Scorpion Stings On the Rise (Phoenix: living, fence, dangerous)

[asufan]

Well then we better protect the border

[musicforme]

Originally Posted by aliveandwellinSA

actually the scorpions in Mexico are much more poisioness, I speak from experience, got stung had two cortizone shots and meds, and it was treated as an emergency, and really sick.

I'll have to challenge you on this one.

Everything I've read to date states the bark scorpion is one of the worst scorpion stings one can get. Do you know the type of scorpion that enhabits the area you were in at the time?

Thought I'd add that I went scorpion hunting last night. I found one in the front of my house in the river rock, and two in the backyard. Both were on my brick wall where there are 90 degree changes (as in a corner of some sort).

When Seal Out Scorpions was out on Monday, they mentioned that scorpions do not like light and that landscaping lighting can help keep them away from the house. I need to take a closer look at our house and see how involved it would be for me to add some lighting around the house.

[OnYourSide]

Arizona's Poison Control Center states that the bark scorpion is the worst one in Arizona. I haven't done much research however on the strength of other scorpions in Mexico vs the 30 or so kinds that inhabit Arizona.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by musicforme

When Seal Out Scorpions was out on Monday, they mentioned that scorpions do not like light and that landscaping lighting can help keep them away from the house. I need to take a closer look at our house and see how involved it would be for me to add some lighting around the house.

Sounds like those morons know as much about scorpions as a fish knows about lunar landings. Let em seal up the house (which I actually recommend), but dont let em tell you anything about scorpions, sounds like theyre your typical make-a-quick-buck-off-peoples-ignorance types of business. Scorpions come out at night when temps are cooler, but it doesnt mean they dont like light. My FIL has caught them in his house, tassling with other bugs (how cool is that?!?!) in broad daylight. Scorpion eyesight is extremely poor (despite having a set of lateral eyes and a set of medial eyes), they only use it to tell if its night or day. At night there is less chance of them being preyed upon, so they prefer night over day, but will gladly do business in teh day if necessary.

Ill tell you what right now... if you put lights outside at night, youre going to attract truckloads of other insects. What attracts scorpions? A food source. Attract other bugs and scorpions will follow. Guaranteed. In fact, when Im in AZ and out lookin for scorpions near my FIL's place (North Scottsdale), guess where Ive found most of them? Its no coincidence Ive uncovered several in bushes right next to their landscaping lights. In fact I even uncovered a tarantula from right below one of the lights, too. Not too far from him was a small praying mantis, which I believe he was about to pounce on.

[OnYourSide]

Good information Steve-o. The scorpions following the food source is an important factor many do not consider.

[OnYourSide]

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.

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

[BestintheWest]

Originally Posted by musicforme

I'll have to challenge you on this one.

Everything I've read to date states the bark scorpion is one of the worst scorpion stings one can get. Do you know the type of scorpion that enhabits the area you were in at the time?

Thought I'd add that I went scorpion hunting last night. I found one in the front of my house in the river rock, and two in the backyard. Both were on my brick wall where there are 90 degree changes (as in a corner of some sort).

When Seal Out Scorpions was out on Monday, they mentioned that scorpions do not like light and that landscaping lighting can help keep them away from the house. I need to take a closer look at our house and see how involved it would be for me to add some lighting around the house.

It was in Huatulco Mexico on the Pacific in the state of Oaxaca where I used too live.
It was approximately 5inches long, yes 5 inches.
Had two IV's one in each arm, severe sweating and swelling of the tongue.
When I stepped on it, it stung me just below the ankle, this was 8 years ago and still have a scar.
Genus Vaejovis

[OnYourSide]

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

[brightbutdownn]

Originally Posted by musicforme

I'll have to challenge you on this one.

Everything I've read to date states the bark scorpion is one of the worst scorpion stings one can get. Do you know the type of scorpion that enhabits the area you were in at the time?

Thought I'd add that I went scorpion hunting last night. I found one in the front of my house in the river rock, and two in the backyard. Both were on my brick wall where there are 90 degree changes (as in a corner of some sort).

When Seal Out Scorpions was out on Monday, they mentioned that scorpions do not like light and that landscaping lighting can help keep them away from the house. I need to take a closer look at our house and see how involved it would be for me to add some lighting around the house.

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?

[BestintheWest]

Originally Posted by OnYourSide

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

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).