# Have you seen wild scorpions in South Carolina?



## Mr. Quick

I am just curious as to wheter anyone in or near Northern South Carolina including counties such as Chesterfield, Marlboro, Florence, Dillon, Kershaw, Lancaster, the Myrtle Beach area, etc.and the surrounding North Carolina counties such as Scotland, Richmond counties, etc.  have ever seen a wild scorpion in the wilderness. I know that some parts of South/North Carolina are homes to a couple of scorpions. 

I am also interested to hear of people who may have saw wild scorpions in these and other areas of South/North Carolina...


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## 357wheelgunner

Mr. Quick said:


> have ever seen a wild scorpion in the wilderness.


lol

With gloves go out and start tipping rocks and logs over, TOWARDS YOU, so that if any snakes are under they'll go away from you.  Watch your fingers, I almost got stung in Arizona by a little orange scorpion...


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## yuanti

Ok I'm not sure if they were native scorpions but...

  A month after I arrived home from the middle east ( I also had 3 packages shipped from there, back in 2002) my parents, living in Mt. Pleasant, had various sizes of yellowish colored scorpions (3 total that they found).  I know there are local species but I'm fairly certain that they were imports.  Largest one was about 1"


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## Mr. Quick

There isn't much rock where I live, but I do go outdoors, turning over bark, logs, etc. Lately I have found crickets, black widows, centipedes, millipedes, fungus (I assume) and ants. No scorps. I am nearly convinced that they are not near my home. When the weather warms up and stays warm, I will go out more.


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## Mr. Quick

I went out "scorp hunting" again today. I saw many black widows and also two large black widow egg sacs. I also saw a colony of large termites with wings. I have never seen termites this large. They were winged and atleast twice the size of what I am used to seeing. I also found more crickets and also one that had freshly molted. Its body was a rust color but its wings were still white. Maybe the last couple of days (temps around 70 F), triggered it to molt.

No scorps though...


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## yuanti

I've never seen any local scorpions however I have come across some very small centipedes and larger sized millipedes in my yard.  I have some wetlands right behind my house.


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## Mr. Quick

yuanti said:


> I've never seen any local scorpions however I have come across some very small centipedes and larger sized millipedes in my yard.  I have some wetlands right behind my house.


I can find centipedes and milipedes, pill bugs, etc in/near my yard also. There are probably no/not many scorps around my area.


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## brandontmyers

There are reports of Centruroides vittatus, and Centruroides hentzi. Most of them are around Charleston. I think there are some C. vittatus in Columbia. Most of the V. carolinianus are distributed in the western part of the state. In the Upstate, and mountains. I have looked, not very much and still haven't been able to find anything. My parents live in Sunset Beach, NC, which is about an hour north of Myrtle Beach. It seems like a good place, since there are a lot of swamps, but to no avail yet. When it gets warmer I will look again.'

Brandon


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## Jeri

Something else that might help is to take a portable blacklight.  If there are any scorps that you might have missed they will fluoresce.


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## GartenSpinnen

I used to live in Lugoff SC in Kershaw county. I went to a ball park down the road that was wooded and had a sandy rocky area. I searched every day for several weeks and found nothing but black widows, and large wolf spiders. However, one day i went out near night time and tore off some damp bark on a tree and found several very very small very fast V. carolinianus on the bark. They are usually so small and blend in so well they are hard to see, but i have heard of them getting around the 1-1.5" mark. So my advice is start looking around rotting damp tree bark laying on the ground in the woods. Go a little further south around Augusta and i seen birds dining on scorpions all the time, not sure what they were but they were decent sized. Good luck...
-Nate


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## Mr. Quick

shammer4life said:


> I used to live in Lugoff SC in Kershaw county. I went to a ball park down the road that was wooded and had a sandy rocky area. I searched every day for several weeks and found nothing but black widows, and large wolf spiders. However, one day i went out near night time and tore off some damp bark on a tree and found several very very small very fast V. carolinianus on the bark. They are usually so small and blend in so well they are hard to see, but i have heard of them getting around the 1-1.5" mark. So my advice is start looking around rotting damp tree bark laying on the ground in the woods. Go a little further south around Augusta and i seen birds dining on scorpions all the time, not sure what they were but they were decent sized. Good luck...
> -Nate


Thanks. I've been through to Lugoff (we still call it Lugoff-Elgin). Lugoff is probably an hour or so from me. Maybe there are scorps near me after all. I may just have to go a little farther in the woods, etc. I am trying to find rocky areas. Also, I may try buying me a black light flashlight, although, I don't plan on scorp hunting at night. There are large rattlesnakes, and cottonmouths here and I do not like snakes. Maybe, if I purchase a blacklight, I will be able to use it right before dark, or early in the morning.


