FLORIDA is so Prehistoric!!!Bit by a SCORPION!!!OWIES!!!RANT

[Biddieacres]

That is a huge adjustment. We lived in the city also and moved out here to raise the kids. It did take some adjustment. It takes us 30 minutes to get to the nearest sushi bar now. We love it here, but I know what you mean about needing someone to talk to.

 

[PurpleChicken]

Chickfillhay, I don't think anyones feelings are hurt here. It's funny but most
of my best friends here started out with minor misunderstandings. Sparrow
obviously knows what he/she is talking about and has a passion for animals,
particularily indegenous ones like scorpions and spiders.

Considering this thread has over 50 responses and no one is yelling at each other
I would consider it a succesful thread and think all involved are great people.

And think, it all started with you getting stung by a scorpion, my least favorite bug.

Don



P.S. We even got SpottedCrow invloved and she's got a Masters degree in spider
and lizard psycology from Harvard.

 

[SpottedCrow]

The only scorpion I can honestly say I like is this one:
He's smiling at you from the upper right corner. Mr. Smily!He's a 420 Million year old Eurypterus fossil.

 

[maus]

Im ok with the roaches, the various poisonous snakes, the frogs and gators, but, there are GIANT spiders here that are big enough to clog the vacuum! I am the biggest wimp when it comes to spiders. I think they are called "Huntsmen" and they are all over the place where I live, and when it rains they find their way in to the house. I never go use the bathroom at night without turning a light on first....

 

[Cetawin]

As a native floridian with 38 years experience with floridian critters...it is going to hurt, swell and may even make you vomit, if you did not get all the venom out. If it was black it is not too bad...if it was the little greenish looking booger you are gonna hurt for a week or more.

Keep fresh tobacco around the house. When you get stung by anything, wet the tobacco and put it on the bite. It will draw the venom out and also take the stong out.

Only exception to this...if you are barbed by a catfish...take the catfish that barbed you and rub him on the spot. the natural bacteria on his skin will kill the barb poison and draw it as well.

I can say with all my heart...I do not miss Florida or the native critters.

 

[Cetawin]

Quote:
They may also be wolf spiders...leave them be. They eat mosquitos and other such pests so having one or two of them around is a good thing plus are not aggressive and not venomous.

 

[Coop-a-kick]

Quote:
...That is really cool. Good to know!

 

[Cetawin]

Quote:
I almost lost my daughter when she was 18 months old...a recluse bit her on the inside of her thigh, just inside her diaper. She stopped breathing and spent 4 days in a children's hospital, lost a golfball sized area of tissue and it was horrid. ie fiddlebacks and recluses are the same spider family and often confused. Tiny little vicious things.

 

[chickfillhay]

That's part of the reason for my panick.

My older sister got stung by a black scorpion when she was a baby (in Brazil) and almost died for that too!!

The one that stung me was about 1/2 inch not counting the tail which was just as long. It was a brownish greenish (olive) color.
The s.o.b.hurt for about an 1/2 hour. But the mudd (face mask) actually helped to relieve the pain and cool it down a bit. The bugger felt hot!
I am and will alway be scared of scorpions. I'm sure they look worse than they really are but EWE!

I have never been stung/bit by a spider. I get the really big ones in the house but I just get a broom and sweep them out the door. I think the might be "housekeepers", (Wish they would clean my house while they were here!)...........
Thanks SpottedCrow for the pix. Are those fossilized in rocks? My DH's 2 sons 11 and 13 would get a kick out of those. They saved the scorpion we found last year. And proudly display it on their dresser with the two piranhas I got them from Brazil!

 

[speckledhen]

I hate scorpions and ticks! We often find scorpions in the bathroom or the bsmt and a couple of times have been stung by one in the bed. I think one killed a chick in the bsmt brooder once.