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Author
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Topic: Dealing with scorpions
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BillWilliams
Member Posts: 48
From: Wimberley, TX
Registered: Feb 2005
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posted September 05, 2005 05:15 PM
 
After encountering a few scorpions in all 3 of our bedrooms, I had a company who "specializes" in scorpion control do a monthly treatment --- they also plugged the foundation weepholes with mesh. However, this weekend my grandkids (and my daughter) found one in their room. I did my best to quiet their alarm by explaining that a scorpion sting isn't usually worse than a bee sting. However, I'm resigned to the reality that someobody sooner or later will get stung. If/when this happens, what's the proper first-aid ? And in the worst case, where is the appropriate place to take the victim ?
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Susie
unregistered
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posted September 05, 2005 07:00 PM
I have good news for you. The scorpions here have a sting no more dangerous than a wasp. I have been stung a few times and I am sure it didn't hurt as much as bee stings or wasp stings. These are not the southwestern desert kind of poisonous scorpions, so a sting is only an inconvenience.After a day or two you can't tell where you were stung unless you have an allergy to bees, wasps and those kinds of insects. In those cases anaphylactic shock has to be considered but you'd have that problem anywhere. No need for heavy duty insecticide people. Get some diatomaceous earth (sp?) harmless to all but insects. Sprinkle a little in the cracks of your house, spread it in your attic or anyplace scorpions are coming in. They will soon be gone. I laughed and laughed at my brother the first time he called me in a panic many years ago. He had opened a gate and been stung by a SCORPION!!! He lived in Dallas and they have the same brand of scorpion we do. By that time I'd had a sting or two and was in a position to chuckle at him. He was not amused but he was relieved to learn he wasn't at death's door. Now you too can feel superior to those tenderfoots who are confused about which scorpions live in what place.
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Mr Chievous
Member Posts: 124
From: Wimberley, TX USofA
Registered: Aug 2004
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posted September 05, 2005 08:15 PM
It seems like I read a couple of posts here lately describing scorpion sting pain as minimal. I have been stung twice in the last couple of months. To me, it feels like about a four-inch sliver of wood being jammed through your skin. I found it to be quite painful although the pain seemed to disappear in minutes. I did not experience any type of bump or mark of any kind. I did experience a strange tingling similar to touching a 9-volt to your tongue, throughout my body for almost a day. My understanding is that this is not unusual. I think it is helpful to immediately place ice on the sting for maybe 20 minutes+. I have read that if a severe reaction is to happen, it will normally occur within 20 minutes. I also read that there's not an anti-venon. Treatment involves medicating the symptoms rather than the sting itself. Overall, I wouldn't worry about it any more than a bee or wasp even though there seems to be something more threatening about the scorpion. There is something you can purchase that will help set your mind to ease. Scorpions have a fluorescence that causes them to appear like glow-in-the dark toys when illuminated with a fluorescent black light. You can purchase a hand-held, battery-powered light somewhere on the internet. Regular black light doesn't work - it has to be fluorescent. When you turn off the lights and use the light to check the bed, corners, sinks, etc, you will be amazed how easily they are to spot. I highly recommend it.
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j2442
Member Posts: 58
From: United States
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted September 15, 2005 03:01 AM
While I personally have not been stung, my one cat did get stung. Man his little paw swelled up quick. Vet said give him benedryl. I did, and the swelling went down and he was fine. It took a second sting for the stupid cat to start leaving them alone!!! Now if one is in the house, he finds it, and sits and waits for you to come squish it!!
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BlueFalcon
Member Posts: 2
From:
Registered: Sep 2005
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posted September 15, 2005 05:45 PM
Oddly enough, although I confess I haven't tried the remedy...I've heard that if you spray the sting site with "Right Guard" deod. it will take the sting right out! Probably the 'stink' too! jk
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jonhiggins
Member Posts: 32
From: Wimberley
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted September 17, 2005 06:17 PM
Texas Agricultural Extension Bulletin about scorpions in Texas:"Of 1,500 species of scorpions worldwide, only about 20 to 25 are regarded as dangerous.
Fortunately, none of the species in Texas are considered deadly. Stings from most of these species are about as painful as a bee or wasp sting, but the severity of the sting is dependent upon the individual scorpion and the person's reaction to the venom. As with any arthropod venom, allergic reactions are possible. The stings from Texas scorpions produce only moderate reactions in most people because the poison has little effect on the nervous system... An ice pack applied to the affected area will relieve some pain. If swelling and/or pain persists or if breathing difficulties occur, immediate medical attention is necessary." http://insects.tamu.edu/extension/bulletins/l-1678.html
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fisherman
Member Posts: 17
From:
Registered: Feb 2006
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posted May 22, 2006 04:37 PM
Take 1 tablespoon of baking soda and 1 tablespoon of meat tenderizer and mix with a dab of water to make a paste. the faster you get it in the area of the sting the quicker it will reduce the pain.
