Snakes And Scorpians

[jumbo2]

Wife just rang me to say this afternoon she found a snake near the front door.It slipped quickly away into the bushes in the garden.Not to be found.A while later guy fixing the downstairs toilet had the pleasure of coming face to with a scorpian.How do I get rid of the snake? Its brown colour and about 2 or 3 feet long from the wifes description and not dangerous(hhuummm). We have a 3yr and 1 yr old running about so of course I'm a little worried. Are there really scorpians to be found in the area?I forgot to ask what she did with it tho.Any advice appreciated

[pumpuiman]

From wikpedia...

Mothballs can also be used as a snake repellent. Mothballs (or sulfur) is usually used along with the aid of naphtha for these purposes. When mixed together, the snake sampling the air senses its acrid stench and its scent sampling is overloaded by the stench. It can't sense prey or danger as well with this smell, so it turns away. Put the mothballs around the perimeter of your yard leaving an "escape" for the snakes to get away or they will be locked in your yard. Caution should be exercised, as mothballs are not child or pet friendly and they can kill some types of plants. Rain or water will disintegrate the mothballs, so frequent reapplication will be necessary.

The effectiveness of mothballs is seriously in question though....if you do an internet search on it you will see what the arguments are.

Good luck.

[jumbo2]

Thanks alot i will take a look

[Jareddiving]

Few weeks ago we had a monocled cobra in the garden.

Was ready to attack the dog.

We decided to have this one killed because it kept coming back into the garden.

Normally we dont kill the snakes in our garden but a cobra is a different story.

[wilko]

You could always move to a country where they don't have snakes or scorpions...ireland I believe is such a place.

[onzestan]

You can find all information on snakes, scorpions, centipedes etc. on following website

http://www.siam-info.com/english/poisonous_animals.html

cheers

onzestan

[jumbo2]

Thanks for the info everyone.I get home tonight so will put on a dvd of croc hunter turn it up loud and get into a bit of reptile hunting

[Jareddiving]

You could always move to a country where they don't have snakes or scorpions...ireland I believe is such a place.

[Humphrey Bear]

Scorpions are rarely poisonous enough to do real harm - out of more than 600 varieties throughout the world, only half a dozen can kill the average human. And these ae not present in Thailand.

However for a toddler the sting of a Thai scorpion can be very painful.

These things are difficult to eradicate.

In Iran we had many cases of scorpions marching through houses and gardens, because this was the route that many generations had taken and they maintained it, even after housing estates were built. Even a quick whack with a size 12 dos not deter the remainder of the nest. They still return. We just got used to them and taught the toddlers to avoid them.

[jumbo2]

well didnt find the snake or any more scorpions.Very suprized there are scorpions in thailand tho.

[Cuban]

We returned home the other night to find something that looked like this in the kitchen. Normally I will trap and throw out larger bugs, mozzzies get zapped of course, but the meat cleaver was handy so this thing was dispatched to the next life before it scurried away. I am guessing it was not a true scorpion but a bug that just happens to have the same whiptail and pincers, shiny black in colour about 7-8cm long.

If there is a bug expert reading this, please tell me what these things eat.

I let the house spiders and lizards alone because I know they eat the smaller bugs. But the "scorpion" had to go as the dog was a bit spooked as well as me.

[Humphrey Bear]

We returned home the other night to find something that looked like this in the kitchen. Normally I will trap and throw out larger bugs, mozzzies get zapped of course, but the meat cleaver was handy so this thing was dispatched to the next life before it scurried away. I am guessing it was not a true scorpion but a bug that just happens to have the same whiptail and pincers, shiny black in colour about 7-8cm long.

If there is a bug expert reading this, please tell me what these things eat.

I let the house spiders and lizards alone because I know they eat the smaller bugs. But the "scorpion" had to go as the dog was a bit spooked as well as me.

Cannot view the reference site. Can you post on here?

I've seen many varieties of scorpion in my travels and also many other bugs.

[Cuban]

Hi Humphrey,

Thanks for volenteering to help lable my bug, but in trying to get a better picture for you I think I have the answer.

My earlier guess of Whiptail Scorpion was correct, these where the first images I found.

But the color of mine was shiny black, with the pincers a little closer to the body and the abdomen itself rounder and a little longer in ratio to it's circumference. I then found this web site....What's That Bug.Com With the picture below and the following write up....

"It is a Whipscorpion in the order Uropygi. They have a long whiplike tail instead of a stinger. They have no venom so are not harmful to people. Since they ravenously eat cockroaches and other insects, they are beneficial..."

With this new found wisdom I have issued small red flags to such beasties as this so they can clearly identify themselves when travelling through the house in search of their food. I am sorry I killed that one as a reaction to surprise, but I hope it has left off-spring nearby. I've only seen one 'roach inside the house so I hope this means the Little Whiptail Scopions are well fed.

[Humphrey Bear]

See what Google can do for you?

Learn something new every day and you'll never grow old.

[andyadam]

I've had the Tarantulas, the snakes and the other black beasties above, I also have a young daughter and I just wouldn't take the chance of leaving it alive. I am ignorant as far as these creatures are concerned, I don't know their habits, food or much else about them. I also wouldn't have a chance in hel_l of identifying a particular snake so I would rather not take the chance.

