Have you ever been stung by a Scorpion?

[Spacemom]

We've moved out "to the sticks" and my new neighbors are telling me that scorpions do end up in the houses at times. I'm terrified of being stung. I know it won't kill me, and probably if it were to happen, then I wouldn't be so afraid.

So, tell me, how bad does it really hurt?? :scared:

[crim son]

1. I've never been stung before, but I had a friend who lived

down south for a couple years... I think it was Georgia. Anyway, she said she'd find the things in the house and that being stung was inevitable. She said it was like a bee sting. Sorry!

[blondeatlast]

2. I was stung a few years ago in my pinkie finger. My entore lower

arm was numb for several days and after about a week the poison got out of my system.

No joke, I was at work in my 5 story LIBRARY that has an elevator canyon (in an office--not public) on the third floor.

The ENTIRE library heard me scream "F**K" at the top of my lungs, and I almost never say that word.

It hurt like hell, but exterminators can get rid of them and/or prevent them. It's worth it, believe me.

[Kali]

19. spraying for scorpions is not worth it.

It takes a boatload of poison to kill 'em, they aren't THAT invasive, better to manually exterminate when you see one and shake out bedding. The risk of a sting (unless allergic) is not worth living with that much toxic crap that doesn't work that well anyway.

[City Lights]

34. Our exterminator used to spray to kill what scorpions eat rather

than the scorpions themselves. In our case, it was crickets. The CW was that if the crickets stayed outside so would the scorpions. We still had scorpions in the house, so I'm not sure how well spraying actually worked. It would be interesting to see how our scorpion level would have been without spraying.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

3. Where is "the sticks"? It makes a big difference.

Some states have scorpions that are very poisonous. Here in the Florida Keys, the scorpions can be as big as crabs, but the sting is only about as poisonous as a hornet. As far as pain, the people I know who have been stung say that it is quite painful. We used to get them in the house but I never got stung, because my cats would always give them away (although keeping a healthy distance). They don't aggressively seek out people to sting, but when cornered, they are very feisty. I would be more careful outdoors, especially when you are gardening. They like to hang around old piles of wood, lumber, leaves, etc.

[Spacemom]

5. We're in central Texas

Lots of cedar, oak and scruby brush. Just the perfect spots for the nasty little things. We're clearing the property, but it's going to take a while.

I've heard that the smaller the scorpion, the worse the sting. Anyone know if that's true?

[tinfoilinfor2005]

7. Yes, that is the perception around here.

Also, some say the lighter the color, the more poisonous. I always kept sandals by my bed so when I had to go to the bathroom at night I wouldn't step on one. I live on a boat now and I've never seen any on the boat, so I'm not as careful.
Get a good exterminator. The poison doesn't kill the scorpion, but the scorpion ingests insects that are covered with the poison and that's how they die. Or that is what my exterminator told me.

[Kali]

20. clearing brush is one of the reasons they may move indoors.

Hate to tell you this, but disturbing the natural habitat may bring them in worse than not.

Centroides (spelling?) are the most poisonous - the bark scorpion they have very slender pinchers and the stinger and tail segments are thinne as well - but who is going to keep samples around to compare? heh heh Don't stress, watch where you put your hands outdoors - same as for snakes - it's just common sense, really. They are fascinating = oh I just remembered another way you can hunt for them inside or out - they are flourescent under black lights - you can buy a portable black light tube at a hardware store and find them easy with it.

[Lautremont]

4. I thought it was instant death!

Shows what I know. I've never really been around the things.

[Ptah]

6. I'm not sure, but I'm pretty sure it's to be avoided.

One way to avoid being stung is to find them before you
stumble upon them.
Here is some information that might help:

http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/insects/az1223/

Blacklighting

Scorpions fluoresce or glow under ultra-violate light so they are easy to find with
the aid of a black light during the night. Nighttime scorpion hunting is a lot of
fun but make sure that you wear high-top boots and have long tongs if you want to
capture the scorpions to move them.

