r/mildlyinteresting • u/elpierce • Jul 25 '22
A scorpion drinking the condensation off of my beverage [OC] Quality Post
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u/Mediocre_Pil0t Jul 25 '22
There are two types of people that live in the southwest; those that shake out their shoes,and those that will learn to.
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u/MrMeeseeks013 Jul 25 '22
If my work gloves have been sitting for a while I give them a nice shake and then smash them with a hammer...just in case haha!!!
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u/Ohmannothankyou Jul 25 '22
I keep my gardening gloves in the bookshelf next to the back door, your way sounds more fun.
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u/Some1Betterer Jul 25 '22
If you just feel left out re: smashing things, grab a dictionary or Harry Potter and let your gloves have it anyway on your way out.
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u/coktocok Jul 25 '22
My man, I'm pretty sure that's highly venomous...I'd be careful
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u/GrannysGumJobs Jul 25 '22
You’d be correct. The one in the pic looks like it might a baby bark scorpion.
I got stung by a baby one when I was 4 or 5. About an hour after it stung me, I remember every moment of my vision going extremely blurry and having convulsions from the neurotoxin. Was in the ER overnight. Been terrified of them ever since. Fuck scorpions, OP
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u/apparentlynot5995 Jul 25 '22
I just got stung by one last week. It felt literally like I stuck my big toe into a campfire and held it there. Instant FIRE.
Thankfully, it was only pain and no other horrible side effects like you had, but it took a solid three days before I got all feeling back in that foot/leg. AWFUL
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u/blonderaider21 Jul 25 '22 edited Jul 25 '22
It’s crazy how ppl react differently to stuff like this. One of my kids gets these tiny blisters from ant bites and the other doesn’t. And I’ve learned on Reddit that supposedly not everyone reacts to bed bugs. I get horrible welts from mosquito bites, and others don’t really get much of a reaction at all. Idk how I’d react to scorpions but I don’t think I wanna find out
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u/fang_xianfu Jul 25 '22
The blisters and stuff are all about how your immune system responds, yeah. Some people are like "FUCK GET THAT SHIT OUTTA HERE" and they have a severe reaction; some are like "oh, that's actually not that dangerous, just let it play out".
My dad gets enormous blisters if he gets bitten by fleas. His reaction is so severe that there are pictures of his legs covered in blisters in medical textbooks.
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u/Consistent_Couple_49 Jul 25 '22
“That there are pictures of his legs covered in blisters in medical textbooks.”
Man, that’s one hell of an accolade.
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Jul 25 '22
I reacted severely to mosquito bites as a child and my Dad had to carry me on his back so I didn’t have to walk and put pressure on my legs where the bites were.
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u/nimble7126 Jul 25 '22
I got stung on the arm by the bark scorpions in Texas (not as poisonous as the ones we have in AZ too) and I basically describe it like I dunked my arm in gas and lit it on fire for an hour.
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u/DoffanShadowshiv Jul 25 '22
It's too bad it wasn't radioactive or something.
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Jul 25 '22
Scorpion man! You get the power of shooting venom out your ass! Course, after spicy food, I already do, so there’s that…
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u/RoombaTheKiller Jul 25 '22
Scorpion venom is really expensive. So you get the ability to print money with the power of taco bell.
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Jul 25 '22
Yep. Had convulsions and “roaming eyes”, eyes just spinning in circles for hours after 3 stings to the nipple. I was 30 - these things can fuck you up and they can KILL children. This one looks like a full adult though, they’re tiny
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u/trenchfoot_mafia Jul 25 '22
Damn, this reads like a positive review for a scorpion sting kink. I'll try it out.
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u/picklesaredry Jul 25 '22
Fuck scorpions, OP
Not really the route I'd take after almost dying from one of these bad boys
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u/ibekt Jul 25 '22
Yep. I've seen hundreds, stung for the first time about 10 days ago. About the most painful thing I've experienced, especially for the first 12 hours. Took days for the symptoms to completely go away. And I'm not 4 or 5 years old. That would be dreadful. OP, smash that thing into oblivion
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u/Jolzeres Jul 25 '22
The inverse law of scorpions. The bigger the scorpion, the safer(less venomous) it tends to be.