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## brandontmyers

If you want to meet up sometime near Lugoff, we can do a little hunting. It's only about an hour/ hour and a half from me right down 77. I would be willing to drive.

Brandon


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## GartenSpinnen

Just remember to look in the bark. Theres a baseball park in lugoff right off of highway 1 where i used to find them. Dont remember the name of the road. However, it was litterally about 1/10th of a mile from where i used to live, which was in S. village Ln. Theres also a good spot for finding inverts on the river in town, again right on highway 1. Theres a little back road right off the main road (right beside the bridge), take it all the way back into this park. Then you can go down to the river and theres nothing but rocks and you can find all kinds of stuff down there. Sorry my directions might be scratchy at best .
Happy hunting...
-Nate

Looked up some directions, the baseball park i am referring to is on Smith Rd. (SC-S-28-369).


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## BurrowDweller

I lived in Seneca up by Clemson for a bit and we frequently had V. carolinianus in our apartment (basement apartment). They seemed to be very common in that area.


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## Tim R.

Here's a link to a thread a while back. I found some on old barns in polk county NC. 

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=28865&highlight=V.+carolinianus


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## brandontmyers

Tim,

You still in Polk County? Looking to get some, but don't really feel like driving up to the Smokies to find any.

Brandon


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## Tim R.

Nah, born and raised in florida and just had to come back home. I havent been there in two years.


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## Mr. Quick

Lokal said:


> If you want to meet up sometime near Lugoff, we can do a little hunting. It's only about an hour/ hour and a half from me right down 77. I would be willing to drive.
> 
> Brandon



I appreciate the offer. Right now,my schedule is crazy. Also, I don't have my own place and my mother won't let me have scorps. But you never know. Maybe in the future we may try to get together for a scorp hunt. I am reading up and researching especially Emps and Hets. All I can do is wait for now.


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## meghanaut

*found scorpion this AM in my bathroom near the ceiling*

Strange to see this site, I was looking to see what kinds of Scorpions live in SC when I came upon you.  This AM I found a brown scorpion, small about 1 /2 to 2 inches long crawling along near my ceiling.  It just went about a foot and turned around went back a foot turned around went back over and over. 

I got a broom and knocked it into the tub, caught it and put it in a jar. with air holes.  Don't know what they eat but at least wanted to know more before I put it out far away from my yard.

As I said it is brown and tannish and scary to be inside my house!


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## brandontmyers

Where do you live at. 99% sure it is V. carolinianus. Not a threat. Beautiful scorpion.


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## Brent H.

Anything found along the coastal plain of South Carolina will likely be an introduced species of _Centruroides_ (_vittatus_ or _hentzi_).  _Vaejovis carolinianus _is native to the higher elevations in the northwestern part of the state - I saw about a dozen of these in Paris Mountain State Park a few years ago (I looked for about an hour).


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## pitbulllady

I've encountered _V. carolinensis_ in much of the Pee Dee area where I live, including in Lee and Florence counties.  I've been stung twice by this species after unknowingly putting my hand on one that had taken refuge between the boards that made up the door of a dog run, and I've also had a similar encounter with a _C. vittatus_ in Florence county that left me with neurological symptoms for three months, leading to the conclusion that I'm one of those lucky people who happen to be sensitive to scorp venoms.  One year when I lived in lower Florence county, we had a very wet summer, following by a sort of population explosion of _V. carolinensis_ scorpion.  I'd find them literally strolling across the carpet in the house and it was just about impossible to walk outside at night without stepping on several.  At that time, I just considered scorpions to be a pest and a potential menace, so there was no love lost.  Now, in retrospect, I wouldn't mind a brief return to those days!  It's been several years, though, since I found the last "free-range" scorpion around here, and I have to wonder if the prolonged drought we've experienced hasn't contributed to that.

