The Scorpion Guru

Scorpions attack on the plane and in the airport!!

In the news this week it was reported that two men where stung by the infamous Arizona bark scorpion. One man was on an airplane going from Phoenix to Indiana. The plane was just landing when a Scorpion dropped from the baggage compartment and landed on his leg. He went to swat the Scorpion off of his leg and it stung him on his hand. It was reported that the incident caused some temporary commotion amongst the other passengers. Most where climbing on to their seats in panic. Upon further inspection of the baggage compartment they found 5 more smaller scorpions. They suspect that the scorpions hitched a ride in with someone’s carry on. Not surprising since scorpions like to hide in folded clothes, shoes, towels, etc. Always smart to check your shoes before you slip them on… or just get a scorpion control service.

Just two days later a 19 year old man had just cleared security in the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport when he felt a sharp prick on his neck.He looked down to find a scorpion on his shoulder and quickly brushed it off and smashed it. The young man ended up going to the ER and was under observation for about 6 hours. This was probably not necessary but because the sting was so close to his head it was a healthy precaution.

No one can determine how the scorpion got into the airport. It could be an airport problem, or they could just be carried in by the Phoenix crowds. And last time I checked you are not allowed suspicious liquid products in the airport… not that a can of bug repellent would really work to well against a scorpion that might happen to fall out of a light fixture and land on your shoulder. But the scorpion could have just as easily hitched a ride in on the young man’s backpack… or crawled up his sleeve will in the car… yes, we have gotten reports of scorpions being found in cars.

Well next time you visit Phoenix you could have some added peace of mind if you stay at one of our customer’s scorpion free homes… but our job is to keep unwelcomed guests out, so we probablly shouldn’t offer you our customer’s home.

Help Scorpion on my Dashboard!…?

Las Vegas Scorpions – Request for Help

A recent scorpion request for help in Las Vegas -

“My family moved into a new home in 3/09. Since we have been in the home we have seen 6 scorpions in the downstairs area. We have a pest control service that comes once a month, but they are unable to treat scorpions. We have young children and would like to get this situation handled.” – Jadon D.

Jadon, I understand your concern for your children and yes we can help you! Having 6 scorpions in less then 3 months sounds like a pretty good scorpion problem… but I have seen worse. And while scorpions may be difficult to control we can do it! And with regular service there after we can keep the scorpions from come back.

Where are the Scorpions coming from?

I have been getting many questions lately regarding how the scorpions actually get inside the home. During the summer when it is hot outside people tend to crank up the AC. When the hot air from the outside meets the cold air on the inside it creates condensation inside the walls. Similar to what happens to your car windows on a cold morning. When a home is built it has to have ways for the moisture to escape. So homes are built with little openings in the foundation. If you live in a brick or stone home you have what’s called weep holes. Weep holes are little spaces between the brick that look like it’s missing the mortar. If you live in a stucco home you have what’s called a J Rail. By using a mirror and looking under the over hang around the foundation you will see little holes every 3-6 inches big enough for the scorpions to get in. When the scorpions get close to our walls they can feel the cool air coming out of the holes and it draws them inside.

How do Scorpions get in? How did it get up stairs?

As a Scorpion specialist one of the most common questions that I am asked is How are the scorpions getting into my home in the first place? Or I found a Scorpion in my kids room up stairs how did it get there? Well even though it might not be pleasant to think about the facts are, Scorpions get into our home through openings that are only 1/16^th of an inch. Once inside the walls of the house they use the electrical wiring to move through out the voids of the walls, kind of like there own little high way. Because the wiring runs throughout the entire home they can follow it into any room of the home and find any crack the size of a credit card to get out. Most common places are around the outlet covers, vents in the ceiling, where the pipes come out of the wall under the sink or even in the shower or bathtub, and in some cases they will come out by ceiling lights.

When are Scorpions most active?

