traumatized by vermin

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Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.

I live in Tucson. I'm on the far northeast side. I've lived here for a few years. The vermin are traumatizing me. I just had an encounter with the BIGGEST SPIDER I HAVE EVER SEEN INSIDE. I'm still shaking. I realized after I saw it that it was too big to kill with a shoe. Long story short, it has left this world and its corpse is on my patio.

I am moving to Phoenix for nursing school soon, when my pre-reqs are done. I know that the newly developed areas have the most insects indoors, but still? Are certain areas worse than others? Does Phoenix have as many 'vermin' as Tucson? Here's what I experience outside: tarantulas on my sidewalk last week, bobcat by trash can a few days ago, a snake by my drive a few weeks ago, and javelina come by my bedroom window at night. Indoors: spiders, roaches, and the occasional scorpion. I have been stung by a scorpion. It actually wasn't too bad. A little nausea, cramps, rapid heart beat, and numbness. (((It's the large spiders that I cannot handle.))):uhoh3:

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ewwwwwwww!! Just my own opinion....but I think all spiders should be SHOT!! :lol2: I hate them...would not live where there are big hairy spiders, and creepy-crawly things. Have never been to Phoenix...so I can't help you....sorry. But I definately feel your pain!

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

I've been thinking about moving to AZ in the future..........maybe I'd better reconsider:eek:

Guess I've forgotten about those 'critters' since I moved away from Southern California 18 years ago. I'm terrified of spiders---I'll scream for my hubby if there's one in the house that's bigger than a dime---and I know the southwest is full of 'em.

I remember the time my mother almost got us killed trying to run over a tarantula in the road---the damned thing JUMPED right up onto the hood of the car!!! She was frantically rolling up her window and swerving all over the road, oblivious to the oncoming traffic, and we nearly got T-boned by an 18-wheeler.

Kinda stupid when you think about it, but when a spider bigger than your hand is staring at you through your windshield......well, common sense goes right down the dumper. Maybe I'd better just learn to love our wet, dreary winters up here after all.:uhoh3:

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Specializes in Neuro ICU, Neuro/Trauma stepdown.

i am sooooo terrified of spiders and i honestly think it's from living in AZ as a youngster (i remember perfectly well how huge they were), of course my mothers reaction to them probably solidified by fears. to this day she tells stories of the sewer roaches in phoenix "they fly, for one, and so big they would turn their head and look at you!" then there was the time they bred in the paperbags she had accumulated from the grocery store (no real reason to save them anyway). my dad found them and she freaked out so bad she chased him out of the house dousing him with raid until he was violently ill!

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Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.
I've been thinking about moving to AZ in the future..........maybe I'd better reconsider:eek:

Guess I've forgotten about those 'critters' since I moved away from Southern California 18 years ago. I'm terrified of spiders---I'll scream for my hubby if there's one in the house that's bigger than a dime---and I know the southwest is full of 'em.

I remember the time my mother almost got us killed trying to run over a tarantula in the road---the damned thing JUMPED right up onto the hood of the car!!! She was frantically rolling up her window and swerving all over the road, oblivious to the oncoming traffic, and we nearly got T-boned by an 18-wheeler.

Kinda stupid when you think about it, but when a spider bigger than your hand is staring at you through your windshield......well, common sense goes right down the dumper. Maybe I'd better just learn to love our wet, dreary winters up here after all.:uhoh3:

!!! about the tarantula story. Wow. Wow.

I know if you move into an urban area that has been established for many many years that you don't have the indoor vermin trouble. If you come to AZ - just don't move into 'wild' areas like where I'm at. I'm at the boundary for national forest land.

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Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.

Well. I've never been so upset over an encounter with indoor vermin, as last night. I'm quite good actually, at killing spiders and scorpions. I have to be. I live alone.

Anyway, I couldn't get to sleep until 4am. Today I'm skiddish and walking around in shoes in the house. Normally I'm barefoot. I took my cat to bed with me, hoping he would be alert to any incoming vermin and of course he was so excited to sleep with me that he slept on my pillow curled around my head. Made me wheeze - I'm allergic.

