Dang it,
The little lady found two scorpions in the house today, one in the kitchen and another one in the garage a couple of hours later. They both looked identicial, kinda redish in color and pretty small, about 5/8 inch overall (pincher to tip of tail laid out flat). Of course I was called in to confront these forebodingly oversized creatures and I am proud to announce that I fearlessly dispatched them both with the bottom of my shoe. Now I fear, there will be no sleep tonight in the Van Nest household this evening. She's on the couch with bug spray in one hand and a fly swatter in the other and keeps jumping at imaginary tingles.
I keep a pump sprayer in the garage and spray for bugs every now and again when the occasion arises. For those who haven't ever lived in a desert environment let me tell you that it is a 'creepy crawly oasis', not so many flying insects but some pretty hearty and strange looking buggers that can crawl, hang, climb and get inside of anything.
I have to admit the small size of these two critters has me think'in there may be a nest, hive or whatever you may call it in the house or yard. Introducing that thought to "little bird" may result in a immediate abandonment of the entire household so I have to keep that to myself.
I will be spraying the entire premises tomorrow and I pray that I get any sleep tonight.
CV
Them buggers are some of the least welcome critters in the house.
Wear houseshoes for awhile as their sting is most painful.
You are right. They can hide anywhere. They can be upside down under a fixture or table, slip behind wall hangings, any crevice, crack or small space and just creep along on the floor, it don't matter.
At least they do not like being in the light and will usually scurry back to darkness when you flip on a light.
Scorpions (the band)
Scorpions? Really now. That's old.....
[flash width=480 height=385] http://www.youtube.com/v/ySD2D4rcZRg?fs=1&hl=en_US [/flash]
Scorpions (the band)
Huh?
I don't "get it"??
CV
Gorillaz
[flash width=480 height=385] http://www.youtube.com/v/BKVdhyslVQo?fs=1&hl=en_US [/flash]
Gorillaz
of course not....
Gorillaz
Humm,
I suppose that makes sense to you. No offense and please do enjoy your corner of the planet. 82C or not, I see we wear different glasses! May you live long and prosper, nanoo, nanoo!
CV
Gorillaz
That's the greatest thing about America. You can enjoy your part, and I can enjoy mine.
Just don't forget that....
I can remember how much my wife liked Arizona. We found a Black Widow Spider, Arizona Brown Spiders and of course, Scorpions. The interesting thing about Scorpions is that they fluoresce under ultraviolet light.
This is a good way for scientists to find them in the field.
So buy your wife a black light and listen to Jimmy Hendrix while she keeps vigil. 🙂
That is true, A New Orleans friend of mine liked to take a night scope when he visited the SW desert states and sit out at night and watch them crawl around.
Southwest Desert Critters
Reminds me of our 5 years spent in Tucson. We had a few scorps come in the house. The cat dragged one in through the cat door and I flew up on top of the couch and screamed WENDELL!!!!!!!!!!! The dumb cat got stung on the nose but kept playing with it!! :-O
We'd also find the occasional dead tarantula curled up on our front doorway or patio. I think what bothered me the most was the killer bees. The bees in Oregon are peaceful. The bees in Arizona--FEROCIOUS!! I learned real fast that yard work in the morning did not please them and they'd chase me down! I had to run into the house a few times to avoid the killer wrath. I finally switched and started doing yard work as the sun set. By then most of them had gone home for the night. It was also very hard to eat or drink anywhere outside because one bee would smell the scents, then tell his bee friends, then pretty soon here they come!! Damn bees cost me a good In-n-Out burger or two. :-/
UGH I hated those bees!!!! :-@
There are good critters in the SW desert too. I do miss the little hummingbirds feeding off of my lantanas, the wild bunnies visiting on my patio, my mourning doves eating their birdseed, the beautiful orange butterflies, the prairie dogs playing, the praying mantises, etc... I sometimes wish we could move back.
Southwest Desert Critters
They sometimes visit our mailbox, and more than once, I've accidentally brought them inside and thrown them on the counter with the mail.
My wife got stung one night when she stepped on one. It was like a wasp sting.
Another time, she woke me up in the middle of the night to tell me her water broke and it was time to deliver our child, I turned on the light and there was one in between her feet on the floor.
Our daughter is a Scorpio.
:coffee:
Southwest Desert Critters
>
> Our daughter is a Scorpio.
>
That's karma or something.
My favorite scorpion picture that I've seen posted.
I found one in my office a few years ago.
I picked it up on a sheet of paper, made the rounds in the office, upset a couple PE's, then took it outside and released it in the woods next to the office. 😉
Is that a drill hole .26' from the cap?
🙁
Yeeef!! Those things give me the creeps! :-S
Florida has scorpions? Seems too tropical for desert bugs but what do I know. 😛
I remember finding some in So Cal when I worked in the field. I picked up a sheet of plywood covering a control point and several of them scattered... they were all white and little. They obviously hadn't ventured far from the nest, which I think was what we uncovered. We used them for plumb bob target practice...
I've found them in FL and in South GA.
I'm in Northeast Ga and we have some but they are really small. Much closer to a tropical climate than desert here.