(Idk how true that is, i'd probably keep as much space between myself and scorpions of any size tbh)
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Jul 25 '22
The worst scorpions are the desert bark scorpions and they stay tiny so it’s pretty spot on. They also like to crawl on walls and ceilings and fall on people, and they’re on average about the size of a big coin so they’re fucking sneaky
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u/kurburux Jul 25 '22
Why, nature
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u/PHealthy Jul 25 '22
It gets worse: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deathstalker
I've been unfortunate enough to be stung on the finger by one of those, 2 days of excruciating pain along with weird nervous stuff like alternating waves of hot, cold, crushing, tingling up my arm.
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u/MysticScribbles Jul 25 '22
Huh, I find the Radscorpions to be much more dangerous than the Bark Scorpions.
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u/Reinventing_Wheels Jul 25 '22
It must be true. I saw it in a documentary once. I don't remember the name, but the guy presenting was from Indiana, I think.
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u/YeahlDid Jul 25 '22
Probably Mike Pence
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u/Static_Rain Jul 25 '22
Venomous scuttling thing, definitively not human, scared of bright lights and sheds it's skin regularly?
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u/diosexual Jul 25 '22
If its pincers are thin then it is highly venomous, scorpions with big pincers don't need poison as strong to paralyze their prey once they grab it.
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u/ScarletDarkstar Jul 25 '22
It depends on the type of scorpion, not the individual size. Many types are not dangerous, aside from a painful sting, while a few can be more dangerous. Different species are also different sizes, so since smaller scorpions may me more dangerous than some larger ones, but not within the same species. There are around 2000 species of scorpion, with only 35-ish having strong enough toxins to kill a human.
Younger scorpions may be quicker or more likely to sting, where older (and presumably larger) have learned to be more strategic, avoiding wasted venom and sneaking more effectively. Overall the size may indicate the type, but otherwise isn't relative to the level of danger.
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u/EC-Texas Jul 25 '22
Central Texan here. My indoor cats love playing with scorpions, then leave them dead around the house. Are they immune to scorpions?
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u/blonderaider21 Jul 25 '22
They can definitely get painful stings from them. My guess is your cats are just batting them quickly before it gets a chance to sting them
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u/OneWorldMouse Jul 25 '22
That's where I got that. I was looking at a small black widow and wasn't sure.
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u/Uncommented-Code Jul 25 '22
Try getting bit by a spider of the Poecilotheria, Heteroscodra or Pterinochilus genus and see if that's going to change your mind about small and big being painful and mild respectively
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u/Abacus_AmIRighta Jul 25 '22
Agreed.
Should have got a Coke instead.
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u/JuliaLouis-DryFist Jul 25 '22
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u/Longpips1000 Jul 25 '22
I’m in AZ and got woken up to a needle like pain in my hand. Had one on my shirt and took me half an hour to find him after I knocked it off. Not fun. Much worse than a bee sting and left my fingers numb for a few days. When I would even type on my keyboard or hit my hand on anything I would have pain shoot up my hand. Took 3 or 4 days to return to normal.
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u/dclaw504 Jul 25 '22
I had the same experience recently. I got stung on top of my foot by and Arizona Bark Scorpion while slipping under the covers. I had a few hours of PAIN, then it was hot and numb, then it was like really intense pins and needles for 3 days. My stomach was messed up on Day 4.
I caught that one, and now 5 more since then. I still have the one that stung me and two others. I'm only catching them if they are in my house, too.
They're easy to manage once you get them in a container with smooth surfaced sides. They can't climb smooth surfaces, like glass or plastic.
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u/Longpips1000 Jul 25 '22
I had the pins and needles feeling as well. They can fit through credit caard sized openings. Try sealing or have a company seal your house - mostly just caulking and new weather strips on doors. I removed a bunch of oleander bushes that crickets would feed on and that helped a lot to knock down the numbers. I also have a company spray for bugs monthly. You can also get a black light and make a pass at night with some pliers inside and outside of your house if you keep finding a lot. Killing them like this should really reduce their numbers.
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u/NearHi Jul 25 '22
Same... Except I was put in the ER the night I was stung. Worst pain I've ever felt.
The fine motor spasms was a trip. Eyes shaking and darting randomly, and the finger twitching was bizarre.
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u/AI_bloomwow Jul 25 '22 edited Jul 25 '22
Damn, do you mind me asking where are you from for shit like that to happen?
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u/Gr8ghettogangsta Jul 25 '22
Posts and comments like these make me realize that living in a place that is scorching hellfire 2 months and frozen tundra 4 months a year really isn't that bad.
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u/the_falling Jul 25 '22
I live in Illinois. The odds of me getting stung by a scorpion are pretty much 0. I’m about to go to bed and now I have to check my blankets for scorpions.
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u/CaymanRich Jul 25 '22
Arizona?