pitbulllady


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## meghanaut

*scorpion in my house*

Ladson SC, in new construction home, last year this area was solid woods near Tall Pines.  I have a picture of it.  I fed it a bug.  It ate it.  What puzzles me is that I have always heard that there were scorpions here but NEVER in my life saw one.  Then this one is crawling on my wall inside my house.  How did it get there.  I have lived here for several months.  I watched this house built from the ground up and never saw anything inside it.


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## Mr. Quick

I first found out about seven or eight years ago that there were scorpions in SC by reading an article in a SC Wildlife Magazine. I have never seen one in the wild yet but I haven't given up yet. I would hate to find them though and end up jinxing myself and then they end up appearing in the house. And to the previous couple of posters who found scorps in SC, are the scorps you have found under bark, in the ground, where? Not really any rocks around here, but I search the leaf little and under rotten logs, under the bark of these rotten logs, etc. The other day, I searched near a creek/swamp. I am trying different habitat areas... Still searching though...


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## GartenSpinnen

Mr. Quick said:


> I first found out about seven or eight years ago that there were scorpions in SC by reading an article in a SC Wildlife Magazine. I have never seen one in the wild yet but I haven't given up yet. I would hate to find them though and end up jinxing myself and then they end up appearing in the house. And to the previous couple of posters who found scorps in SC, are the scorps you have found under bark, in the ground, where? Not really any rocks around here, but I search the leaf little and under rotten logs, under the bark of these rotten logs, etc. The other day, I searched near a creek/swamp. I am trying different habitat areas... Still searching though...


Dry sandy areas around rotten bark and downed trees.
-Nate


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## Tim R.

These are not found every where in north or south carolina. I looked a lot in nc and sc. You will find them in only a few counties in nc and sc combined. Start in the tryon area of nc...Columbus, Hendersonville, Saluda. If you can find someone who will let you look around on their property you will find them. You need to look on old barn walls in under and around objects there. Under rotting logs and just about anything else they will hide under. Go at night and Black light them they are very small and very hard to spot. Just try not to over collect if you do start to find them as there may not be that many left.


Tim<><


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## Marshal

Well shoot, sounds like you're on the right track now.  So hey, if you do plan  on goin out herpin you should collect some widows for me!


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## Mr. Quick

Tim R. said:


> These are not found every where in north or south carolina. I looked a lot in nc and sc. You will find them in only a few counties in nc and sc combined. Start in the tryon area of nc...Columbus, Hendersonville, Saluda. If you can find someone who will let you look around on their property you will find them. You need to look on old barn walls in under and around objects there. Under rotting logs and just about anything else they will hide under. Go at night and Black light them they are very small and very hard to spot. Just try not to over collect if you do start to find them as there may not be that many left. Tim<><


Thanks for the helpful tips Tim.




Marshal said:


> Well shoot, sounds like you're on the right track now.  So hey, if you do plan  on goin out herpin you should collect some widows for me!


Urggh...I cringe (sp) when I come across all of those widows. I can stand the thought of black widows.:8o


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## Tim R.

No Prob, post pics if you find any.


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## Mr. Quick

Tim R. said:


> No Prob, post pics if you find any.



If I find any, I will definitely try to post pics. Also, I just remembered, there is a place a couple miles from my house that is a sandy/rocky/clay environment. Maybe if hasn't grown up too much, I can get someone to show me how to get back down there to it. Maybe I can find some there.


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## Tim R.

If you find the right places, you'll do well. We found 5 in less than an hour one afternoon.


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## DustinGoliath

BurrowDweller said:


> I lived in Seneca up by Clemson for a bit and we frequently had V. carolinianus in our apartment (basement apartment). They seemed to be very common in that area.



Indeed. I live in Anderson and grew up in Pendleton. There are quite a few in the upstate. Ive have the misfortune of being stung on the foot when one got in my shoe.


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## Malkavian

I've often wondered about NC scorps as they're one of those things that I theoretically knew existed but haven't ever seen.  