We have 3 cats, they do a great job with the snakes and centipedes!!!

[thx1138]

Talking about insects. I had no problem handling the mantis and thought he was quite cool.

Later that evening, we were sitting in a makeshift sala when the Scorpion turned up. Don't know how dangerous it was but the Thai lads were not bothered.

The Scorpion ended up in some guys shirt pocket and I was told it would end up mashed into a "balaa" (spelling) paste and eaten.

These photos were taken on my last visit up to my Wife's village. Going there again next week with my Mum and have been winding her up about what to expect

Just a bit of fun here. Not detracting from the concerns of Guys/Gals with kids/family who are worried about stings and bites.

Edited March 2, 2008 by thx1138

[lilBob]

Talking about insects. I had no problem handling the mantis and thought he was quite cool.

Later that evening, we were sitting in a makeshift sala when the Scorpion turned up. Don't know how dangerous it was but the Thai lads were not bothered.

The Scorpion ended up in some guys shirt pocket and I was told it would end up mashed into a "balaa" (spelling) paste and eaten.

just as a warning I was in India and was snake bit there I was hospitalised for 3 month in New dehli and nearly had my leg amputated. Initialyl I woke up one morning and thought the swelling on my foot was a result of a fall or some unknown bug bite however after 4 days my foot started turning black and I sought medical advice the end result I wasemergency evacuateded out of Goa to New Delhi Thankfully I was fully insured.

But I can assure you at the time I was scared shitless.

should anyone have medical problems in india the best medicaly teatment is available at the following address which is also reccommended by the Lonely Planet Book,and they say all the foreign embassies use it .

EAST WEST MEDICAL CENTRE 38 golf Links Rd New Delhi

These photos were taken on my last visit up to my Wife's village. Going there again next week with my Mum and have been winding her up about what to expect

Just a bit of fun here. Not detracting from the concerns of Guys/Gals with kids/family who are worried about stings and bites.

[suiging]

I had a plague of the nasty green scorpions in my new house. I real concern with kids so the builder contacted Diamond Pest Control ( sorry out of town thus can not give contact details, but in the Trader ). Little men arrived, sprayed came back three times and did the whole thing again............No scorpions.

About 19,000 Baht, so not cheap, but not a beastie to be found ( including ants )

[Humphrey Bear]

But what did these guys use?

Some of the sprays that are on the market are pretty lethal to pets (and kids).

Working for the Germans in Libya, I had a problem with bugs and the head chef gave me a spray they used in the kitchens. But he warned me about usage - and washing everything down afterwards to get rid of the residue.

Most domestic sprays are OK and the residue is a part of the on-going process of keeping your place bug-free.

Scorpions seem to have an inherited memory from earlier generations as to where their pathe are - and building across those paths will not deter them from using the same old traditional routes.

[suiging]

The guys assured me they used the latest gear from the USA ( hence the cost ) people friendly and not friendly to crawlers. Seems to have worked although the third head I've developed will just never shut up !!!

[Cuban]

>Most domestic sprays are OK and the residue is a part of the on-going process of keeping your place bug-free.

When on holiday here about 5 years ago my rental car had ants in the trunk, I guess it was parked near a nest with fruit in the back. I sprayed with something I bought from Tops, within 1 minute of leaving the carpark I was choking my lungs up and had to park up and find some milk to drink, nasty stuff but killed everything in the car.

[Humphrey Bear]

Most domestic sprays are OK and the residue is a part of the on-going process of keeping your place bug-free.

When on holiday here about 5 years ago my rental car had ants in the trunk, I guess it was parked near a nest with fruit in the back. I sprayed with something I bought from Tops, within 1 minute of leaving the carpark I was choking my lungs up and had to park up and find some milk to drink, nasty stuff but killed everything in the car.

Usually 'Raid', 'Baygon' or 'Pif Paf' are OK, but regulations vary from country-to-country, therefore so does the bug-spray.

The problem also gets worse as the years go on, due to the Darwinian process of the survivors being stronger every generation. So the sprays get stronger / different. Some of them have nearly killed me if I stay in a closed environment after spraying. Usually I leave the room for an hour or two, return and sweep up the dead bugs. But in a car you're in a very closed environment and you do want to use the damned thing.

[Cuban]

Bugs in the car are a hate of mine, when we are up country I have had to impose strict fruit transit laws (tighter than Australia's) that all fruit purchased at the road side must be inspected for bugs of any type, washed by the vendor's watering can then sealed in large "rubbish" bags with ty-wraps that I carry in the trunk for such occasions. I have suggested the same transit rules for dirty children in the car but my OH thinks that breathing might be a problem.

[Humphrey Bear]

Bugs in the car are a hate of mine, when we are up country I have had to impose strict fruit transit laws (tighter than Australia's) that all fruit purchased at the road side must be inspected for bugs of any type, washed by the vendor's watering can then sealed in large "rubbish" bags with ty-wraps that I carry in the trunk for such occasions. I have suggested the same transit rules for dirty children in the car but my OH thinks that breathing might be a problem.

Buy a roof rack.

[Cuban]

....Buy a roof rack.

Well yes but the wind force at high speed might dislodge some of the fruit......

....oh you mean for the children - yes, holding on would give them something to do during the trip, good idea.