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u/elpierce Jul 25 '22
Texas.
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u/PeeledCrepes Jul 25 '22
Ah so striped bark scorpion then. Yano not the worst but still not fun lol
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u/MercilessParadox Jul 25 '22
Ive been stung by them multiple times. Always substantially worse than any other small stinging creature but never bad enough to warrant anything other than retaliation with blunt object.
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Jul 25 '22
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u/MercilessParadox Jul 25 '22
I easily could from 100 yards away, but I don't usually keep one on me when hauling lumber about.
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u/doFloridaRight Jul 25 '22
Then are you really even a Texan?
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u/plafki Jul 25 '22
Really fun if you are brave enough.... to organize lil scorpions football league!
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u/Terrik1337 Jul 25 '22
Now I want to teach scorpions how to play football. They are one of the few invertebrates that could hold a ball.
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u/blonderaider21 Jul 25 '22
Idk how any of these creatures and critters are surviving our heat wave rn. I don’t even like the destructive bunnies we have tearing up our yard, but I’ve been putting pans of water out for them simply bc I feel like they and the birds are suffering.
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u/MagicTheBurrito Jul 25 '22
“Thank you O’ Magical Wall of Wet!” - scorpi probably
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u/ourladyofsituations Jul 25 '22
I’m in Arizona and we had a tiny bark scorpion just yesterday. Upstairs. Walking in a circle. We squashed it. I didn’t have the heart to tell my husband we are lucky we found it on the carpet not falling from the ceiling. I pray he never finds out the hard way that scorpions love to climb.
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u/nbd789 Jul 25 '22
Texas (that I know of) also has climbing snakes and I just don’t understand WHY y’all do this to yourselves
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u/NearHi Jul 25 '22
Green Mango. They fixed my scorpion problem. They are saints.
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u/goodolddaysare-today Jul 25 '22
If you’re hot, they’re hot. Bring them inside
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Jul 25 '22
If you’re hot, they’re hot. Put them in your mouth to shade them from the sun
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u/AVBforPrez Jul 25 '22
Yeah fuck that, getting stung and pinched by those fuckers hurts so bad it's ridiculous.
Grew up in Phoenix and dealt with them more than anyone ever should.
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u/Neniaite Jul 25 '22
Lol ur just hydrating him to have just enough strength to hide in your shoe and fuck your day up.
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u/Puppyscientist Jul 25 '22
Lot of people saying some things here so I wanna be the devils advocate for scorpions- TEN COOL SCORPION FACTS
Scorpions aren't ornery. Living in the desert is hard and it costs energy to produce venom. Almost always, in a choice between between fight or flight scorpions will run away. Even the Bark Scorpion, most lethal in North America, will sooner tuck tail and run than try to sting you. Like other people said, it's most common to get stung by accident when you squish them in a shoe or bedsheet. The reason small scorpions are regarded as 'more poisonous' is because they tend to be younger and haven't learned to hold back yet. Used to live in a house with a mild infestation. I was the designated scorpion hunter. They'd always try to run from me, tails curled sideways harmlessly. Made me feel like the bad guy.
Scorpions usually mind their own damn business. They don't kill for sport or play with their food. Tried keeping one as a pet after I found it in the bathroom sink. Bark Scorpion, again the most lethal in NA- this guy would let beetles push him around and run away from crickets like a scaredy cat... they only kill for food or life threatening conditions.
Scorpions are big predators of brown recluses, black widows, and cockroaches. All of which are worse if you ask me.
Scorpions are arachnids. And also lobsters. Just think about it. Good rule is, bigger the claws, weaker the venom. Because one compensates for the other.
They can't actually bite you. In fact they have incredibly weak mouth parts. They eat by killing their prey completely, then slowly dissolving them with saliva and drinking them up like a smoothie.
In winter, Scorpions will find eachother and huddle for warmth. I just think this is kinda cute. Cooperation in bugs.
Scorpions take care of their babies. They ride on the mother's back until their shells are hardened. They can care for their babies for up to two years! That's better than some humans!
Scorpions respect consent. When two scorpions want to mate, they will grab eachother's claws and dance an intricate dance. If the female is unsure, sometimes the male will 'calm' her by massaging her with his mouth parts. I'm telling you they dance and kiss on romantic dates.
Scorpions can go without food for a year, can survive under water for weeks, can live up to 20 years (in captivity)! They're poison/heat resistant. They survive a harsh climate. But are very weak against a glass jar, or if you grab them by the tail with tongs.
