Well Over 1,000 Scorpion Sting Cases Have Been Reported In Arizona During 2019
The types of pests that invade homes in the United States vary tremendously depending on the region. For example, according to Census Bureau data, around 15 percent of households in New York City are infested with rats, while cockroaches, another abundant pest in the Big Apple, are present within only 16 percent of households in the city. However, in Phoenix, only 3 percent of homes are believed to be infested with rats, but a whopping 20 percent of homes in the city are infested with cockroaches. Although cockroaches are abundant across the US, most people would likely be surprised to learn that a sprawling Arizona city sees a greater number of roach-infested households than New York, especially since Phoenix is nearly one eighth of New York City’s size in terms of population. As much as cockroaches are hated, at least they don’t inflict venomous stings that could send humans to the hospital. Unfortunately, for Arizona residents, scorpions also invade homes during the spring and summer months in the state, and they are not gracious guests. Two years ago, Arizona’s only two poison control centers reported that around 12,000 people per year sustain scorpion stings in the state. Since the start of the 2019 year, more than 1,000 scorpion stings have been reported in all Arizona counties except for Maricopa, which alone contains more than half of Arizona’s entire population.
In addition to being very painful and even life-threatening, scorpion stings can also lead to hefty hospital bills. For example, back in 2012, Marcie Evans was billed 83,000 dollars for a much-needed dose of antivenom after she sustained a sting from a bark scorpion. Bark scorpions are the most venomous scorpions in Arizona, and they also account for the greatest amount of sting cases reported in the state. The Valley had long been a natural scorpion habitat until the region was settled by humans over a century ago. This partly explains why scorpion sting cases are particularly high in Maricopa County, but as it turns out, bark scorpions are one of the few scorpion species that are not only capable, but also seem to enjoy crawling up a home’s interior and exterior vertical walls. Strong insecticides can take care of indoor scorpion infestations, but Arizona residents should always be mindful of their surroundings, as scorpions sometimes appear in urban centers of the state.
Have you ever found a scorpion crawling on you, but did not sustain a sting?