News report March 16 09 PHOENIX — Banner’s Poison Control Center reported more than 100 calls about scorpion stings in the past week alone. This is due to the warm weather that we have been having lately. Scorpions are typically more active when the temperature reaches over 75-80 Degrees. Be aware that Scorpions could be anywhere. If you pick up a dog bowl or pick up some rocks in the yard or open a baseball glove,.. Beware! It’s that element of surprise that will get you stung. You don’t really want to be surprised by one. If you have small children you can put the legs of the crib inside mason jars to prevent them from climging into your child’s crib since scorpions cannot climb clean glass. Also pull the bed away from the wall. This will help prevent them from climbing the wall and then climbing into bed with you. Make sure that the bed or crib is not underneath of any vents or light fixtures since in some cases scorpions can make there way to the attic and then drop out of these openings. Scorpions only need 1/16th of an inch opening to get through.

Discovery Scorpions

This summer Discovery channel aired a program called Verminators. One episode in particular caught my attention, about a senior couple that was having a major problem with Scorpions. I felt that the program was informative about the behaviors and characteristics of scorpions but feel short of an effective way to treat them. First of all I admire the company for trying to help the home owner treat on his own because of financial constraints but in their situation with as many scorpions as they were finding they will never be able to control the population on their own. In their case it is imperative that they hire a company that will give them a guarantee on the scorpion problem but will also do at least a 5 foot power spray around there foundation on a monthly basis. They should also make sure that the company is using a quality product. One of the biggest misunderstandings is that you can’t kill scorpions with a spray. This is false if companies use the right kind of product, scorpions can be killed with a spray. A lot of companies out there will buy a cheaper product and charge the same going rate that another company who uses a better quality product will because of the competitive industry and most consumers don’t know any better. If you happened to see the program then you saw the technician spray that expanding foam in the cracks of the block wall. Bad idea. Not only does this make your home look horrible, it could possibly drop the value witch nobody can afford in today’s market, but it also will be a waste of time and money. Scorpions only need a 16th of an inch to get out off the wall so unless you plastered your entire wall this method would do you no good. Still the best option in our homes for scorpion control is to hire a reputable company that will give you a written guarantee and let them worry about it.

Great increase in scopions

That’s a great story Jose sorry I wasn’t in a better position to help you out. I have talked to quite a few people this summer about their concerns for scorpions in their home. And you are absolutely right the increase in foreclosures has contributed greatly to the amount of scorpions in the neighborhoods. During the summer our office will talk to about 15-20 different people in the valley about scorpions in their home. One thing that I would like to mention, some precautions that people can take with their children at night to keep them protected from scorpions while they sleep. Pull the bed or crib about an inch away from the wall and make sure it’s not under any lights or vents if they can help it. In a home that has lots of scorpions they can start dropping from the vents and lighting. Also if the legs of the crib are small enough they can put them inside mason jars. The scorpion can’t climb glass. These are just some ways that parents can protect their children at night. Thanks for sharing the story with me and feel free to call me any time if you have any other questions on the subject.

Abenadi J Richards (A.J.)

480-544-2446

The Scorpion Guy

Scorpionguy.com

Camel Spiders or Wind Scorpions

I had a call today from a desperate mother from Blanding UT whose son was extremely allergic to Wind Scorpions. Wind scorpions have the strongest bite of the desert insects with jaws up to a third of its body size. Their food consists of insects, lizards, scorpions, and small birds. Wind scorpions are also known as camel spiders or sun spiders. They are not considered deadly but they do have a very painful bite and inject a toxin into the body of their pray that will liquefy it so that they can suck it down. Some people may be allergic to this toxin and can experience anaphylaxis as was the case with this woman’s son. The best way to treat for these arachnids is to maintain a strong barrier around the perimeter of the home and actively treat their food supply.

The Bark Scorpion

The Bark Scorpion is one of the most deadly species in the world. It can administer fatal stings if you experience an allergic reaction or are a child. The Bark Scorpion is mostly found in Arizona and the south west United States.