Author Topic: The guilt is eating me alive... (Read 3283 times)

AZRedhawk44 · « **on:** July 30, 2009, 12:30:22 AM »

My lab got up about 1/2 an hour ago to go investigate something REALLY interesting in the hallway.

He starts dancing around excitedly and I hear his collar jangling all over the place, then he yips a bit and comes back in the room hopping on 3 legs, licking a forepaw.

I go and investigate... he picked a fight with a mama bark scorpion. Babies on the back and all.

I grab a shoe and SPLAT! her in a way that would make LadySmith proud (if she's proud of broad-spectrum splatting of mama/baby arachnids, at least), then realize I haven't done my scorpion spraying in about 2-3 months.

My puppy's all ouch-faced looking at me as I fill up the sprayer, and I run around the house hitting all the corners and baseboards with my nuclear-bio-chem death juice. I killed a total of 5 scorpions in the last 1/2 hour. Oops.

Must. spray. more. often.

Greenie-treats for my puppy, though. Poor guy.

Uncle Bubba · « **Reply #1 on:** July 30, 2009, 12:36:39 AM »

Guilt trip from the pooch. Classic.

You're going about it right. Lotsa treats will assuage the guilt.

Regolith · « **Reply #2 on:** July 30, 2009, 12:38:04 AM »

How big is your puppy? Those things can be life threatening to small humans and animals, and extremely painful to larger animals/adults. Might need a trip to the vet...

AZRedhawk44 · « **Reply #3 on:** July 30, 2009, 12:44:10 AM »

He's 60 pounds.

I'm keeping an eye on him.

Anyone got links to pet care regarding scorpion stings?

AZRedhawk44 · « **Reply #4 on:** July 30, 2009, 12:59:26 AM »

Did some reading-up....

Bark scorpions are the worst and are known to have killed children and smallish dogs... my dog is about 60 pounds.

I checked his foot and there was no stinger still embedded, and I noticed the stinger still in place when I swatted mama. I think he got a warning zap from her. There's no swelling/oozing/putrification/weirdness of his stung foot, and he's mostly over it. He's not weeping, he doesn't have a runny nose, and he lets me play with his foot as much as I want.

I'll keep an eye on him for a couple more hours before going to bed, but I think he's fine.

RocketMan · « **Reply #5 on:** July 30, 2009, 01:25:23 AM »

Sounds like a close one, AZR. I'm glad that it looks like your pup is okay. And it's good that he has you around to care for him. So many owners could hardly give a rat's patootie in similar circumstances.
Do you think he's going to be as curious about scorpions from here on out? Any chance he learned a lesson about them?

freedom lover · « **Reply #6 on:** July 30, 2009, 01:39:39 AM »

Stories like this make me feel glad about our cold winters. The only deadly venemous creatures up here are rattle snakes and black widows.

Viking · « **Reply #7 on:** July 30, 2009, 03:51:10 AM »

Quote from: RocketMan on July 30, 2009, 01:25:23 AM

Sounds like a close one, AZR. I'm glad that it looks like your pup is okay. And it's good that he has you around to care for him. So many owners could hardly give a rat's patootie in similar circumstances.
Do you think he's going to be as curious about scorpions from here on out? Any chance he learned a lesson about them?

I can only use the experience I've had with our dog, but I'm saying "NO". See, we have a hedgehog living somewhere in my parents yard. Dog, who is about 14 years old now but still curious and stupid as the average puppy, has to have spines removed from his nose every now and then. Last summer, he also picked it up, and carried it to my mom, wagging his tail proudly. Yes, he is that stupid. Probably because he simply likes all other animals. I wonder if it has something to do with herding instinct...

bedlamite · « **Reply #8 on:** July 30, 2009, 07:40:46 AM »

Quote from: The Viking on July 30, 2009, 03:51:10 AM

I can only use the experience I've had with our dog, but I'm saying "NO". See, we have a hedgehog living somewhere in my parents yard. Dog, who is about 14 years old now but still curious and stupid as the average puppy, has to have spines removed from his nose every now and then. Last summer, he also picked it up, and carried it to my mom, wagging his tail proudly. Yes, he is that stupid. Probably because he simply likes all other animals. I wonder if it has something to do with herding instinct...

That depends on the dog. I've had dogs that were dumb as a box of rocks, and I've had dogs that learn very quickly, even with the little things.

K Frame · « **Reply #9 on:** July 30, 2009, 07:49:24 AM »

How is he this morning?

