Co-Existing with Scorpions
Tara A. Spears
As many international travelers flock to their tropical winter home here’s a reminder to be alert when you are unpacking. You should be especially vigilant as you are settling in after months of absence- scorpions may have moved into your space and claimed the closets, dark corners of cabinets, or even the space between the seats of that stack of stored plastic chairs.
According to Geo-Mexico, about 250,000 people in Mexico are stung by scorpions each year, more people than in any other country. Several dozen people will die from scorpion stings each year. Scorpion stings have been the leading reason in Mexico for deaths due to adverse reactions or poisoning caused by venomous plants and animals for the last twenty years. While there are more than 200 different species of scorpions in Mexico, only eight species (all belonging to the genus) are a significant public health risk. A perusal of the map by Mexico’s Health Secretariat illustrates the distribution of dangerous scorpions; note that Nayarit is a high risk area.
Typical scorpion sting symptoms: immediate pain or burning, very little swelling, sensitivity to touch, and a numbness/tingling sensation. More serious type of venom symptoms include rapid breathing, high blood pressure and increased heart rate, involuntary muscle twitching, weakness. If you are stung by any scorpion here are some immediate actions you should take: Wash the area of the scorpion sting with soap and water. Apply a cool
compress on the area of the scorpion sting. Ice (wrapped in a washcloth) may be applied to the sting location for 10 minutes. Remove compress for 10 minutes and repeat as necessary. If stung on a limb (arm or leg) elevate the limb to heart level. Seek medical attention. Keep your tetanus shots and boosters current.
I find the fact that a single scorpion’s life span ranges between four to fifteen years to be depressing. This fact indicates that there is just no way to permanently eliminate them from a warm climate yard. Scorpions prefer to live within the temperatures of 60 to 112 F (18°C to 45°C.) Scorpions find shelter during the day in underground holes or undersides of rocks, inside shoes, or any dark crevice inside or out of a house.
Although scorpions are generally feared, there are some benefits from the species. In the Scorpion capital of Durango, Mexico, few scorpion stings are reported today due partly to the cottage trade of Durango’s scorpion hunters (alacraneros). These entrepreneurs catch and kill thousands of scorpions each rainy season to sell as specimens are encased in souvenir key rings and wall clocks that are sold in the local markets. These scorpion hunters also supply medical research labs. Research in one lab at the University of California has isolated several scorpion peptides that appear to suppress the immune system,promising another way to prevent transplant rejection.
Lourival Possani, and his colleagues at Mexico’s National University (UNAM) have discovered a toxin (named scorpine) in scorpion venom that slows down the growth of malaria parasites in fruit flies; if similar techniques work in malarial mosquitoes, it may be possible to dramatically reduce the spread of malaria.
There are some simple ways to make your subtropical home less appealing to scorpions-which should be your first line of defense before reaching for poisons. Check under your stove and fridge, boxes stacked in little used closets. Leave nightlights on in bathrooms and if you really want to be safe, use netting around the beds.
Always check your shoes and slippers before using them. I hang my mop on the wall outside and regularly find scorpions in the mop!
Outside in your yard, clear loose debris, rubble, stacked wood, anything else that scorpions can crawl under, such as compost heaps or rocks. Prune shrubbery and keep fallen leaves picked up; if you have grass, mow it and keep it short. If you’re not allergic to dander, a good mouser-cat is a great scorpion control.
Enjoy your visit to warm and sunny Mexico! You can co-exist with tropical scorpions by following a few simple steps and looking before you grab something.