Yes, it’s true that anti-venom for scorpion stings is $20,000 a vial, and more often than not, you will need at least 2 vials after getting stung. Now you may be thinking, I do not have $40,000 to protect myself from scorpion stings, but luckily there are some things you can do that are much cheaper than anti-venom to protect yourself and your home. It all starts with getting informed.
The 4 types of Scorpions in Arizona:
- The Arizona Bark Scorpion
- The bark scorpion is one of, if not the most common type of scorpion in Arizona. They are usually 2-3 inches in length, and are pale tan or yellow in color. They have skinny arms, pinchers, and tail. Bark scorpions are excellent climbers and can be found on the bark of trees (hence the name), on cinderblock walls, in homes, and sometimes under rocks. They are the most venomous scorpions in North America, so it is important to avoid them at all costs.
- The Arizona Stripetail Scorpion
- The Arizona stripetail scorpion is the most common type of scorpion in Arizona, and true to its name, it has dark colored stripes going down its back. It is 2-3 inches in length and is typically a tan or brownish color. They are most common in the southwestern United States and are typically not aggressive, except when aggravated or in self defense. They love to be under rocks, cardboard boxes, or even towels, and can sometimes make their way into your home.
- The Arizona Giant Hairy Scorpion
- The giant hairy scorpion is true to its name, in that it is both giant and hairy. It is the largest species of scorpions in the United States, and can be easily identified by its size, anywhere from 3.5-6 inches, and its hairy legs. They rarely enter homes, but prefer to burrow themselves in desert landscapes. They can live up to 25 years, and have a mild venom, on par with a bee sting.
- The Yellow Ground Scorpion
- The yellow ground scorpion is very similar to the bark scorpion with a few key differences. They are both smaller and yellow in color, but the ground scorpion’s tail is a bit wider at the base and the ground scorpion’s venom is nowhere near as powerful as the bark scorpion.
Let’s say you do get stung, what now?! Depending on how severe your reaction, you may need to go to the hospital for anti-venom. And YES it does cost 20,000 a vial. There is a pretty lengthy process on how they create the anti-venom. In order to create scorpion anti-venom, horses are actually injected with scorpion venom over a 6 month period equivalent to 100 stings. The horse’s immune system responds by making antibodies which are then turned into scorpion antivenom. It is a very lengthy process that requires the work of many different people and animals, hence the $20,000 price tag.
Now that you’re informed about the different types of scorpions in Arizona, you may be feeling overwhelmed and concerned about how to protect yourself and your home. There are some simple things you can do, paired with a general pest control service that will leave your home and yard completely scorpion free.
Some things to protect your home include never leaving cardboard boxes or wet towels out in your yard, keeping brush and debris away from your home, and repairing all water leaks from pipes, air conditioning, and sprinkler systems.
While these things are good to always do, most of the time, a general pest control service is needed to keep scorpions out for good. At Green Machine, we offer a premiere service that treats 3 feet up and 3 feet out around the entire base of your home and yard. Then, we inject dust on the inside of your cinderblock pillars (the scorpion’s favorite spot to hide) to make sure that we are getting any areas that they like to be. We also offer a cinder block service that seals the cracks in the wall to keep scorpions out long term, which you can learn more about here. We offer a variety of premium services to protect your home from unwanted visitors. Plus, you want to work with a company that carries a 5 star Google rating, don’t you? I can see you nodding your head “Yes!” … Have your home treated by Green Machine – it’s cheaper than the antivenom (we promise!). Call today and schedule your appointment to make your home pest free! (480) 468-7775