HankB · « **Reply #10 on:** July 30, 2009, 08:34:51 AM »

Quote from: AZRedhawk44 on July 30, 2009, 12:30:22 AM

. . . I run around the house hitting all the corners and baseboards with my nuclear-bio-chem death juice.

What seems to work well? (I've been having trouble finding any bug killer as effective as the Diazinon and Dursban that were taken off the market some years back.)

lee n. field · « **Reply #11 on:** July 30, 2009, 09:57:01 AM »

Quote

a mama bark scorpion.

Where-abouts you live?

Oh. Duh.

Gewehr98 · « **Reply #12 on:** July 30, 2009, 10:26:18 AM »

Thank Gawd we don't have Snow Scorpions up here.

AZRedhawk44 · « **Reply #13 on:** July 30, 2009, 10:28:59 AM »

He's just fine this morning.

Hank: I use a chemical I got from a do-it-yerself pesticide store called Suspend-SC. Active ingredient that seems to do the job pretty well is called Deltamethrin.

wingnutx · « **Reply #14 on:** July 30, 2009, 06:23:29 PM »

I am seeing a massive resurgence of black widows this year.

gunsmith · « **Reply #15 on:** July 31, 2009, 01:37:55 AM »

you KILLED it?

it was my long lost pet! sniff...

AZRedhawk44 · « **Reply #16 on:** July 31, 2009, 02:03:16 AM »

WITH FIRE!!!!111!!! Kill it with FIRE!!!!!

KD5NRH · « **Reply #17 on:** July 31, 2009, 07:35:08 AM »

Quote from: HankB on July 30, 2009, 08:34:51 AM

What seems to work well?

For scorpions, peanut butter scented glue boards. Don't ask me why, but we used to get 100+ scorpions a month out of a customer's home with those. Cherry scented boards might get 5-10, (WTF? These are supposed to catch mice, and since when do mice go for cheap vaguely-cherry-like flavor?) and unscented boards with a glob of peanut butter weren't any better, but the ones that came with the peanut butter scent would draw them out by the dozens.

Buying singles locally usually isn't cheap, ($1-2 each) but a quick Google for "peanut butter glue board" finds lots of hits for the Catchmasters we used in 36 count and up quantities at decent prices. Buy more than you think you'll need: if you have a large supply of scorpions they'll fill up fast. Don't forget to fold them unless you just want the fun of detaching them from the dog, your shoe, or anything else that gets close. Bonus; even the ones that get away tend to disarm themselves by stinging the glue until the stinger breaks off.

Jamisjockey · « **Reply #18 on:** July 31, 2009, 08:10:41 AM »

Quote from: AZRedhawk44 on July 31, 2009, 02:03:16 AM

WITH FIRE!!!!111!!! Kill it with FIRE!!!!!

http://tudorcojocari.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/moab_bomb.jpg

It's the only way to be sure.

Scout26 · « **Reply #19 on:** July 31, 2009, 05:35:05 PM »

Yo Jamis, You got a larger picture ?? I can't read the warning stickers on the equipment in the background......

Marnoot · « **Reply #20 on:** July 31, 2009, 05:42:05 PM »

Quote from: wingnutx on July 30, 2009, 06:23:29 PM

I am seeing a massive resurgence of black widows this year.

I just killed 3 in my garage over the past week. Haven't seen any of them in the house yet, at least. All spiders in the house are condemned to death by spousal decree, and my garage is too small to let dangerous ones survive. I'm always brushing against the walls and leaning into nooks and crannies when in there working on a car.

Jamisjockey · « **Reply #21 on:** July 31, 2009, 09:19:50 PM »

Quote from: scout26 on July 31, 2009, 05:35:05 PM

Yo Jamis, You got a larger picture ?? I can't read the warning stickers on the equipment in the background......

Yeah I should have come back and checked that one...lol

BReilley · « **Reply #22 on:** August 08, 2009, 01:06:55 AM »

Quote from: wingnutx on July 30, 2009, 06:23:29 PM

I am seeing a massive resurgence of black widows this year.

So am I! Wretched things are all over work, and I have killed at least four at home *in the last week*.

Quote from: AZRedhawk44 on July 31, 2009, 02:03:16 AM

WITH FIRE!!!!111!!! Kill it with FIRE!!!!!

...aaaaand that's the way to do it. Unless she's close to the house, in which case I'll just hose her with this nasty bug spray.

Fire, however, is indeed "the only way to be sure". There are more than a few slightly darkened patches on my driveway and patio. Widow+carb cleaner+match=win.

...the big ones "pop".

News:

Author Topic: The guilt is eating me alive... (Read 3283 times)