With the passing of last week's rains, hot and dry weather is returning to South Texas and driving increasing numbers of scorpions indoors, News
Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
“They have to keep cool in some way,” says Molly Keck with Texas A&M Agri-Life Extension Service, “and our a-c is just the perfect place for them to go. So you’ll see a bunch of them inside where you may not have two months ago.”
Keck tells News Radio 1200 WOAI scorpion species native to Texas are not man-killers, but if you're stung, the pain could last for hours. And, unlike bees, which can only sting once, scorpions can sting repeatedly.
“When that happens, it’s usually because they’re in your boot or your shoe, and you put your shoe on and so they’re stinging you and stinging you as you’re trying to get your foot out of there,” Keck says.
She recommends applying over-the-counter sting relief medication and ice packs to ease the discomfort.
But, Keck says, if you experience wide-area redness around the sting site, shortness of breath, or serious swelling, a doctor visit is likely in order.
She says scorpions can enter a home through a space as thin as a dime, and most often make their way inside through spaces under doors, openings in dryer vents, and cracks around recessed ceiling lighting.
Trimming trees away from roof eaves, Keck says, can prevent one Texas scorpion species that likes to climb trees from dropping onto roofs and finding their way inside through attic vents or other openings.
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