There’s nothing more unpleasant than the sight of a scorpion scurrying along your garage floor or hiding in your living room drapes. You’re likely to identify them by the trademark tail, which extends from the body with five distinct sections and a threatening stinger on the end. You may also notice that scorpions have eight legs and one large pincer extending from each side of the mouth.

While bee stings hurt for a moment, a scorpion sting can hurt for days or even weeks. Minor stings will result in pain, numbness and swelling in the affected area. More severe stings from some scorpion breeds can cause muscle twitches, eye rolling, vomiting, excessive sweating, drooling and facial swelling.

To avoid the discomfort of a sting, study the following information regarding the scorpions most commonly encountered in Arizona. Pay attention to your surroundings, even when relaxing at home. You should also teach your children to stay away from bugs and other creatures that they may discover when playing outdoors.

Arizona’s Most Threatening Scorpion

There are more than 30 types of scorpions known to call the deserts of Arizona home, but there is only one that is potentially life-threatening: the Bark Scorpion. This is also the most common type found in residential areas. It’s difficult to spot one of these scorpions because they are excellent at blending their light brown bodies into tree bark, dirt, mulch and other landscape features. They can also hide in small cracks or crevices, since they measure a mere 2-3 inches.

The Bark Scorpion is considered one of the deadliest scorpions in the world, but deaths from their stings aren’t common in Arizona. This is probably because scorpions feed on smaller bugs and will attack humans only when threatened. Most bites and stings occur when someone gets too close either out of curiosity or because they don’t notice the scorpion’s presence.

While you may see other types of scorpions in or around your home, they aren’t likely to cause more than minor pain and swelling if they bite. The problem is knowing for sure that the scorpion nestled into your sneaker isn’t a Bark Scorpion. This is the only Arizona scorpion with the ability to climb up walls, but otherwise, it’s sometimes difficult to determine the type without a trained eye.

Is Your Home Sheltering Scorpions?

Scorpions will gather in areas that smaller bugs find attractive. Due to the intense heat in Arizona, bugs are often attracted to moist areas surrounding pipes and drains. If you water your lawn regularly, have water features in your landscaping, or have a swimming pool, there’s a good chance that your property attracts bugs. Scorpions follow their food source, so it’s always worthwhile to have your property inspected.

You Saw a Scorpion – Now What?

Bark scorpions are difficult to catch because they move fast, and you risk a potentially deadly sting if you try to catch them. For an expert inspection and reliable scorpion control in Arizona, contact Preventive Pest Control immediately.