Don’t Be Intimidated Fighting Scorpions

Scorpions are some of the most bothersome pests in Arizona. However, they have an underserved reputation of being extremely lethal creatures. The truth is that most people that get stung recover just fine. You should still be diligent about fighting them, but try not to let them intimidate you.

How Dangerous Are Scorpions?

Many people believe that all scorpions are lethal pests that need to be treated with extreme caution. While scorpions are undoubtedly dangerous, they are very rarely deadly.

According to MedScape, 1.2 million people are stung by scorpions around the world each year, but only 3,250 of them lead to death. Deaths are particularly uncommon in the United States. There are only four reported scorpion deaths in nearly a dozen years.

The Arizona bark scorpion is the only one in the United States that has venom poisonous enough to kill a human being. Even most bark scorpion stings aren’t lethal, but people still need to take the right precautions.

What to Do After a Scorpion Sting

What should you do if you are ever stung by a scorpion? The exact measures depend on the type of scorpion and the state of the victim.

Most scorpion stings don’t require emergency medical attention. According to the doctors that Sarah Powers of Scottsdale Mom’s Blog spoke with, if a young baby was stung by most scorpions, then it should be taken to the emergency room as a precaution. However, anyone over two years old generally won’t need to visit the ER, unless they were stung by a bark scorpion. They can generally reduce swelling by taking some Benadryl.

Prevent Scorpions from the Onset

While scorpions may not deserve the fearful reputation that they have been given, they are still dangerous pests that need to be eliminated from your home. Here are some things that you should do:

• Clean up papers, wood chips and other debris that scorpions can nest in
• Call an exterminator if you need to kill any Arizona bark scorpions near your home
• Seal your home carefully so that scorpions won’t be able to enter
• Consider using natural repellants such as lavender and cedar essential oil
• If a less dangerous scorpion actually enters your home, you can use diatomaceous earth to kill them

There are a number of ways to keep scorpions away from your home. You will need to be proactive, because they can be very persistent if they are allowed to infest your property.