Scorpion Stings On the Rise (Phoenix: home, neighborhoods, live)

[OnYourSide]

Originally Posted by brightbutdownn

I know two people that were stung in the past week alone, inside their house. The problem seems to be especially bad this year. I wonder if there are further updated stats from the ones given in the story?

Hopefully the medical and psychological expense of said event was not overly horrific.

[musicforme]

Originally Posted by OnYourSide

That's a good starting list for trying to keep them out of the house. Thanks for the list.

Glad to help. I've read a lot of good information on this forum and glad I'm able to give back a little.

The same company will be out again next week to work on the outside of the house. I'll post the same details once I learn of them.

I'm looking forward to them getting the outside of the house done. The company asked me to not spray any more chemicals outside until they're finished. They don't me to do anything that might drive them from where they like to hide in my concrete block fence and possibly into the house.

[PhoenixAirConcerns]

Originally Posted by musicforme

I thought I'd provide an update on Seal Out Scorpions first visit to our house.

They were here yesterday for around 6 hours. They first concentrated keeping any scorpions living in the walls from getting in the house. During that time they did the following:
- removed all the A/C vents and caulked the space between the sheet rock and duct work (common for there to be a small gap here)
- caulked around all the electrical outlets and light switches covers
- caulked along all the baseboards next to tile floors, sheet rock could have small space where it meets the floor and allow space for scorpion to crawl out
- caulked any open spaces around sink and toilet plumbing where it goes into the wall
- put mesh screens in all the bathroom vent/fans
- caulked around the top of all the ceiling fans and any light fixtures

They'll be back out again in the near future to work on the outside of the house.

Thanks for the post, that is really good information. I know there is no fail-proof way to close off a dwelling, but it looks like this advice goes a long ways.

[musicforme]

Originally Posted by PhoenixAirConcerns

Thanks for the post, that is really good information. I know there is no fail-proof way to close off a dwelling, but it looks like this advice goes a long ways.

I just remembered they also caulked above the door molding for the door frames throughout the house.

If you've ever painted a room before, you may have noticed that when a house is built, it is pretty common for the that area not to be caulked by the builder since no one ever sees it. The potential exists for a small gap to exist where a scorpion could crawl out from behind the wall.

Also a minor revision. They spray foamed, not caulked around where the plumbing goes in the wall.

[OnYourSide]

Originally Posted by PhoenixAirConcerns

Thanks for the post, that is really good information. I know there is no fail-proof way to close off a dwelling, but it looks like this advice goes a long ways.

I know, I actually plan on applying this information to my own home.

[OnYourSide]

Originally Posted by musicforme

I just remembered they also caulked above the door molding for the door frames throughout the house.

If you've ever painted a room before, you may have noticed that when a house is built, it is pretty common for the that area not to be caulked by the builder since no one ever sees it. The potential exists for a small gap to exist where a scorpion could crawl out from behind the wall.

Also a minor revision. They spray foamed, not caulked around where the plumbing goes in the wall.

This is some I did last night. Again, appreciative of the information.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by OnYourSide

aliveandwellinSA - are you familiar with the range of the Genus Vaejovis?

Im quite familiar with the Vaejovis genus. AZ is crawling with them, theyre completely harmless for the most part. I fact, I believe the most common scorpion in the Valley is Vaejovis spinigerus. The Vaejovis genus is not considered dangerous and are small, definitely not 5" like the other poster said. The biggest scorpion species in the Americas is Hadrurus, which are found in Arizona, especially Hadrurus arizonensis, which can get up to 5" long. Those are harmless, too.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by aliveandwellinSA

yes. My friend and doctor in Mexico emailed me and said I was stung by the Centruroides class but did not know the specific name, but had seen stings by the same scorpion in the region., and he said very dangerous, if untreated possibly deadly. He also sent this:
The highest reported mortality rate is recorded in data from Mexico, with estimates as high as 1000 deaths in 1 year. In the United States, 4 deaths were reported in an 11-year period according to one source.2 However, no deaths were reported to the American Association of Poison Control Centers from 1983 to 1999. Only one death from the Arizona bark scorpion (C sculpturatus) has been reported since 1964.3 Ironically, the highest and lowest mortality estimates are associated with different species within the same genus of scorpion (Centruroides).

The two worst Centruroides species in Mexico associated with thousands of deaths are C. limpidus and C. noxius, those are two very potent scorpions in Mexico, and are closely related to AZ's infamous Centruroides exilicauda/sculpturatus.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

Im quite familiar with the Vaejovis genus. AZ is crawling with them, theyre completely harmless for the most part. I fact, I believe the most common scorpion in the Valley is Vaejovis spinigerus. The Vaejovis genus is not considered dangerous and are small, definitely not 5" like the other poster said. The biggest scorpion species in the Americas is Hadrurus, which are found in Arizona, especially Hadrurus arizonensis, which can get up to 5" long. Those are harmless, too.

Steve-o, is there an easy way to differentiate these from the bark scorpions? I mean in the heat of the moment when one is walking across your floor and you are "concerned". If these Vaejovis are common, I have probably smacked a few thinking they were bark.

[OnYourSide]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

The two worst Centruroides species in Mexico associated with thousands of deaths are C. limpidus and C. noxius, those are two very potent scorpions in Mexico, and are closely related to AZ's infamous Centruroides exilicauda/sculpturatus.

The Centruroides exilicauda/sculpturatus seems to be a prominent one on many people's minds in the Phoenix area.