The most common scorpion Texas locals have to contend with is the Striped Bark Scorpion. They are an arachnid and have a tendency to fight first and ask questions never, relying heavily on the painful stinger and the venom they, these fierce scorpions are to be avoided. We at A-Tex Pest Management would like to take the opportunity to touch on the basics of the striped bark scorpion.
Striped Bark Scorpion Identification
Striped bark scorpion’s body range from a yellowish color to a medium-dark tan color and feature two distinct, dark stripes running down the length of their back. Being included in the arachnid family, they have eight legs and a set of pincers in the front that is reminiscent of a lobster. They average approximately 2 ½” in length with their tail taking up about half the size of their total length. The tails have a venomous stinger located at the tip and the mails generally have longer tails.
What Do Striped Bark Scorpions Eat?
Eating mostly centipedes, flies, and other spiders, striped black scorpions are one of nature’s best pest control forces. Striped bark scorpions hunt down their prey by catching them with their merciless pincers to deliver a fatal sting that delivers potent venom that quickly takes the life of their prey. They actually require doing the majority of their digesting externally because striped bark scorpions have extraordinarily tiny mouths. The digestion process is them coughing up digestive fluids, spilling it onto their prey where they then drink the liquefied remains.
Where Do Striped Bark Scorpions Live?
Striped bark scorpions are not only heavily populated in Texas, but they are common in many other locations in the United States and Mexico. Scorpions and other such pests are not constricted to manmade borders, but they are known to be more concentrated throughout areas of Texas. Striped bark scorpions, like other scorpion species, are nocturnal and look for shelter in cool damp areas during the day, especially on hot scorching days when the sun bears down heavily, they seek refuge. To escape the intensity of the sun, they can frequently be found hunkering down under logs, rocks, or even inside homes and businesses if there was an inviting passage letting them in. Because scorpions don’t like cold weather, they often choose to hibernate in homes where they can stay warm all winter long!
Are Striped Bark Scorpion Stings Venomous or Poisonous?
Luckily, striped bark scorpions do not mistake humans for food and do not intentionally look to pick a fight with us. They often sting people when they are surprised by the unintentional contact or if they feel threatened by people getting too close. Where there are approximately 25 species of scorpions capable of fatally stinging humans you can rest assured that striped bark scorpions are not among them despite their painful, venomous sting. Following the initial sting, people will generally experience stabbing pain for approximately 20 minutes and discomfort for a few days. However, much like the venom from bee stings, people can experience an allergic reaction and depend on the individual, it can range from mild to severe and in few cases, death is possible due to the anaphylactic shock in the event that medical treatment is neglected. Where allergy symptoms can vary, difficulty breathing is the most frequently experienced symptom.
Scorpion Pest Inspections, Control & More in Austin, Round Rock, Leander, Pflugerville & Cedar Park, Texas
If you have striped bark scorpions running a muck in your home or business call in the professionals of A-Tex Pest Management and let our experts take care of the rest.