Using BLB bulbs you can construct your own portable U.V. light. Homeowners wishing
to construct an inexpensive blacklight should purchase a 6-volt camping lantern with
a 6-inch fluorescent tube, from a camping supply store or department store. The tube
can then be replaced with an ultraviolet bulb available at many lighting stores. This
kind of light will show scorpions 1-2 feet from the light. The approximate cost of
constructing the 6 volt blacklight will be $30. Another option is to obtain a 12 volt
fluorescent fixture, such as an emergency auto lighting stick and a 12 volt rechargeable
battery pack available at electronics supply stores. Replace the bulb with a 12 volt,
8 watt ultraviolet bulb from a lighting store. This is a more powerful system and will
cost more to construct, but will allow nighttime viewing of scorpions from 4-5 feet away.
The approximate cost of constructing the 12 volt blacklight will be $200.



Shake shoes and boots before inserting foot.

Good luck.

:hi:

[pitohui]

8. i have never seen a scorpion

i realize they are common but i don't/can't see them i guess

i was just now talking to someone about the 1980sish david quammon essay where he interviews the dude who shines the special light, may be the UV light discussed by another poster, to show him all the hundreds of scorpions that were on the ground where he was camping

he sounded fairly regretful that he had ever inquired, some things man was not meant to know, before that like me he had never quite managed to see a wild scorpion

[Whoa_Nelly]

9. Friend in Tucson of mine was stung

She was putting on pants that she'd dropped on the floor earlier in the day. Scorpion was in the pants leg. She had to be hospitalized as it turns out she is very allergic to the venom.

Do your homework. Do google searches for info and images for the types of scorpions in your area. Get to know them and their habits. The more you know, maybe the better you'll be if or when you do have to deal with any.

You can always have your home professionally sprayed inside/out, and then a once a month outside perimeter spray done.

[ghostsofgiants]

10. Nah, I was always able to make Sub-Zero freeze him before he could make any moves.

Then it's just a matter of hitting him with an uppercut and you're set.

[TK421]

42. GET OVER HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[idgiehkt]

11. Here I am, rock you like a hurricane

nope, but now I've been stung by an earworm, lol.

are the ones where you live venomous? I know that some are and some are not...perhaps you could get a non-venomous one to bite you just to get over the fear of it.

[RetroLounge]

12. deleted

RL

[sendero]

13. Yes..

... picked up a log/large-stick and didn't see him. It hurt pretty bad I have to say. The only think comparable was being stung by an asp, if you've ever heard of those :)

But for most people, we're talking about bad pain for a half hour, annoying pain for a couple more.

[havocmom]

14. Yes, in Tucson area, Nasty little buggers there

Glad it was me and not my frail, elderly cat that got stung, it probably would have killed her.

Very painful. Could not fully extend my arm (stung on wrist) for over 6 weeks. Could not make that hand work for 3 weeks. Got bad abdominal cramps within a few hours. Site of sting was numb for over 8 years.

What woke me was the sound of the critter's hard shell hitting the wall of my bedroom as my old cat was tossing it against the wall trying to protect me as I slept. I got up and tore the room apart to find out what she was after... I found out alright. EEEOOOWWWW

The scorpions in Tucson area are smallish, and a very hard to see taupe/gray shade. They do GLOW nicely under black light and it is wise to take a portable black light with if you are camping out on that desert.

This nasty chap probably rode in on some potted plants I brought in from my patio due to a hard frost predicted for that night.

VERY PAINFUL sting. If one is allergic to the venom at all, I understand it can be pretty bad. My sister has been stung a few times and gets VERY sick from it. Her dog seems immune and more than willing to take one for the team if it protects her. He is a champ!

Shake your shoes before putting them on. If the house is new, and there for in area disrupted by construction, expect more encounters. Good idea to get in habit of turning back the sheets and blankets for a GOOD look at bed before retiring.

Find out what sort are there in your area so you know what to look for. If you have those taupe/gray bastards, invest in a black light you can 'sweep' areas with to make sure you are alone ;)

Now, tarantulas, ugly as most people seem to think they are, well, they are shy, and pretty tame as far as toxins go.

[Kali]

22. Cats are remarkable immune to venom.

Not positive about scorps, but I do recall reading in a vet manual that of all the domestic animals cats are least affected by rattlesnake venom.

My god you must have been hit right in a nerve or something. I have been stung a bunch of times - never did anything like that. The electic shock sensation might last a couple days but the real pain was never more than a few hours.