Any of you NC/SC guys get together to go collecting (snakes, scorps, whatever) shoot me a PM, i'm in south Charlotte, also don't mind driving a bit


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## brandontmyers

I'm game, I live in the University area, go to school at Charlotte. I know some places, but they are a little drive away.


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## Malkavian

Cool, I'm down around Carowinds, just graduated from UNCC 2 years ago.  You talking little drive like an hour or two? I'd be up for that just about any weekend.

Also: Family does the beach thing @ sunset beach, I'll be down there around the 2nd week of July, any tips for herping down there? I've always wanted to cause of the swamps and so on but it's usually miserable hot when I end up in the area.


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## brandontmyers

haha, my parents live at Sunset Beach. I have search the actual island, as well as Ocean Isle, but to no avail. You may be able to find something in the remote marsh parts. There are a lot of them around.

I live off of Mallard Creek and Harris. I would def. be down. I have heard they are everywhere are Murphy country, but that's a drive. I'll do some research and get back to you on that.


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## Malkavian

Lokal said:


> haha, my parents live at Sunset Beach. I have search the actual island, as well as Ocean Isle, but to no avail. You may be able to find something in the remote marsh parts. There are a lot of them around.
> 
> I live off of Mallard Creek and Harris. I would def. be down. I have heard they are everywhere are Murphy country, but that's a drive. I'll do some research and get back to you on that.



Yyyeahh Murphy county's a bit away unless you know someone with a pilot's license   I grew up in Rutherford County (1 east of Polk) but don't know if the v. carolinianus range extends over there or not


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## enjoier14

Lokal said:


> I'm game, I live in the University area, go to school at Charlotte. I know some places, but they are a little drive away.


Same here, I'm up for scorp hunting anytime!  ...I just have to know in advance so I can ask off of work.  I don't mind driving...I live 30 minutes north of Charlotte.  Just send me a pm if you're interested!


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## redroban

*"Ghost" scorpion*

I was seeking answers on the 'net about a scorpion when I found this link and just had to chime in with my South Carolina scorpion tale.

First off, let me say I don't study arachnids.  So, terminology will fly right over my head.  However, there is one enduring scorpion mystery for me (hence my search), and its a type of scorpion I saw in northern Greenville County, South Carolina.

Back in the 80's, I often attended summer camp at Camp Old Indian, a Boy Scout camp north of Highway 11.  While there, I'd heard from other scouts each year that they'd seen scorpions at the camp on rare occasions. Being still rather green, I assumed scorpions were only in the West, and didn't believe them until one early well-lit evening when I spotted one close to the heal of another scout.  This was in the camp's "Mountain A's", an Adirondike cabin section of the camp at the very top of their hill.  The panicked scout killed the scorpion but not before several of us had seen it.  It was small, about an inch at the most, and very pale.  I originally thought it was white, but now wonder if perhaps it was a very pale wax-yellow. It was my understanding that other scouts had seen similar ones over the years.  The camp's nature lodge was run by older scouts who, unfortunately, did not have enough knowledge or resources at the time to identify them.  Lacking a name, and noting the color, we took to calling them "Ghost Scorpions".  I've lived in Greenville county for nearly all of my 41 years, seeing several types of arachnids here, but never scorpions except for Camp Old Indian.  I've read in this thread and elsewhere of small black scorpions, but I've never found reference anywhere to the pale ones.  Anyone know what the ghost scorpion could be?


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## Malkavian

Lokal said:


> haha, my parents live at Sunset Beach. I have search the actual island, as well as Ocean Isle, but to no avail. You may be able to find something in the remote marsh parts. There are a lot of them around.
> 
> I live off of Mallard Creek and Harris. I would def. be down. I have heard they are everywhere are Murphy country, but that's a drive. I'll do some research and get back to you on that.


Found a place a little closer yet?


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## brandontmyers

Still nothing. I would really like to get a couple specimens from different locations for my studies, but looks like I may have to drive.


