I was quite relieved when my wife decided it would be acceptable to finally leave CA for the freedom of living in Arizona. Unfortunately, our new home does have its issues and using a blacklight around the property has made it clear that too damned many scorpions are are one of them. I'm cool with the tarantulas, snakes, and other wildlife, but these, I HATE!

You made a good move,those creatures are not as bad as the things you left behind.
Just wear shoes,or cowboy boots

Be sure to dump your shoes before you put them on. From what I recall, scorpions tend to be hit or miss. You either have them or you don't. If you do, get on a pest mangement plan.

Monsoon brings them out. Stomp them or if in the open, a squirt of brake cleaner will kill them. Scorpions, black widows and centipedes receive no mercy.

After dark, put your shoes on, grab your black light, a pair of needle nose pliers and have some fun. Get a pickle jar or something similar and start your own little farm.
Our monthly guy sprays around the house, the block wall, around the window and door frames and we end up seeing about one a year.
Welcome to Arizona.

quote:

Originally posted by Hunthelp:
Our monthly guy sprays around the house, the block wall, around the window and door frames and we end up seeing about one a year.
Welcome to Arizona.

We get the same monthly treatment, but he also does the perimeter of the inside exterior walls, too. Any scorpions we see inside the house are either dead or dying. Dead, they look like a "T".
 

My folks first place in Green Valley had regular rattlesnakes for visitors. They upgraded to a bigger place this year and are dealing with regular scorpion and tarantula visitors.
10yrs ago they had regular mtn lion/cougar visits at the first place.

My parents now have to have the new place on a regular pest management spraying program. Too many of the really dangerous scorpions getting inside.

It is best not to use white outside porch lights. They also prefer small rocks that retain heat after dark.

I was stung repeatedly by one of the little brown wood scorpions we have here in North Georgia.

So much so that I have recurring outbreaks of allergic reactions in the area for the last 10 years.

I hate the little fuckers and they receive no mercy.

 
Can you tell us a little about your elevation and terrain (natural vegetation)? The vegetation and how you deal with it makes a difference in rattlesnake population around your house. For the rattlesnakes, and to an extent scorpions, their food source is the way to minimize their presence, long term. If you have some acreage, a compact utility tractor is a great tool to have around, especially as you age.
 

You acquire a skill beating them to death with the heel of a shoe. Slap slap slap. My Aunt Janet, the near-spinster, put a good velocity at impact through intuitive wrist action.

The ex-, living two miles away from Janet's condo, has reported zero scorpions at the family house.

In my 17 years of living in the Valley of the Sun I am always checking my shoes before slipping my feet in. Lately I have been checking my HD pistol before picking it up...


E.T.A.: The BEST in the house anti-scorp protection: A KITTY! They love 'em.

quote:

Originally posted by henryaz:
 
Can you tell us a little about your elevation and terrain (natural vegetation)? The vegetation and how you deal with it makes a difference in rattlesnake population around your house. For the rattlesnakes, and to an extent scorpions, their food source is the way to minimize their presence, long term. If you have some acreage, a compact utility tractor is a great tool to have around, especially as you age. 

We're in North Scottsdale (about 2500' altitude) and have the typical Sonoran desert topography with Saguaro, Barrel, and Prickly Pear cactus, etc..., and sandy soil. With only about a 1/4 acre, we don't have a large property but the development has spread out the residences enough to insure some privacy and allowed plenty of room for wildlife. Not much I can or would do about the wild conditions of the area surrounding our home, but perimeter control is a big concern.

cool Picture!

I used to wander around the neighborhood in Mesa with a black light.

my first week I found three dozen .

quote:

Originally posted by az4783054:
Monsoon brings them out. Stomp them or if in the open, a squirt of brake cleaner will kill them. Scorpions, black widows and centipedes receive no mercy.

I'll be testing the brake cleaner tonight. These suckers shrug off the "Spider-Scorpion" spray like Superman shrugged off bullets. "Kills on contact" my ass!!!

Damn, Pullicords...
You just like living on the edge when it comes to wildlife.

Your pictures never disappoint.

What about a BB gun and a little low light shooting practice?
Seems like it would be a good time!

quote:

Originally posted by pulicords:
We're in North Scottsdale (about 2500' altitude) and have the typical Sonoran desert topography with Saguaro, Barrel, and Prickly Pear cactus, etc..., and sandy soil. With only about a 1/4 acre, we don't have a large property but the development has spread out the residences enough to insure some privacy and allowed plenty of room for wildlife. Not much I can or would do about the wild conditions of the area surrounding our home, but perimeter control is a big concern.

We are also at 2500' elevation, in the Sonoran Desert, about 7 miles NW of Wickenburg on US 93. The Sonoran terrain varies quite a bit. We are in an area that is called "creosote flats", where the vegetation is primarily creosote bushes (some thousands of years old, I am told), Palo Verde trees, Acacia, and plenty of Mesquite trees around the washes. In our entire 6 acres, we have but one tiny barrel cactus. Any saguaros our neighbors have are legal (tagged) transplants. Our rodent vermin love to tunnel and live under the creosote bushes, so for our dogs' compound, I cleared them all out, and we keep it pristinely clear of any growth (foxtails are a problem) by a twice yearly application of pre-emergent mixed with glyphosate. Clearing it out has gone a long way towards keeping rattlers out of the dogs' area, by removing their food source.
 
One good thing for you, if you are a blue press owner, is your proximity to Dillon. It takes me about 80 minutes to drive there. I have taken my press in on two or three occasions for a "tune up and replace any parts not up to spec'. The last trip involved an extensive replacement of parts along with the set up to spec, A rather long invoice, and the bottom line total was $0.00. Shipping a press to them would be a bit expensive, so being able to take it in personally is a big plus.
 
Our scorpion and insect management consists of the monthly exterminator visit, a local guy self-employed, costs us $40/month. Down where you are, you are likely to encounter pest control companies (some national chains). If you can find an independent operator, that would be the best. He uses the same chemicals as the big guys but a lot cheaper.
 

There are 44 species of scorpions in AZ at last count. the one in your photo is Paravaejovis spinigerus from what I can tell, and is harmless. Only one can cause serious enough problems that may require hospitalization, if you are allergic - the bark scorpion, Centruroides sculpteratus. I really wouldn't worry about them

quote:

Originally posted by TGA:
There are 44 species of scorpions in AZ at last count. the one in your photo is Paravaejovis spinigerus from what I can tell, and is harmless. Only one can cause serious enough problems that may require hospitalization, if you are allergic - the bark scorpion, Centruroides sculpteratus. I really wouldn't worry about them

Not that it really makes much of a difference in terms of prevention (I don't want to get stung by any scorpion), but could you please give me an idea of how I can differentiate between these and bark scorpions? I've tried to use on-line resources, with no real success.

ETA: Seriously??? People want to buy these?????

"Arizona Stripedtail Scorpions Paravaejovis spinigerus (formerly Vaejovis spinigerus and Hoffmannius vaejovis) are very common in the deserts of Arizona. These are venomous but not considered dangerously so to people with normal reactions (more like a bee sting). Handling is definitely not recommended. They are aggressive in defending themselves and in pursuing their prey.

$7 each. Juveniles, measuring under one inch."

https://shop.bugsincyberspace....-Scorpion-bic751.htm