Bark Scorpions

Since I found a scorpion in the garage the other day I figured this would be a good topic to talk about. I did a little research and found out that scorpion fossils have been found from over 430 million years ago.  There are a total of 1400 different species of scorpions in the world and a total of 40 to 60 different species that call Arizona home.  The species that is of most concern to us is the bark scorpion (officially known as Centruroides sculpturatus).  Bark scorpions are small, usually between 1 to 3 inches in length and are a light brown/tan color.  These scorpions can live to be 6 years old and prefer to live in bark, rocks, wood piles, or any dark crevice they can squeeze into.  In cities they are often found in the gaps of concrete block fences.  The reason they are found in homes because they are able to fit through gaps as small as 1/16 of an inch.  Bark scorpions ambush their prey normally at night and prefer to feed on crickets and roaches.

Bark scorpions are incredibly resilient.  Experiments have been done where they have frozen scorpions for weeks, and after thawing the scorpions emerge unharmed and unaffected. During nuclear testing scorpions, cockroaches, and lizards were found near ground zero with no recorded effects.

The bark scorpion is the most venomous scorpion in North America, and its venom can cause severe pain, numbness, and tingling.  The pain typically lasts between 24 to 72 hours. Temporary dysfunction of the sting area is common and the sting area can become immobilized or experience convulsions. It may also have an effect on breathing for a short period of time. Due to the pain many victims describe a feeling of electrical jolts after being stung.

Basic First Aid

Clean the sting site with soap and water

Apply a cool compress (cool damp cloth, no ice)

Take acetaminophen or ibuprofen to help with pain and swelling

Also rubbing the pulp from a prickly pear cactus on the sting site is said to help relieve the pain.

The best way to get rid of scorpions is to spray them with pesticides (it is better to spray at night when they are moving around).  Another popular way to find scorpion is at night with a black light.  Scorpions glow brightly under the UV light and are fairly easy to find.  Most stores carry UV flashlights and I am sure a trip around your backyard at night with a UV light will reveal just how many scorpions call Arizona home.