Ok, sorry to ramble. Back to my Phoenix questions.

I know urban, established buildings reduce the indoor vermin encounters. Besides that, are there certain areas in the suberbs that are known for lots of scorpions, for example? Or spiders? I'm leaning towards Phoenix College for my first choice and Scottsdale second.

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Brings back memories of living in Tucson. In 1995 I lived in newly constructed apartments near Sabino Canyon and Snyder Rd. There were oodles of little clear bark scorpions. After a while you built up a skill with seeing them from the corner of your eye. They usually hang high on the ceilings and walls. At night you can use a florescent light to illuiminate them. I got stung once and it wasn't too bad.

We then moved to an older house north of Sunrise and dealt with rattle snakes and rats. We had a utility door access on side of the house and they loved to gnaw through the door and burrow in the walls/insulation. Last thing you want to do is poison them so they can then decompose for months. :o

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Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.
Brings back memories of living in Tucson. In 1995 I lived in newly constructed apartments near Sabino Canyon and Snyder Rd. There were oodles of little clear bark scorpions. After a while you built up a skill with seeing them from the corner of your eye. They usually hang high on the ceilings and walls. At night you can use a florescent light to illuiminate them. I got stung once and it wasn't too bad.

We then moved to an older house north of Sunrise and dealt with rattle snakes and rats. We had a utility door access on side of the house and they loved to gnaw through the door and burrow in the walls/insulation. Last thing you want to do is poison them so they can then decompose for months. :o

Yes. I am in this area where you lived. I agree, the sting of the bark scorpion actually isn't that bad. Frankly, I'm glad I know what it's like now, because the known is less scary than the unknown.

Thank goodness my cat alerts me to these things. He chases spiders. He does not chase scorpions like he used to. I think he got stung by one. He also doesn't chase roaches anymore. I think he doesn't like the taste.

Does the Phoenix area have less vermin? Spiders especially? I'm serious about wanting to know.

Well, I'm off to buy a new purse. Last night the spider-animal crawled into my purse during the chase and I flooded it with raid. The leather is soaked.

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We bought in a new development that was formerly farmland. So needless to say, lotsa spiders!

I get my perimeter of the outside of the house, the garage, and my brick fence sprayed by the exterminators every 1-2 months. Knock on wood, that has kept the spiders out of my house so far! Otherwise we get tons of black widows outside. I have not had to deal with scorpions, I think in my part of the valley, they are not prevalent.

Exterminators are the key! I won't let them spray inside my house. But doing the garage, fence and outside seems to be enough.

Rebecca

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I'm in Gilbert and I haven't seen many critters here. I saw on scorpion about 10 years ago while our development was under construction. We also supposedly had Black Widows in our back yard at that time. I never saw one though. We have a monthly pest control service. The 34.95 we spend a month for the service is well worth the piece of mind..no spiders, scorpions, crickets, roaches etc.....

.

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Specializes in Cardiac.

I picked up a couple of stray kittens a few years back and they are the best protection for vermin! They have 'street' in them, so even though they are indoors, they still destroy any poor soul who happens to stroll into our living room. They even work as a team! Every now and then I will find only a roach leg in the tub. That's how good they are!

Maybe it's because of all the new construction out where you live?

I've never seen a scorpion in my house, but we have had a few bobcats in the alley, lots of geckos, a raccoon or two, a few coyotes, even a brown recluse! I live in the middle of the city, so the wildlife I see makes me kinda sad, because I know that it means they have no food or water where they live.:o

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Specializes in Med Surg/Tele/ER.

Oh my gosh....I hate spiders!!! I read these posts & have gone into a shaking shiver! :lol2: uugh! My daughter lives in west Tx & I went to visit one time......she said "mom be sure you check the bed before you get in it...and if you lay any clothes in the floor shake them real good before you put them on!" I said what am I looking for??? reply.. scorpions, spiders. I tried to figure out if I could sleep standing up :trout: & thought about keeping my clothes in my truck! Exterminators were well paid the next day! I simply would not live where this stuff does! Thank the Lord she is moving to the Dallas area, I hope they don't have these things there!

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