[City Lights]

32. Cats are immune to scorpion venom. eom

[distantearlywarning]

15. I think it depends on the scorpion.

In the Southwest typically the smaller the scorpion the more potent the venom (and thus by extension, probably the more it hurts).

To repeat what others have said:

Rid your house of insects that scorpions like to eat. Diatomaceous earth could help if you don't like pesticides.
Shake your shoes out before putting them on, and be careful when you're working in your garage or in piles of wood or brush. If you have a wood burning fireplace, inspect your logs carefully before you bring them inside - scorpions live in bark.
They are cold-blooded. Keep your house at a cool temperature and it will slow them down quite a bit.

One further suggestion I haven't seen here yet: get a cat. In my experience, most housecats are quite attracted to scorpions and will happily and easily track them down inside houses. If they don't kill the scorpions while they are "playing" with them, at the very least they will alert you to the presence of the scorpion so you can deal with it before it crawls into your shoe. Anecdotally, many cats also seem to be at least somewhat immune to scorpion venom, and have a kind of instinctual knowledge about how to disable them. Perhaps this is due to their distant desert ancestry? :shrug: Anyway, a cat is terrific protection against many household pests that you might find out in "the sticks".

[bigwillq]

16. No (nt)

[Haole Girl]

17. Believe it or not, when I first moved to Ft. Worth I discovered one..

..in my apartment. Here is the kicker...on the third floor!!! I killed it. In retrospect, I should have tried to usher it outside...but I panicked. Oh well, at least it didn't sting me. :scared:

[bigwillq]

21. You're a murderer!

:spank:

:(

:cry:


You're going to end up on Oprah in a very special "animal killer" episode.

:P

[Haole Girl]

36. LOL

Thanks, I needed that this morning.

:rofl:

[Kali]

18. been stung dozens of times - by bark scorps - the supposed worst kind.

It does hurt, no doubt but it is a really interesting sensation - almost electrical. And damn irritating when they get you in bed, cause they will run the whole length of your body trying to get under something to hide, stinging you all along the way as you are desperately trying to levitate off the mattress and ditch the sheets and blankets to try and get away, turn the light on and KILL THE SON OF A BITCH for what it did to your night's sleep.

Harvester ants sting much worse in my opinion.

Ice and a few days an you will be fine. Best to keep windows screened and bedroom well vacuumed of the other little bugs that are their prey. Shake bedding and clothes well, same with shoes. Be careful not to shake one right back onto you. Reminds me of a funny story of when my oldest son was in kindergarten. He came home from school one day and when he took his shoes off there was a flattened scorpion in the heel of one shoe. His comment? "I thought I felt something sting me this morning"

Sorry to add to any paranoia, but welcome to country life! :evilgrin: :hi:

[petronius]

23. Just be sure not to mess with the Scorpion King...

http://www.moviesforguys.com.nyud.net:8090/movieimages/scorpionking.jpg

[Spacemom]

29. Now that's a Scorpion

I can handle. :evilgrin:

[Nevernose]

24. Scorpions in the US are no worse than bee stings

Unlses you live in southern AZ, where there are lethal scorpions, scorpions in the US are all non-lethal and no worse than bee stings. It's almost impossible to get stung by a scorpion. They don't attack large mammals as a rule, prefering to go the other direction, and they move slower than molasses.

Go out one night with a UV flashlight. Interestingly enough, there's as many in Maine per square foot than there are in Texas. Scorpions are also one of the most prolific animals in the world; they've even been found above the summit of Mt. Everest.

[Kali]

35. They are not generally lethal - bet you have a hard time finding a

single documented case - especially of a non-immune-compromised adult. That is "urban" rumor.

[Nevernose]

40. For the record, a biologist counting scorpions told me that

Some kind of "professional scorpion expert" told me that one night at a state park in Utah.

Fascinating couple, one a park ranger and the other a field biologist, doing a scorpion count outside of St. George to determine the effects of urbanization on the local semi-endangered scorpion population. I ended up spending all night running around with a UV flashlight, discussing arachnids.

They said that the only North American variety that was lethal was in primarily Mexico, and occasionally, very rarely, migrated into what was once called the Gadsen Purchase -- so I assume you're right, it would be pretty rare to actually DIE from a scorpion sting, although more people are allergic to insects than you might imagine. It would also be pretty difficult to be stung. They move slower than mollasses, and aren't particularly aggressive.

