Looking To Move To Tucson Soon (Phoenix, Oro Valley: fit in, sale, rentals)

[Latitudes]

Originally Posted by dusesean1986

Every month? The bill would be scary. I'm not an exterminator expert, but don't you need to relocate every time they spray your home. How much is an extermination job?

I feel sorry for folks who have critter phobia. If they had any background at all in chemistry and understood what kind of toxins that they breathe into their systems to avoid confronting nature, they'd think twice about even spraying that poison in their homes once a year, much less once a month. Think about it: what you're trying to get rid of is harmless to you and your family. What you're using to get rid of it is harmful to you and your family. Does that make sense? I know it probably doesn't make any difference whether it makes sense or not. Critterphobes are critterphobes because they can't think rationally. Or they can't make the connection between rational thought and rational behavior. The extermination industry is really just taking advantage of people with a personality disorder. Shameful. If you think critters are even 1% of the problem you'll face in Tucson, think again. The worst invertebrates in town drive cars, own guns, and spraypaint cryptic symbols on signs and walls. There are organisms to fear in Pima County, but they all walk on two legs.

[Chrissyliz]

Originally Posted by Latitudes

I feel sorry for folks who have critter phobia. If they had any background at all in chemistry and understood what kind of toxins that they breathe into their systems to avoid confronting nature, they'd think twice about even spraying that poison in their homes once a year, much less once a month. Think about it: what you're trying to get rid of is harmless to you and your family. What you're using to get rid of it is harmful to you and your family. Does that make sense? I know it probably doesn't make any difference whether it makes sense or not. Critterphobes are critterphobes because they can't think rationally. Or they can't make the connection between rational thought and rational behavior. The extermination industry is really just taking advantage of people with a personality disorder. Shameful. If you think critters are even 1% of the problem you'll face in Tucson, think again. The worst invertebrates in town drive cars, own guns, and spraypaint cryptic symbols on signs and walls. There are organisms to fear in Pima County, but they all walk on two legs.

Why do you feel the need to say that people who use exterminators have a personality disorder? It's a personal choice. I don't see why you have to come in here and say such mean things. Like the bumper sticker says: MEAN PEOPLE SUCK!! Sorry but geesh do you have to be so in your face about your opinon. You and your bugs have a great life.

[OHIOTIM]

Latitude, (or Should I Say Attitude)

As Much As I Appreciate Your Input . It Sounds Like You Are Wearing Your Bitterness For Tuscon On Your Sleeve. I Have A Son Who Is Paralyzed From The Neck Down And When We Get There I Am Interested In His Safety And Well Being Only. Being Unable To Move Away From Critters Himself, It Is My Responsibility To Remove Them From Him.

I Understand What You Are Trying To Say Though And You Are Right.but In This Case It Is A Matter Of Self Preservation....

Are People In Tucson As Dangerous As You Project ???????

[Sundance]

I wouldn't worry too much about critters in Tucson; we were there for 7 months and were critter-free.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by Latitudes

I feel sorry for folks who have critter phobia. If they had any background at all in chemistry and understood what kind of toxins that they breathe into their systems to avoid confronting nature, they'd think twice about even spraying that poison in their homes once a year, much less once a month. Think about it: what you're trying to get rid of is harmless to you and your family. What you're using to get rid of it is harmful to you and your family. Does that make sense? I know it probably doesn't make any difference whether it makes sense or not. Critterphobes are critterphobes because they can't think rationally. Or they can't make the connection between rational thought and rational behavior. The extermination industry is really just taking advantage of people with a personality disorder. Shameful. If you think critters are even 1% of the problem you'll face in Tucson, think again. The worst invertebrates in town drive cars, own guns, and spraypaint cryptic symbols on signs and walls. There are organisms to fear in Pima County, but they all walk on two legs.

Some good points here. Moving to Tucson, the last thing you should worry about (unless you have a newborn) is bugs. Theyll get in no matter what you do. I research and study arachnids (mainly scorpions, centipedes and tarantulas) so I know what Im talking about. yes, the chemicals used to deter the critters are more harmful than the bugs themselves. Arachnophobia is a HUGE problem facing millions of people, and its a shame. Tarantulas and scorpions are beneficial to the earth, thats why God put them there. The ONLY scorpion to be worried about is Centruroides exilicauda, the AZ bark scorpion. They have a powerful neurotoxic venom that has killed people before, but the instances are VERY RARE. The best thing to do is seal up any cracks in the foundation and around the windows, etc. Spraying is ineffective, and a unsafe way to control bugs. The exterminators will tell you otherwise, but thats how they make a living: by lying and getting you to waste your money. Keep brush and garbage piles to a minimum, and do nightly checks with a blacklight. Find some forceps and wrap the ends in gauze (to prevent hurting the scorpion) and pick up the scorpions by their tails, as close as you can get to the aculeus (stinger). Put them in a glass jar and release them outside your property somewhere. They love to eat the disease-spreading cockroaches, so theyre very beneficial to have around. If anyone has any more questions, let me know, Ill be glad to help.

