Warning System: ACTIVATED!
Elvis earned another point toward his Scorpion Badge tonight.
In Elvis'/guest bathroom, with a litter box scoop
Team Elvis: 5
Scorpion Invaders: 0
Jay wanted a picture, so here you go. Enjoy!
For the easily freaked - don't worry. This particular scorpion looks like this, but is now flatter and floating somewhere in the Tempe Sanitary Sewer System. He knew something was up so it took awhile to get a good shot as he ran in and out of view. He didn't have any place to go so I knew I wasn't losing any good chances for a clean shot. Scorpion Sniper Assassin, that's me.
I am getting a little disturbed by the recent frequency. I've never kept track before, but this seems like a lot all of a sudden. Time to ramp up defensive manuevers.
Comments
[this is ugh]
yeesh, frequent is right! Elvis will have his badge by the end of the week! (at what point does he have enough, and what's the next merit badge?)
I don't consider myself easily freakable (in many senses of the term...) but that scorpion was so scorpion-like that it elicited a gurgling uuuuulllgggghhhh from yours truly.
But Yay for Elvis!
[this is making me ill]
I think it's time that you bring out the big guns. Literally.
You and Elvis have more than earned your '00' title!
(This looks like a big one - did you take measurements?)
Next time I'll try to get it close to something to show scale. They're awfully fast little fuckers, so I'll have to do the shoebox capture to get a good pic.
He was a full grown, but not too big. Body probably a little bigger than half inch long, tail about an inch. Standard size that I usually see.
I was reading an article about prehistoric nasty sea creatures and a scientist was talking about sea scorpions. Massive beasts, they were. He said he'd rather take his chances with a shark. No doubt. I couldn't imagine scorpion-like anything bigger than the ones I'm already dealing with.
I think Elvis will earn a badge for every sighting. Kind of like the stickers football players get on their helmets for every tackle or something.
Howdy! Nice to see you over here! Good call on the tweezers. If I don't crush one right away, I usually scoop it up in a shoebox if one is handy. And then I crush it.
The baby ones are supposed to be even more potent. The really big ones seem to be old and slow, and never seem terribly interested in stinging. They just want to be left alone. It's the damn babies and teenagers that cause all the trouble!
It also depends on where you get stung. I've been stung in fatty parts - which there's a good deal to choose from, ha! - and that just feels like a chemical burn under the skin. A nice cool and wet washcloth is the only thing that helps. Drugs? Pfft. Once I was stung on the underside of my wrist, on a 'nerve trunk'.
THAT was absolutely miserable. For days. My arm felt like it was full of PopRocks and my fingers were senstive to even a slight breeze. I hope to not go through that again, ever.
Elvis was stung smack dab in the face the first time he saw one, and he stays clear. Or I should say, he stays on point until I come in for the kill. We work as a team. It must have hurt him, but cats are supposed to be immune to the neurotoxin.
If you want to read more, click on the scorpions tag and you'll see more of my posts.
And, sea scorpions???
Don't tell Elvis.
Ewww....brown suga' is right, ick. Do you live right smack out in the desert? Leave all the doors open and a welcome sign on the mat? Where were you when you got stung? It sounds like a higher than normal average for sure, maybe there's a den of them nearby? Do they live in dens?
When I lived in Tucson we saw rattlers once in a while, do you get them as well? In So.Oregon we are told both are here but we have only heard of neighbors seeing them, not us, hopefully it stays that way. Did you have to take anti-venum serum for the one on your wrist? That sounds horrible. Maybe Elvis should hire some deputies....
Good work, Elvis!
I live in what's referred to as Scorpion Alley, which is in south Tempe along the canal. They are in pockets around my neighborhood. Some houses get them, some don't.
Only babies and the feeble get the serum for stings. The rest of us just have to suffer. You can't die from a sting, it just hurts like bloody hell.
Two of my stings were in my bed. While I was sleeping. o_O
The bed skirt has since been tucked away so they can't crawl up.
The other one was from a scorpion that was hitching a ride on tote bag and he got me on the underside of my elbow. That hurt for a few hours and then was gone. No biggie.
Naw, my mortgage is pennies on the dollar (little townhouse, bought low in 1998, 20% down with divorce money) and I'm not about to give that up. I love my neighborhood and while I'd like a closer commute, it's still easy to get anywhere. I keep thinking of moving into Central Phoenix, but having money in the bank instead of wrapped up in a new mortgage keeps me here.
Nasty nasty things.
Does spraying bug spray around the bases of the walls deter them at all? Like a flea spray. That's what we use for all our debugging needs around here. Animal safe flea spray.