So, my friend has elected NOT to kill the scorpion in his new apartment

[HEyHEY]

We saw it the other day when he moved in. It's about the size of a thumb. He says he'll leave "Doug" alone as he can't really get out of the bathroom cause of a step he can't climb. I think it's foolish. Anyone else?

[flvegan]

1. Nothing wrong with capture and release.

[HEyHEY]

2. He's worried about winter

And this thing suddenly being thrust into the outdoors so soon to winter. I seriously doubt they live that long anyway. I told him to call the local university, as I've heard these things are rare round these parts. Maybe they'll want it.

[Kali]

3. a good compromise would be to make it into a pet

in a jar or other container - he can feed it other insects and it will be isolated and more or less unable to sting him (or anybody else)

oh and my experience (which is rather extensive) is there WILL be others.

[RandomThoughts]

5. Concept of isolation.

Heard that before.

[TK421]

19. Imagine reaching for the TP and finding that to greet you!! I'll never want to shit again!

[Kali]

28. if you look close

you can see that is a momma with a buch of little ones on her back and one stray down by the roller - if I recall I had just taken that out of the cupboard and installed it - something stung me lightly on the hand (must have been one of the babies - there were several inside the tube) when I went to unroll some for use - then I found the main problem! All in the middle of the night.

yes that was a bit too close to being REAL personal!

[Amerigo Vespucci]

4. Klaus Meine, lead vocalist for The Scoprions, is also about the size of a thumb

When in doubt, he should be left in the bathroom too.

[petronius]

6. Your friend should consider what happened to the frog in the fable

(And check the toilet seat before sitting down...)

[denbot]

7. F.Y.I.

Scorpions can climb up almost any surface. If Doug wants to move on, he will.

[HEyHEY]

8. ruh roh

I thought the tile steps would keep him at bay!

[GReedDiamond]

9. Catch and release, or seek an expert...

...but, "Doug" the scorpion cannot live in your idiot friend's bathroom.

[NewJeffCT]

10. Aren't the small scorpions the more poisonous ones?

Or, is that a myth that the fiasco of the last Indiana Jones movie helped to spread?

[Posteritatis]

17. There's a really weird/neat rule of thumb for scorpions...

It's not the size of the scorpions, it's the size of their claws.

Basically, the more dangerous they look, the less dangerous they tend to be. In other words, if they're really showy dramatic things with gigantic menacing claws like the ISO Standard Generic Scorpion they're (usually) towards the safer end of the spectrum, while if they have these tiny needlenose sort of things going on (like deathstalkers) they're more likely to be dangerous to humans.

It's obviously better not to get nailed by them at all, since there's exceptions and even the 'harmless' ones have the risk of allergies (and simply hurt), but it's a neat way of getting a basic idea for how worried you should be about the one crossing your desk at the moment or the like.

[NewJeffCT]

18. Thanks

Good information!

Thankfully, we don't have scorpions in Connecticut.

[LaurenG]

11. Even if he gets bitten it won't kill him

It hurts like a mother but they aren't deadly.

I found one snuggled up sleeping with my then husband many yeas ago. They usually don't sting unless they are aggravated by being molested or stepped on.

edit typo's

[hayu_lol]

12. To avoid nasty surprises...

check out your shoes every morning BEFORE putting them on.

[realisticphish]

13. Take care of him

seriously, a scorpion set-up is about the easiest possible vivarium.

Sand, hiding place, water dish with a sponge in it, heat lamp. Badaboom.

Throw in a few dusted small crickets every few days, and he'll be fine.

[Brickbat]

14. Gack. I would flush him immediately.

[maxsolomon]

15. Jesus i'm glad i live in the PNW

no thanks.

[Seedersandleechers]

16. I got bit by one

and it won't kill you.

[InvisibleTouch]

20. Glad to hear that. Scorpions are cool.

Without knowing more about where your friend lives, I can't guess as to the species. Some do climb, but most don't. Many are desert species, but some need a more humid environment. Species differ in their level of defensiveness, but most in the U.S. aren't seriously venomous. Chances are, the scorp in your friend's bathroom is in far more danger (from being accidentally stepped on) than is anyone else in the house.

If it's a native species, catching him in a jar and setting him in a suitable environment outside will be fine. If it gets cold, they do hibernate over the winter. If your friend does want to make a pet of him, it's pretty easy, but again he needs to know what species he's got, in order to set up an appropriate terrarium. I've kept scorps for years, and totally love them.

[Curmudgeoness]

21. Well, my advice to you is "don't use his bathroom".

Personally, I would trap and release. I have no doubt it will find another more appropriate home.

[zanana1]

22. I would catch and release "Doug"...

About a hundred miles away, then move north.

[carlyhippy]

23. OMG I grew up around those horrible, vile, critters

there is NO WAY I would ever have "doug" hanging out in my bathroom. If he has one, he probably has more than that. I hate scorpions and tarantulas, they are the #1 reason why I will never live in the desert southwest ever again :(

[txwhitedove]

24. And now...., it will crawl down the wall of his bedroom in the dark

hours of sleep, and sit on your friend's face. Believe it.

I woke one night to find a scorpion hanging right over my head. Stepped on a couple. Where there is one, there are many. Yuck!

[Moondog]

25. I noticed a spider in my garage this evening

that has a body about 1 1/2" long. Leg span is probably close to 4". Big sucker.

I live in FL. Lots of bugs to feed that bad boy.

Bon apetite, mon petit araignée ....

[mnhtnbb]

26. My mom, many, many years ago, while traveling in Mexico, learned

to always shake out her shoes before putting them on. Great little homes for scorpions.

[Art_from_Ark]

27. I wouldn't think twice about smashing the damn thing

with the hard sole of a shoe. Then I'd have my home checked for vermin.

[pitohui]

29. yeah i wouldn't kill the scorpion either

in my humble experience i've never known a scorpion to do fuck all, maybe your canada scorpions are all poison or something but i think it's pretty much an old wives' tale

assume that if someone does something you think odd they have greater experience w. that animal than you do...99 out of 100 that assumption is correct

will admit i'm not scorpion expert but they just don't DO anything, if it was really troubling me i'd just put it outside i guess...

[HEyHEY]

30. Well, we're in China

I looked up what looks like his species, generally harmless it appears. However, I've told him to at least get it out of the house or call a university. Such things are rare in Beijing as during years of starvation many were eaten, and they may want to take a look at it.