As for bugs around Tucson, theyre a fact of life. If you dont like them, dont move there. ALot of people say theyve never seen scorpions, etc, in their houses. TO that I say malarkey! Bust out a blacklight and look CLOSELY around your house and youll see them. My father in law had LOTS of them waaaay down in central Scottsdale (off of Shea). Theyre everywhere and breed like crazy. Stings are painful, but super rarely life-threatening. Thats the truth even though Hollywood and media would tell you otherwise. I know a guy that has been stung over 300 times, and hes still kicking! Anyways, yes, Tucson has lots of species of scorpions (mainly Centruroides and Vaejovis genus), tarantulas (Aphonopelma genus), centipedes (Scolopendra genus) and tailless whipscorpions (Damon genus), and snakes (mainly Crotalus genus).

Oh yeah, one more thing: humans are NOT invertebrates. ;-)

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by ChrissyR

Why do you feel the need to say that people who use exterminators have a personality disorder? It's a personal choice. I don't see why you have to come in here and say such mean things. Like the bumper sticker says: MEAN PEOPLE SUCK!! Sorry but geesh do you have to be so in your face about your opinon. You and your bugs have a great life.

He's correct in a way, Ill leave it at that. Phobias are a disorder of sorts, especially arachnophobia. People lose sleep, refuse to go certain places, etc just because spiders and scorpions happen to be there. Thats bad! I saw a show on Discovery about arachnophobia, and one lady in England didnt leave her house to go to work for a few days because a small spider had built a web above her doorway. Seriously. It can be a very crippling disorder that needs therapy to overcome. Ive seen people (myself included) who were deathly afraid of spiders, take a little therapy (I didnt have any) and hold a tarantula that same day, and w/o any effects. Its amazing what a little research and determination can do to the human psyche! So yes, he is a right in a sense, although he could have been a little nicer. If you have any questions about bugs in general, give me a hollar, I study and keep them as pets, believe it or not. I also spend a few weeks a year in the Sonoran Desert observing them and their natural way of life. Theyre truly amazing critters with an undeserved bad reputation.

The 3 most encountered scorpions in AZ are the following (Im giving the Latin names so you guys can Google them for pictures and more info--however the 'net is full of lies, so if you have any questions, let meknow):

Centruroides exilicauda, Vaejovis confusus, Vaejovis spinigeris.

Ill add one more I forgot about: the largest (harmless) scorpion in AZ is the Hadrurus arizonensis, the AZ desert hairy scorpion.

[Ponderosa]

The only scorpion I have seen here is the bark scorpion and you are right, they are everywhere. We have them in the house and see one now and then, always have, maybe because I won't spray that poison around the yard and the walls. We've been stung a few times too, no big deal, stings like crazy and then gets all tingly like a limb going to "sleep". My cat hunts them (he can actually hear them back in the corners of the furniture and such) and kills them if he can. I don't know if cats are immune or just quick! When he starts digging at something, we pull out the drawers and get the black light and often find one hiding. And people say there is nothing to do around here

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

The only scorpion I have seen here is the bark scorpion and you are right, they are everywhere. We have them in the house and see one now and then, always have, maybe because I won't spray that poison around the yard and the walls. We've been stung a few times too, no big deal, stings like crazy and then gets all tingly like a limb going to "sleep". My cat hunts them (he can actually hear them back in the corners of the furniture and such) and kills them if he can. I don't know if cats are immune or just quick! When he starts digging at something, we pull out the drawers and get the black light and often find one hiding. And people say there is nothing to do around here

LOL, yeah, cats are butchers and will kill pretty much anything that comes around them. If a cat gets a bad sting from a bark scorp, it could be the end of the cat. But yes, scorps are all over the place, no matter if you "dont see them" or not. Theyre very efficient predators and can go up to a year or more w/o a single bite to eat or a single drop of water. They have incredibly low metabolic rates that allow them to do this. Awesome critters!!!

[tucsondesertdweller]

Don't think I have a personality disorder, I don't care for scorpions, but they don't freak me out.
We have our house sprayed but only the garage and outside. If it were just up to me I would do this less often.
We have only seen a few scorpions in our house, now the garage we always have them in the sticky pads the exterminator guy leaves and we see them outside, more in the summer or warm months.
Tarantulas, don't see them as often, sorry to say, I find them absolutely fascinating. Not sure I am brave enough to touch one, but really like to see them .
I don't see the bugs out here as a problem, in fact we can be outside all year and so far no misquito's, but I think that may change some day. who knows.
To the poster who said something about people and guns, heck yeah, you are allowed to carry and own a gun out here and most don't give it a second thought unlike some other states. Now that could be a plus or a minus, all depends on your leanings.

[Jntspooner]

We will soon be moving to the Tucson area from England and I had been enjoying reading all the banter about Tucson until I started reading about all the 'critters'. We have a little Jack Russell dog. Should I worry that she will be bitten and killed by a scorpion or hunted down and eaten by a coyote? So far I haven't heard anything about dogs and how they fare. Could someone please reassure (or warn) me? Thank you.