anybody happens to know where they are, would you post it please?

Thanks again, you guys are really helpful!

[MotleyCrew]

We moved here in 04 and have yet to get bitten by a mosquito or a (knocking on wood) scorpion. Our older Mastiff we brought with us died of V.F. The two Mastiffs we now have were bred here in AZ. We understand that home bred dogs have a better chance of beating the fungus if they catch it. The vet told us that Boxers are more likely to get V.F than other breeds. Mastiffs and Bulldogs do not do well in the heat. Make sure your dog does not get trapped outside. The heat here kills a lot of dogs each year, especially the ones left in cars.
We do not treat for heartworm.