[Kali]

43. Oh they can move fast enough - and if you ever had one in your bed

you might say they were aggressive! But that is just the perspecttive of someone who had been stung several times. :rofl:

Most of the time they are pretty shy and they ARE truly interesting. But I hate the bastards when I "feel the burn."

[Floogeldy]

25. Only in the mid-section.

OH, I'm sorry. I thought you said "Scorpio." ;)

[u4ic]

26. No, but I've been stung by a Scorpio

:P

[Heidi]

27. Yes. And yes, it's quite painful.

My scorpion stings were on the palm of my left hand. It felt like my hand was on fire.

[MnFats]

28. thanks for reminding my of one reason I live in the frozen north...

.....15-20 below-zero days each winter kills the hell out of those mean little bastards that might be thinking of moving north...
......no scorpions,no fire ants, no water mocks, no cottonmouths....bees, and in only part of the state, the occasional timber rattler...bring on winter!

[Nevernose]

41. There are as many scorpions in the frozen north as there are in the steaming south

An amazing critter, really, and incredibly hardy. They've been found on the the highest peaks of the Himalayas, for instance, in deserts, jungles, and forests, and are adapted to every possible Terran climate. If you look for them, and look in the right way, they're there.

[MrScorpio]

30. I'm the one who does the stinging...

And let's say, I rarely get complaints

[City Lights]

31. My daughter got stung when she was 11.

It stung her in the foot. According to her it was very painful. The numbness ran from her foot up into her leg, but didn't go higher than her knee. By the next day she was fine.

We had scorpions in our house all the time when we lived in the Phoenix area. I saw them on the floor, walls, and ceiling. I always feared one falling off the ceiling into bed. :scared:

[rbnyc]

33. My friend was stung in the balls!

And I believe it really did hurt.

Some friends and I had moved out to AZ, and I'd warned them, don't throw your clothes on the floor and then put them on the next morning. Always shake everything out--never put on your shoes without shaking them out--check towels, bed clothes, etc.

They thought I was being dramatic--until...

He had to go to the emergency room, but he was ok.

[cwydro]

37. I got stung

here in Florida (terrible habit of going barefoot I have). To me, it felt very much like a bee sting. The other time one got me on my hand (cleaning up the yard) and that felt like a bee sting too. They have a fearsome rep, but from what I understand, they are pretty much harmless unless you have an allergy. Don't know about the ones out west though.

[Divameow77]

38. Ok, I'm moving to Orlando

from Minnesota in February and all this talk is starting to freak me out!!!!!!!!!
How bad are the bugs down there?

I have never used teh hide thread feature... but I may have to :scared:

[azmouse]

39. I get about a dozen of them in my home each year.

I've never been stung but I sometimes think it may just be a matter of time. I live in a city of 250,000 people (Glendale, AZ) but nearly everyone I know has had a scorpion in their home at one time or another. I used to live 'in the sticks' too, just outside Tucson. I've seen more scorpions in the city than I did in the country. I have no idea why.

This is what I've learned by my exposure to the nasty critters. I'm sure there is much more to know.

Pesticides can help reduce the food source of the scorpions but won't do much to kill the scorpions. They have a protective shell that keeps the pesticide from harming them much. They can also do without oxygen for 24 hrs... so if you catch one and put it in a jar be aware that it may not die very quickly.

Scorpions can be killed very easily by stepping on them. Also realize that they don't see you as food so they will only sting if threatened. I have a long tweezers (about 10 in long) that I use to pick up the scorpions when I see them. I then flush them down the toilet to make sure they are out of the house.

Be aware that they are around but definitely don't panic about them. Check shoes that haven't been worn in awhile. Use gloves when doing yard work because they like woodpiles and yard waste to hide in.
So all that being said I don't see scorpions on a weekly or even monthly basis. But I stay aware that they are around.

I've heard the sting is much like a bee sting and the only treatment necessary is some ice to control swelling and a pain reliever.

[Nicole]

44. I've been stung 3 times

It hurts like hell on the hand, where I was stung twice. The sting on the foot didn't hurt that bad but it made walking painful for a few days.