Las Vegas Homes Seeing More Bark Scorpions Indoors
OutdoorHub Reporters 07.18.13
Residents in the Las Vegas Valley are now grappling with the problem of unwelcome guests, and few critters are as unwanted as the Arizona bark scorpion. At the largest, these tiny terrors only reach up to three or four inches, but they are commonly believed to be the most venomous scorpion in North America. Bark scorpions are easily recognizable by their light brown to orange coloring, slender limbs and small size. These dangerous arthropods are commonly found in Arizona’s deserts and rocky terrain, and now have begun to move into Las Vegas homes.
While this is certainly not the first time that bark scorpions have been found creeping about in great numbers, this summer’s infestation is causing some residents to worry.
“They are in our house, outside in the yard, by the cars, in our garage,” Danyelle Lorezo told Fox 5. “They are everywhere, even under the sink. There isn’t a spot they haven’t been yet.”
Lorenzo lives in the Las Vegas area along with her husband, three young children and pets. Recently, she found one of her cats dead after being stung twice by a bark scorpion. Venom from a bark scorpion can cause severe pain in adults, described by victims as similar to electric shock. While fatalities in adults are rare, they can occur in small animals and young children. In worst-case scenarios, reactions to the scorpion venom can cause difficulty breathing, seizure, and eventually, death. Experts believe thousands of people are stung every year, although few end in fatalities. The same could not be said over the border in Mexico, where bark scorpion stings can claim lives, especially in rural areas where medicine is not readily accessible. Arizona has the nation’s largest stockpile of bark scorpion antivenom.
Experts say that if bark scorpions are found inside a home, the best bet is to call an exterminator. A good way to see if there are scorpions in or around your house is to use a black light, which will cause the scorpions to appear to glow.
