Luckily, after more than 8 years as an Austin resident I've only had two
personal experiences with local scorpions which raises a question. I live a
couple of miles west of the Arboretum area and many of our neighbors (even
as close as next door) get scorpions in their houses fairly regularly - why
we don't get many is beyond me.

It seems that I only hear about small, white, almost transparent scorpions
being common around here. However, my two experiences have been with solid
black scorpions...one was almost as big as my hand and the other, just last
night, was only about 2 inches long.

My question, are black scorpions common in our area?

"charliekilo" wrote in message
. net...
Luckily, after more than 8 years as an Austin resident I've only had two
personal experiences with local scorpions which raises a question. I live
a couple of miles west of the Arboretum area and many of our neighbors
(even as close as next door) get scorpions in their houses fairly
regularly - why we don't get many is beyond me.

It seems that I only hear about small, white, almost transparent scorpions
being common around here. However, my two experiences have been with solid
black scorpions...one was almost as big as my hand and the other, just
last night, was only about 2 inches long.

My question, are black scorpions common in our area?


In my 10+ years here in Austin, I have only encountered one scorpion. It
was one of the white/sandy/tan ones you mentioned but it was a decent size.
Strangely enough, he was in my toilet sleeping with the turds. Seriously -
this was a new house so I was on my knees at crapper level sealing the
grout. I lifted the seat for some reason and nearly had a heart attack. I
have no idea if he crawled in there or he was caught up in the pipes when
they turned on the water for the first time.... I was a bit uneasy for a
while since his coloration matched my carpet almost exactly... and I have
two young boys. But - this has been my first and only sighting thus far.

We did have a rather large rattlesnake that was run over in front of my
house over the summer. This snake was easily 3ft+... Big and healthy too.

Our new house backs to a greenbelt so this will be our first full
spring/summer/fall here. It will be interesting to see what creatures try
to invade my house.

charliekilo wrote:

Luckily, after more than 8 years as an Austin resident I've only had two
personal experiences with local scorpions which raises a question. I live a
couple of miles west of the Arboretum area and many of our neighbors (even
as close as next door) get scorpions in their houses fairly regularly - why
we don't get many is beyond me.

It seems that I only hear about small, white, almost transparent scorpions
being common around here. However, my two experiences have been with solid
black scorpions...one was almost as big as my hand and the other, just last
night, was only about 2 inches long.

My question, are black scorpions common in our area?



I've never seen a black one, but we've had a dozen in our house since
1988. If there is construction nearby, be on the lookout. Anything that
vibrates or disturbs the rocks in the area will get them moving. There
isn't much you can do after you've been stung, btw. Benadryl and
calamine don't do a thing for ya. Just wait it out.

In article ,
"charliekilo" wrote:

Luckily, after more than 8 years as an Austin resident I've only had two
personal experiences with local scorpions which raises a question. I live a
couple of miles west of the Arboretum area and many of our neighbors (even
as close as next door) get scorpions in their houses fairly regularly - why
we don't get many is beyond me.

It seems that I only hear about small, white, almost transparent scorpions
being common around here. However, my two experiences have been with solid
black scorpions...one was almost as big as my hand and the other, just last
night, was only about 2 inches long.

My question, are black scorpions common in our area?



No.

That sounds like escaped "pets" to me!

Damn!
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson

In article ,
deepeddygirl wrote:

charliekilo wrote:

Luckily, after more than 8 years as an Austin resident I've only had two
personal experiences with local scorpions which raises a question. I live a
couple of miles west of the Arboretum area and many of our neighbors (even
as close as next door) get scorpions in their houses fairly regularly - why
we don't get many is beyond me.

It seems that I only hear about small, white, almost transparent scorpions
being common around here. However, my two experiences have been with solid
black scorpions...one was almost as big as my hand and the other, just last
night, was only about 2 inches long.

My question, are black scorpions common in our area?



I've never seen a black one, but we've had a dozen in our house since
1988. If there is construction nearby, be on the lookout. Anything that
vibrates or disturbs the rocks in the area will get them moving. There
isn't much you can do after you've been stung, btw. Benadryl and
calamine don't do a thing for ya. Just wait it out.

A poultice of baking soda helps, but a wild Plantain poultice works even
better.

Best of all is emu oil, if you can find it.
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson

On Mon, 09 Jan 2006 02:49:13 GMT, deepeddygirl
wrote:

I've never seen a black one, but we've had a dozen in our house since
1988. If there is construction nearby, be on the lookout. Anything that
vibrates or disturbs the rocks in the area will get them moving. There
isn't much you can do after you've been stung, btw. Benadryl and
calamine don't do a thing for ya. Just wait it out.

Texas has 18 species of scorpions, two around Austin

http://insects.tamu.edu/extension/bulletins/l-1678.html

or pdf version

http://www.spcbtx.org/consumer/scorpions.pdf

Here is more on how to get rid of them, plus a picture of one under
ultraviolet. (You did know they glow under ultraviolet, didn't you?)

http://www.desertusa.com/oct96/du_scorpion.html

Close to the bottom of this next page you can find pictures of the two
species that occur around Austin. One is definitely black.

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/preserves/fotoz1.htm



Elliot Richmond
Freelance Science Writer and Editor

charliekilo wrote:

Luckily, after more than 8 years as an Austin resident I've only had two
personal experiences with local scorpions which raises a question. I live a
couple of miles west of the Arboretum area and many of our neighbors (even
as close as next door) get scorpions in their houses fairly regularly - why
we don't get many is beyond me.

It seems that I only hear about small, white, almost transparent scorpions
being common around here. However, my two experiences have been with solid
black scorpions...one was almost as big as my hand and the other, just last
night, was only about 2 inches long.

My question, are black scorpions common in our area?

I got zapped on the wrist by a black'un that dropped into the top of my
glove when I was picking up some free double hung windows off of 290
past the Y. First, last and only time I'd seen one of any color.

Hurt like the mother of all bee stings but I recall a certain endorphin
euphoria for several days after the pain subsided. Maybe someone ought
to alert the bee venom folks. G
--
Mike Harris
Austin, 78702

When we lived on Lake LBJ we saw the black ones all the time.

We just set off several bug bombs in the attic twice a year &
that seemed to do the trick to keep them put of the house.

Carol