Scorpions glow fluorescent under black light due to unique light wave scattering proteins in their shell. Very useful for finding them. Very pretty. This is possibly how they see eachother- they have incredibly poor eyesight and find other creatures mostly by simplistic detection of light waves scattering with movement.
All that being said- please treat them with caution but respect. They're important to nature! If you have an option to catch and release, consider it! In some places you can even sell them for antivenom research...or as pets!
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u/Sammy-eliza Jul 25 '22
We live in Hawaii and can't have cold drinks unless they're actively in our hands the entire time bc the roaches and flies like to drink the condensation and also climb inside the drinks if they don't have a tight, screw-on lid and it just irks me lol. Took one time grabbing my cold water from the nightstand after turning the lights out and them crawling up my arm and all in the bed to convince me I'm down with room temp water at all times lol.
We have tried spraying and it isn't effective, and the spray people our landlord hired only come out every other month(we've tried asking them to come out more often and they said no, or hire someone ourselves but they won't bc of our location). They also told us we aren't allowed to spray ourselves and we got in trouble for it. We've adapted to the roaches; we can't have certain foods, most things we buy we make sure have a thick package and zipper top, keep all silverware, non screw top seasonings, and small kitchen things in bags, and just wash the big stuff before we use it. What really irks me are the centipedes tho; I've seen little brown ones and massive red/yellow ones and they're terrifying.
I heard that centipedes can be bad for babies/toddlers if they bite/sting them and am having a baby soon and the fact that we've seen about 40 of them in the few months living in our house is super cool(/s). I'm sure scorpions are the same way(I've heard we have those here too), centipedes are hella fast and very good at hiding or squeezing into small spots, even the big bois, they remind me of snakes.
We had one in our bed just once(to our knowledge), over the covers because my husband dumped a basket of fresh laundry on it and it was chilling in there. Idk how, but they manage to get into our dryer when it's done running and vibe on the warm laundry, this is confirmed by the fact that every time I open the dryer, multiple live bugs crawl out, and are distributed throughout our clothes :) I know they def wouldn't survive being washed and dried.
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u/kevoccrn Jul 25 '22
Everything you just said is nightmare fuel. Everything. No Hawaii for me ever I guess. Screw that.
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u/ArmiRex47 Jul 25 '22
This really makes me value living in a place where the biggest nuisances are flies and ants, and the occasional mosquito...
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u/hunt35744 Jul 25 '22
You know what? I could’ve gone my whole life without reading any of this and I would’ve been happier. Heck you for doing this to me.
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u/TrashMammal84 Jul 25 '22
Wow, so much misinformation surrounding these guys.
First things first, this definitely is a Centruroides species; if Texas, it's probably vittatus. They're quite a large genus of bark scorpions that are abundant throughout the Southwest, Midwest, South and Southeast. People have been led to believe that they only live in the desert, not true. I saw someone say they live in Illinois and scorpions don't live there, also not true.
Second, yes, many species of this genus have a very powerful venom that causes anything from a forgettable sting to excruciating pain; reports of it feeling like they've been stung with a side of electrical shock to feeling like the effected body part is on fire. Symptoms may disappear quickly or last for days, the former usually being the case. Very, very rarely fatal and thousands are stung every year; antivenom is rarely needed. If serious symptoms occur, obviously visit the ER. Oh, and the notion that the smaller ones don't control their venom is absolute horsecock. However, ime, they're definitely more feisty and willing to sting.
Third, to tackle the myth surrounding the size of the pincers and tail. It's not necessarily completely untrue, it's just that there are plenty of exceptions. For instance, one of, if not THE most venomous in the world is the Israeli Deathstalker; appearance wise, it would almost look like a Desert Hairy Scorpion, which are basically harmless. The fat tail scorpions? Sure, it applies there. However, there are also hundreds if not thousands of species that have thin pincers that are mostly innocuous, including most non Centruroides species in the US.
There are a couple other points I'd like to cover, but those are the ones that stood out to me the most.
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u/pitchedEnvirons Jul 25 '22
Scorpions may be the oldest terrestrial animals still living. It's sensible to be afraid of scorpions. Their most distinctive features are pincer-like pedipalps and a stinging tail, which some species can swing toward their target at 50 inches (130 centimeters) per second
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u/smugmisswoodhouse appeal completed Jul 25 '22
Cute, but I've been stung before, so I do feel compelled to warn you that you're in for a world of hurt if that thing jabs you. Sadly, one was hiding in my bed one night and thought I was trying to mess with him. Very, very painful.