Scorpions and Spiders

[WATCHFULI70]

This is a very serious topic for me and my husband. My husband is in a wheelchair and I'm scared to pieces when it comes to scorpions and spiders. We have lived in Las Vegas and Laughlin and it wasn't until we moved to laughlin that we had our first encounter with a tarantula.
 I have watched so many vidoes of van dwellers and rv people leaving their homes wide open to the outdoors and have their dogs running around and it just surprises me that no one has said anything about the little buggers coming into their home.
If you can, please give me some information, stories or even your concerns on this subject because my knowledge is limited to what the internet decides to give out. I don't want this to limit my living but we have to be cautious with these "critters".

 

[djkeev]

I'm thinking that you need to avoid Australia.......... ?

https://www.buzzfeed.com/simoncrera...s-the-craziest?utm_term=.ty1Wm4Rw9#.dqG8qQJLw

Dave

 

[Almost There]

Here's what looks like a really good article on the Az Bark Scorpion which is what you are most likely to encounter in the southwest.

http://www.arizona-leisure.com/arizona-bark-scorpion.html

Since they're nocturnal for starters and hibernate during the winter months, there is little chance that I'm going to encounter one coming to visit in my van during the daylight winter months!!

The same site has good information on tarantulas - same thing, nocturnal and hibernate!!

Also, most of us in vans and smaller RV's have steps that don't reach the ground or if, like me, use a step stool, there is still about a 8" gap between the step and the van entry way. It's not like in a S&B situation where a staircase goes from ground to the open door.

 

[Wabbit]

We tent camp alot and I love permethrin for controlling bugs. I have read that it kills scorpions, but no info about tarantulas. Tarantulas won't kill you unless there is some weird circumstances going on. Although, even knowing they won't kill me, I still don't want them anywhere near me...lol. I get permethrin from Amazon(36.8%) and then mix the % I want. Permethrin is an insecticide, but after it dries is safe for humans to touch. Saying that, if you or anyone goes to try this, please read up on safety factors with handling this insecticide.

 

[Cammalu]

Tarantulas are kinda cute I think


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[LeeRevell]

Florida is reknowned for it's bugs, but our scorpions tend to be small and not too dangerous. The couple stings I have gotten were about like a bee sting. Of course, for someone allergic to bug venom, they could be very dangerous.
We have the Black Widow and Brown Recluse, venomous but bites are rare. We also have the "Giant House Spider", a monster up to 3 inches leg diameter, living up to it's name. It generally isn't aggressive, less dangerous than the much smaller Brown Recluse, but bloody HUGE! Gives me the willies when I find one. Spider spray and chlorine bathroom cleaner work well to fold them up. Don't use regular bug spray, they eat it like candy.

 

[rvpopeye]

Besides what has already been said......
If you get a black light (uv) flashlight .
It will light up those scorpions like neon !

 

[Tussah]

Besides what has already been said......
If you get a black light (uv) flashlight .
It will light up those scorpions like neon !

Bark scorpions are attracted to water, so are often found in bathrooms and near drains.  Keep your damp towels off the floor!

 

[DannyB1954]

Careful what you leave outside at night like shoes. Maybe it's the moisture, but scorpions seem to like wearing them.

 

[Almost There]

I'd kinda like to see one just out of curiousity but my chances are very low!

I'm only in the southwest when they're hibernating, I don't leave my shoes laying around outside and my towels never come close to hitting the floors in the showers....

Well, I left a pair of rubber sandals out down by the Colorado River last year and Ivy removed a chunk for me..... Now I'm much more protective of my footwear!!!

 

[Headache]

It's just like anything else; you adapt to your environment. I've found a scorpion in my shoe once or twice but out of habit we park our shoes at the door when we come in so it's not much of an effort to tap our shoes against the side of the house or RV and knock the little buggers out. When I was a kid I used to go out in the desert and plant small coffee cans in the ground and put a rock over them so I could catch tarantulas and scorpions. Once in awhile there would be a small rattler in the can. Those were jackpot days. lol

Now sewer roaches, I don't care how many times I've seen them they still startle me. It's unnerving to see something about 3" long climb up out of your bathtub drain. lol

 

[TMG51]

Had a tarantula in my camp once. I let it crawl into a piece of cardboard and carried it away.

 

[MrNoodly]

In the three years I've been full-timing, I have taken no precautions regarding scorpions or tarantulas. I've had zero problems. I've seen a few tarantulas in the wild, but they were just going about their business.

On the other hand, there's some sort of tiny flying biting bug that lives around junipers. They eat me up, itch like mad, and leave sores that take weeks to heal up.

 

[highdesertranger]

ah no-see-ums. nasty little buggers. as far as scorpions and spiders it's the same as rattlesnakes. never put your limbs in a place you cannot see. highdesertranger

 

[LeeRevell]

Be careful leaving your pants on the floor. That was one of my scorpion stings. Bugger nailed me on the leg, and I shucked out of those jeans PDQ! The scorpion did not survive.

 

[bigsallysmom]

Darn it. Talk about these bugs unnerves me. My phone vibrated in my pocket and I jumped about 6 feet.

 

[highdesertranger]

you think spiders and scorpions are bad. what about locust? now that's scary there are so many you can't do a damn thing about them. highdesertranger

 

[WATCHFULI70]

Besides what has already been said......
If you get a black light (uv) flashlight .
It will light up those scorpions like neon !

 I purchased to of those black lights a couple of months ago.

Thanks

 

[WATCHFULI70]

Darn it.  Talk about these bugs unnerves me.  My phone vibrated in my pocket and I jumped about 6 feet.

 I just brushed my leg against my desk and I killed my desk. Need a new one now. (Just joking. The desk is fine.)

 

[highdesertranger]

really what UV light did you get? I am interested. I have wanted one for many years but I am picky, I would like some reviews. highdesertranger