In summer, they’re breaking down our doors.
Now, there’s not a creepy crawly to be found. What gives?
Well, some are dead, explained Dr. Lucy Shujuan, a University of Arizona Extension entomologist. Others are snuggled down for the winter, probably inside your house, garage or yard.
“Many insects are annual,” she noted in a phone interview. “They live. They die.”
Others emerge in the spring and play out their life cycle, succumbing to one of two certainties of life. Not taxes.
“Spiders go anywhere quiet and dark, where they are not easily disturbed. They go there to hide.” Shujuan said. Scorpions, too, are taking a respite from their summer shenanigans.
“Spiders and scorpions are predators,” Shujuan said They are beneficial in that they keep other insects in check. But that doesn’t mean you want them in your home or close to your pets.
So inside – get ’em out.
Outside – leave ‘em be.
Here in Santa Cruz County, there are several species of spiders and scorpions, members of the arachnid class, that could be lurking, preferably outside. Let’s start with spiders.
Among the nearly 100 varieties found here are the black widow, Arizona brown, orbweaver, tarantula, wolf spider, lynx spider and the jumping spider.
The majority of spiders are no threat to humans. However, those that can be poisonous and deliver a painful bite and a possible adverse reaction fall into two groups: black widow spiders and brown spiders.
“Spiders sometimes eat moths and little bugs,” Shujuan said. The life cycle of a spider includes three developmental stages: egg, spiderling and adult. “Depending on the species, the average life span of a spider varies from several months to two years. Most spiders only survive for one season.” And they are generally active at night.
As for scorpions, four species are most prevalent in Santa Cruz County: the Arizona smoothclaw scorpion, Arizona bark scorpion, yellow devil scorpion and the stripe-tailed scorpion. The smoothclaw scorpion is most active July through September. The bark scorpion is a force to be reckoned with March through October. The yellow devil hits its peak activity August through October. And the stripe-tailed scorpion, the most prolific in Santa Cruz County, reeks havoc March through October.
Scorpions are considered “living fossils,” Shujuan said. The oldest scorpion on fossil record comes from the Silurian period, 430 million years ago. That’s much older than the first dinosaurs.
“There are many reasons people hate scorpions,” she noted. “They look mean with their large claws and a stringer ready to strike.”
And they are silently creepy and wall-crawling creatures. “People are afraid they will wake up on a bed with a female scorpion carrying her babies on her back.”
According to Dr. Steven Dudley, director of the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center at the University of Arizona’s College of Pharmacy, the majority of calls coming out of Santa Cruz County right now involve arachnids and reptiles. The center, which services 14 of the state’s 15 counties, provides free access to experts on topics ranging from emergency medicine to genetic counseling.
“When we like to be out, they like to be out,” Dudley said of critters. Scorpion stings right now are occurring inside as people move outside “stuff” indoors.
While a scorpion sting may cause tingling and pain, medical attention is not always required. However, some young children and older adults do have a more pronounced reaction, including excessive salivating, which will require administration of an anti-venom.
In terms of snake bites, Dudley issued this advice: “No exception. Go to the hospital.” And when it comes to spider bites—specifically black widow —that may require a hospital visit if only for pain management.
If you think you have been poisoned by a sting or bite, call the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center at 1-800-222-1222. The center, operated by the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy, is open 24/7 with services free to residents of Santa Cruz County.