February in Arizona. Lounging at the park while the children play, dipping our toes into the still-chilly pool… freaking out when we see our first scorpion of the year. Yep, frighteningly, it’s that time of year when the temperatures start rising and 
scorpions emerge from hiding. And, occasionally, make it into our homes.
We have our incredible post from the archives about 7 things I’ve learned (the hard way) about scorpions (which, if you haven’t read already, you really need to read) – and here are our contributors’ best, scariest scorpion stories or tips!
Monika: Ooohh, I have a doozy. We had just finished adding on a room to our house. I was awakened in the middle of the night – I like to say by my conscience. No idea why, but I had to check on my kids. I walked to their bedrooms (barefoot, no less), and saw something move in the dark on the floor. I ran, got my black-light flashlight and saw THREE scorpions going underneath my one-year old’s door. I quickly smashed them (brave Bear Mama kicked in) and then I saw down the hallway by the new addition TWO more scorpions. Smashed those. I have never been so terrified. There was no other reason for me to have suddenly woken up at 2am … Mom’s sixth sense, or angels no less.
Rebecca: My tips? (1) Find a steel-heeled boot. (2) Go to town on the sucker! (3) Pour yourself a glass of wine. Oh wait, this is a responsible Mom’s blog, am I allowed to say that?
Sara: Has anybody else heard of the common secret weapon – Raid Ant & Roach killer? I’m not usually one for chemicals but our exterminator told me about it – totally makes those little suckers squirm and die, I love it <insert evil cackle here>!
Marina: My only tip is that I refuse to use a black light and look for “trouble.” In my world, ignorance is bliss – but then again I’m the type to think I have a shot at winning the lottery, too!
Renee: Ummm, well, being new to AZ, I had no idea scorpions were a fairly common thing to find in your house. We moved into a home that had been vacant for many months. After unpacking all day, we finally lounged on the couch, dimmed the lights and watched a movie. As we went to turn off lights before bed, we noticed not one, but 10 scorpions crawling around!!! Shoe in hand, we smacked them all and called the exterminator the next day for help. Now we keep those sticky traps under every dresser, sofa, and bed in the house!
Do you have any creepy stories that’ll make us squirm? Do you have any tips for dealing with scorpions? Do share!
Honestly, scorpions could send me packing back to the Midwest! I have a violated feeling every time I see one in my house!! Yuck! My hubby was stung(one inch away from his junk) after picking up a pool umbrella. Another time I was making lunch for my girls in the kitchen, and saw that spot on the wall. As as mom, I have turned into a ninja scorpion warrior! It was just hanging out near the top of the wall where I could not reach it. I quickly grabbed a nerf football and threw a spiral that sent him sailing! Nailed that mother trucker! When my daughter was four, she climbed on a wicker basket to get on the couch. She immediately began to scream. I assumed she got a splinter from the wicker. After about ten minutes she began gagging and then foaming at the mouth. I called my husband and he knew right away that she had been stung. She then told me she could no longer see me. She went completely blind. I hopped into the car and headed to the ER. She began having convulsions and continued foaming at the mouth. When a child is having a reaction to a sting, their eyes go crazy and race everywhere. Their tongue shakes in their mouth. While at Scottsdale Heathcare, she required two rounds of anti-venom. This is made of a goat serum. You can only receive it once. Scary! Our bill was 44,000! Luckily, our insurance covered it all. The doctors said if a child is having a reaction from a scorpion sting, call an ambulance.
My scorpion tips:
1. Have outside of house sprayed every month( we use Orkin because, if you see a scorpion they will come out the next day and spray again. ) I spray inside once per season because I worry about the chemicals.
2. Seal your house!
3. Never smash a scorpion! If it is a mama, her babies may be all over her. Baby scorpions suck and are still very dangerous. I take a paper plate and put packing tape all over the back of it. I push it on the scorp and then put tape on it so it can’t get away. I also always use this as a teaching moment by showing my kids why mommy always makes them clean up toys off the floor and wear shoes in the house.
4. No pretty wicker baskets on the floor! Scorps love them!!
Wow, sorry for the novel!!
OMG – that is so scary!! So glad you were able to reach a hospital and get her treated. I agree, I become Militant Mama when it comes to scorpions. Every year the first one I see feels like a giant intruding monster in our home!
I hate these MFers!! Never been so scared of a bug in my life!! Luckily no one in my home have never been stung! We must have had a momma and her babies living in our walls, they can have 20 to 50 babies at a time! YIKES We returned from a 2 week vacation and from Thursday night to Tuesday I found 17, no exaggeration, I even saved them so my hubby didn’t think I was lying. (He just so happened to be out of town this fun weekend) Did I mention I had a 2.5 year old and was newly pregnant at the time. I was freaking out to say the least! Anyways…the first one was found crawling out of a toy, luckily I had moved the toy so our little friend over for a playdate could reach it better and the darn thing crawled right out of it onto the floor! Two moms freaking out grabbing little ones and then searching for the now MIA scorpion! So we found it killed with a random shoe and I didn’t worry, scorpions are usually loners except when hibernating or with mom on her back. The next day I saw a few crawling at about 5:30/6 pm across the tile floor, no joke at sunset not the middle of the night!! They were small and skinny but a dark orange/rust color so easily to spot marching across the floor. Luckily a dear friend offered to let me and my little one sleep at her house. The bug guy came and sprayed the inside of the house, downstairs at least. We continue to get the house sprayed monthly but inside only once a year. We have desert wash on three sides of our house and live on an old cattle ranch now developed into a suburb so we must be on a hot spot for scorpions. We contiunue to find 2-5 a year mostly dead, thankfully!
Once when my dad was visiting I found, what I thought was a dead scorpion in the garage (usually where we find them.) I grabbed my dad to show him since he had never seen one. I tapped it with my shoe and the bugger moved, it was indeed alive, I screamed so loud and jumped so high, I almost fell over! My dad and I still laugh about it today!!
Get a good bug guy!!
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