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## gg061443

*Scorpions in Upstate South Carolina (Greer/Greenville)*

*  I have occasionally found small scorpions in my house.  I live in Greer and when the Pest Control people come out one or two can be found dead around the house.  I have no idea if they are poisonous or if their bite is powerful.  If someone out there knows about these scorpions I wilsh they'd post it on this site.*


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## Mr. Quick

It's been a while since I visited Arachnoboards. I was just wondering has anyone seen any scorpions in/near the Florence, Darlington, Chesterfield, Marlboro, Dillion County areas of South Carolina since...I have been so busy working and its been so hot here lately. I may wait until the Fall or Winter and turn over a few logs and other places and try to locate any. Maybe in a few months, I will be able to get my own place and then I can purchase as many as I want to and won't have to answer to anyone but myself.


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## Mr. Quick

Any findings in any of the above locations?


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## Mr. Quick

Howdy. It's been some time since I last visited the site...


Any luck?


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## Convivium

I found this one around my yard yesterday. I am in Clemson, SC. I was curious as to what species it was. I found this forum and answered my question so I thought I would share a few pictures. Thanks.

Reactions: Like 1


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## brandontmyers

Vaejovis carolinianus. They should be pretty common around your area. Especially in the forests under downed and rotting trees.


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## makrouse

Found this one on Johns Island, SC this morning.


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## Smokehound714

makrouse said:


> Found this one on Johns Island, SC this morning.


Centruroides hentzi

  C vittatus can be told apart by the presence of a dark triangle on the front of the prosoma


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## Sihotang79

My brother found this one in his house in lexington last night


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## brandontmyers

Definitely _Vaejovis carolinianus_. Pretty prevalent across the upstate and and getting further down in the piedmont. Probably more around the area as they seem to congregate as adults.

Edit - Also to note these guys are not dangerous. Very similar to a bee sting. Can be more of a nuisance than anything unless you are an enthusiast.


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## Dawsonray51515

Just the other day I caught a wild asain Forest scorpion crossing the path in the woods behind my house an I've caught I've caught the southern devil scorpions out of Holly hill


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## ManfredNC

Dawsonray51515 said:


> Just the other day I caught a wild asain Forest scorpion crossing the path in the woods behind my house an I've caught I've caught the southern devil scorpions out of Holly hill


Hi, Dawsonray51515,

I live in NC, and I am considering to hunt scorpions in NC and SC, to breed them. Could you please tell me your location? Are there a lot or a few of scorpions?

Best wishes,

Manfred


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## ArachnoDrew

Caught a wild Asian forest scorpion where???


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## ManfredNC

ArachnoDrew said:


> Caught a wild Asian forest scorpion where???


Probably, no wild Asian forest scorpion in both NC and SC. We do have wild species of _Vaejovis carolinianus in the two states.

Any species of scorpion is fine with me._


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## ArachnoDrew

ManfredNC said:


> Probably, no wild Asian forest scorpion in both NC and SC. We do have wild species of _Vaejovis carolinianus in the two states.
> 
> Any species of scorpion is fine with me._


For a fact their isn't. Unless somehow someone realised a Captive one into the wild and by some mircale it thrived and lived lol


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## ManfredNC

ArachnoDrew said:


> For a fact their isn't. Unless somehow someone realised a Captive one into the wild and by some mircale it thrived and lived lol


Hi, ArachnoDrew,

Thanks a lot!

Do you know a location in SC or NC where is good for scorpion hunting?

Manfred


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## brandontmyers

Upstate SC and western NC are the best places. The further west you go, the better chances you'll have. Areas around Clemson in SC and west of Asheville should be crawling with them.


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## ManfredNC

brandontmyers said:


> Upstate SC and western NC are the best places. The further west you go, the better chances you'll have. Areas around Clemson in SC and west of Asheville should be crawling with them.


Thanks you so much!


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## Jcarter

Old post I know. But yes,we just found a scorpion on 7/6/17 approx 1.5"-2" long. while doing some palm tree work inside wild Dunes, located on the isle of palms In Charleston SC.

(Home was located right next to a pond which was connected to the golf course.)


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## RTTB

Looks like a C hentzi as well. I always thought of them in Florida but looks like they have travelled North.


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## brandontmyers

Centruroides hentzi for sure. There are pockets of them all over the Carolinas. One of my friends found one in his shower in Charlotte a few years back.


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