Did You Know...

Aozora · #1 04/06/14, 05:15 AM

...that scorpions are native to the southeast USA and like to come into houses in the spring and the fall?

Because I did not know that until this guy literally scampered right up to me. I'm a huge arachnophobe, and good lord did he give me the heebie jeebies for a while. I trapped him in a plastic cup, and I kinda want to hold onto him for a little bit so I can see him eat. Although that will likely give me the heebie jeebies too...

MushCreek · #2 04/06/14, 07:45 AM

You do know that they sting, right? I've heard it's like a wasp sting, but I haven't had the 'pleasure' yet. I'm in the woods in upstate SC, and we have a LOT of them around.

TenBusyBees · #3 04/06/14, 09:16 AM

Wasp sting but worse....it really is a strange sensation. Intense, throbbing pain combined with tingly electrical current sensation.

Cats and glue traps have been our best weapon against them.

TenBusyBees · #4 04/06/14, 09:19 AM

Oh, and an inspector's flashlight. They glow under a blacklight.

sisterpine · #5 04/06/14, 09:25 AM

Well I had NO idea that these guys were found any place besides the south west! In fact I was raised here in Tucson and just saw my first scorpion at age 59! But the fellow I saw was a light golden brown and kind of pretty....

Darren · #6 04/06/14, 09:33 AM

Are they good to eat?

arabian knight · #7 04/06/14, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TenBusyBees

Wasp sting but worse....it really is a strange sensation. Intense, throbbing pain combined with tingly electrical current sensation.

Cats and glue traps have been our best weapon against them.

Well I don't know about that.
I was stung by a scorpion while sleeping, and that felt like I was being Branded by a Hot Branding Iron.
My whole arm and fingers felt 'tingly' for nearly a week, You know how your arm feels when 'it goes to sleep'? Well how about the whole arm right down to the fingers. Took a week before my fingers

K.B. · #8 04/06/14, 11:09 AM

They are in the PNW, too, unfortunately. My 10 y.o. son is particularly good at finding them by checking under rocks and inside rotten logs.

If you want to see a particularly creepy picture, look up images of scorpions with babies!

luvrulz · #9 04/06/14, 11:22 AM

Used to see them in Florida all the time too. Is it true that only the females are poisonous?? Can't remember, since I left Florida 15 yrs ago.......

LisaInN.Idaho · #10 04/06/14, 11:28 AM

I'm pretty sure that there are only a couple of types of "dangerous" scorpions in the US, the Arizona Bark Scorpion being one. The kind found in the deep south is no more dangerous than a bee sting unless you're allergic of course.

I've lived in Georgia and saw scorpions several times but thankfully only saw them a couple of times in AZ. Though I knew several people who'd been stung. On their backsides which apparently is a pretty good place to be stung because of the fat.

I'm glad that I lived in a place in AZ that was not recently built on desert. I've seen people's backyard walls at the edge of the desert, at night with a black light. (Scorpions flouresce under black light). Those walls were crawling with them. Yuck.

MushCreek · #11 04/06/14, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darren

Are they good to eat?

They do sort of look like a miniature lobster.....

MattyD · #12 04/06/14, 11:45 AM

The last time I saw a scorpion is when I was station at Ft. Sill, OK. We had those and tarantulas too. It made range time in the foxholes a bit interesting sometimes...

L8R,
Matt

TenBusyBees · #13 04/06/14, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darren

Are they good to eat?

They seem to be quite a delicacy in Thailand.
Though, I must admit, eating them has never occurred to me....especially when looking at them flattened on the bottom of my shoe.

arabian knight · #14 04/06/14, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LisaInN.Idaho

I'm pretty sure that there are only a couple of types of "dangerous" scorpions in the US, the Arizona Bark Scorpion being one. The kind found in the deep south is no more dangerous than a bee sting unless you're allergic of course.

I've lived in Georgia and saw scorpions several times but thankfully only saw them a couple of times in AZ. Though I knew several people who'd been stung. On their backsides which apparently is a pretty good place to be stung because of the fat.

I'm glad that I lived in a place in AZ that was not recently built on desert. I've seen people's backyard walls at the edge of the desert, at night with a black light. (Scorpions flouresce under black light). Those walls were crawling with them. Yuck.

I forgot to mention when I got stung in bed, it was while I was living in Tempe, AZ. at a horse boarding stable so we had old wood and such. But after time and getting plenty of chickens running around the scorpions problem went way down.

Aozora · #15 04/06/14, 03:15 PM

Well, I caught a moth and threw it into the cup for him... Heebie Jeebies accomplished. Ugh. I thought he would sting it and kill it, but he just ate it alive. Nope. Dislike scorpions even more now.

BobbyB · #16 04/06/14, 03:38 PM

Ive been tapped twice by them little SOBs. For me it was a burning sensation that continued to increase for a lengthy period of time followed by a numb burning feeling if that makes any sense.

they come inside Spring and Fall, but when I have been tapped, it was under a piece of firewood or a board I was picking up. I have seen far more under stuff like that than I have been intimate with.

When they are moving, they remind me of a backhoe, claws up like the front bucket and tail up and over like the digging boom.

CountryWannabe · #17 04/06/14, 07:14 PM

I saw my first ones last year here in OK. I am teaching my new chickens to stay around the patio and house... Just in case

Mary

mellba · #18 04/06/14, 08:56 PM

The pain of the sting must depend on the type of scorpion. I've been stung and it didn't hurt much at all, much less than a bee sting.

calliemoonbeam · #19 04/07/14, 11:39 AM

All I can say is watch out! They love to crawl across the ceiling, but lose their grip and may just drop right on top of you, talk about heebies jeebies! That's happened to me twice since I moved out here seven years ago. I've had others drop, sometimes even on my keyboard, just not right ON me, lol. They also seem to be in the bathroom a lot.

The ones I get are just sort of a light tan color and almost blend into the background and especially the tongue and groove wood walls and ceiling in my office. Now that you know you have them, you might want to shake out your shoes good before putting them on too. Ask me how I know.

Yep, right on the end of my big toe. And I agree, it was way worse than a wasp sting, and I'm allergic to wasps!

simi-steading · #20 04/07/14, 12:13 PM

I got stung by a Texas brown scorpion.. Oh yeah do they hurt... I'd rather get chased by a nest of ground hornets.. OK.. maybe not, but it wasn't a fun experience at all...

I'm glad I moved away from where they live, because after that, I had a fear of picking anything up and getting nailed by another..