We keep 3 or so mixed and ready, just add water. My son was stung and it took us 15 minutes to get the stuff together, the pain lasted through the next day. The next time we were ready and my motherinlaw was stung (heehee) and we had the paste on her in 30 seconds, it stopped within a few minute. Poor thing......I laughed all night long
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April
Member Posts: 20
From:
Registered: Apr 2002
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posted March 02, 2007 04:29 PM
Simple household ammonia will neutralize the venom. Just apply full stregnth by dabbing on. Works on chiggers too.BTW the sting will go numb within about two minutes but that first two mintues can be painful so we keep ammonia under all the sinks, kitchen and baths. We also keep Indian Runner Ducks in the yard during the day and rarely see scorpions, fire ants or caterpillars any more.
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Miss Chris
Member Posts: 302
From: Wimberley, Texas
Registered: Nov 2006
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posted March 02, 2007 05:32 PM
Sorry about my ignorance, but are Indian Runner Ducks hard to keep around your place? Are they like regular ducks that want to be near water? We tried to raise guinas years ago from chicks to control ticks, etc. They all ended up as a delicious meal for a fox. That fox picked them off one by one. They were really stupid-I think they need to have some adults to teach them.
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cgm
Member Posts: 390
From: Wimberley
Registered: Jul 2003
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posted March 03, 2007 12:26 AM
quote:
Originally posted by fisherman:
Take 1 tablespoon of baking soda and 1 tablespoon of meat tenderizer and mix with a dab of water to make a paste. the faster you get it in the area of the sting the quicker it will reduce the pain.
We keep 3 or so mixed and ready, just add water. My son was stung and it took us 15 minutes to get the stuff together, the pain lasted through the next day. The next time we were ready and my motherinlaw was stung (heehee) and we had the paste on her in 30 seconds, it stopped within a few minute. Poor thing......I laughed all night long
Wonder if you could use this or the ammonia treatment on dogs or cats??? I would think the ammonia smell could be almost as bad as the bite.
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Zac
Member Posts: 83
From:
Registered: Feb 2008
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posted September 07, 2010 10:28 AM
I found this topic searching for scorpions and hope it's not too late to remind cgm that anything you put on a cat should probably be okay for them to ingest. Cats are so particular about bathing often. They're sure to try to clean off anything put on reachable parts like paws.This interests me because right after rains we always have a large crop of insects who decided they are no longer wildlife. We're expecting another invasion after this Hermine storm. Harvesters (granddaddy longlegs) have been unusually dense this year. A few scorpions have shown up but they've all been polite and refrained from stinging before we find them. We just put a glass over them and slide some cardboard underneath to carry them outside to a place where we ***don't*** sleep and eat and live. Our 2 cats also just sit and stare at them until we do this. Something tells me they've had adventures with scorpions before.
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kayh
Member Posts: 86
From: Wimberley Texas USA
Registered: Feb 2009
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posted September 08, 2010 01:14 AM
I don't know about everyone else....but I was stung recently by a scorpion. It was no bee sting. It got my pinky finger just by my fingernail....my finger, wrist and half of my arm was on FIRE. My finger began to swell very quickly and because I was alone at the time and had no idea IF I was allergic or not...I went to the clinic in town. Thankfully they were actually open at the time. They simply mixed a thick paste of baking soda and water and packed my whole finger and wrapped it in gauze and told me to keep it on for at least 2 hrs and that when I took it off IF it was still swollen to mix a new batch and rewrap it. I couldn't believe it actually worked! Within 10/20 minutes....the burn was completely gone....and within the 2 hrs. the swelling was gone as well. This is JUST MY PERSONAL CASE HOWEVER..........
IF you are allergic to scorpions, you must act VERY quickly. Any tingling, swelling of the face/neck/tongue or severe itching......call 911 immediately. If breathing is a problem.....call 911 immediately. It's nothing to mess around with if you happen to be allergic. It's a wise idea to have what is called an EPI-Pen in your home, car, purse if you are or think you are allergic to scorpions or bee's/wasps. Discuss it with your doctor.
Again....I'm telling of my own personal situation. The baking soda paste worked well for me, and I was treated by medical professionals because I had never been stung before and had no idea if I was allergic...There are alot of people allergic to this type of sting so please take it seriously.P.S. When you exterminate for scorpions...you can expect to have 4 to 6 days of seeing MORE of them......as was told to me by the exterminating company who treats our home...who's company name cannot be mentioned here...They do a great job though.
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Reddog
Member Posts: 420
From: dripping springs, tx, usa
Registered: Apr 2008
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posted September 08, 2010 12:21 PM
Scorpions are pretty tough things, anything toxic enough to kill them is some bad juju poison. I recomend the application of a shoe.
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kayh
Member Posts: 86
From: Wimberley Texas USA
Registered: Feb 2009
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posted September 08, 2010 01:18 PM
I agree RedDog....I have a friend who was outside on their porch, bare feet and one actually sought her out, stung her and just walked away. She didn't see it until the sting......but she said it actually just slowly walked away like "take that!".
Wondering....is there a difference in the sting/poision/reaction depending on the color of the scorpion itself. The one that stung me was almost a beige color. But I've killed a couple others...one was almost a rust color and the other was brown.
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happinessfound
Member Posts: 9
From:
Registered: Jul 2010
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posted September 14, 2010 02:50 PM
Does the scorpion activity lessen once the cooler weather arrives? I don't recall seeing the large number, that we've seen this summer, over the past fall/winter.
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