# Prevention from getting stung?



## Brendan (Dec 11, 2007)

I've been reading all the sting reports (typically from an Pandinus Imperator) and how painful they sound, and it gives me the shivers up my spines.

Now I'm paranoid of getting stung.

I know it sounds stupid, but whenever I make contact with the scorpion or whenever I put my hang in the terrarium or whenever I do anything that involves the scorpion I will be wearing a silicone glove. 

Just a question, how do scorpions react to gloves? Do they think its threatening and attack it as much as they can?


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## thedude (Dec 11, 2007)

idk but as long as you use tongs you never have to worry about it


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## Brendan (Dec 11, 2007)

Slilcone gloves AND tongs will be the ultime combo!!!!


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## K3jser (Dec 11, 2007)

Silicone gloves? why mate? no flaming just asking why? hehe well i was stung by a heterometrus longimanus, it made my finger tip hurt and feel warm and go numb.. that was all.. it disapeered after 3 hours.. you cant say how you will react to the sting, because every person reacts differntly.. you might even be alletic to scorpions and go into anaphylactic shock wich is a bad thing  i know most of my scorps and know how they react when i put my hand inside they "cage" even when i touch them and stuff.. normaly i dont touch my scorps that i know will react agresive.. but sometimes i have to for moving and stuff.. its a emp so the sting wont be that bad, unless you react badly  but it chould be worse like a b.jacksoni


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## Brendan (Dec 11, 2007)

It'll make me feel more secure and safe if I put my hand into the terrarium.


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## cacoseraph (Dec 11, 2007)

if you are that worried just order a pair of these
http://www.bioquip.com/search/DispProduct.asp?itemnum=4728


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## Brendan (Dec 11, 2007)

cacoseraph said:


> if you are that worried just order a pair of these
> http://www.bioquip.com/search/DispProduct.asp?itemnum=4728


!!!!! O_O

Wow! 20 inches long!!!


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## Thaedion (Dec 11, 2007)

Brendan said:


> Slilcone gloves AND tongs will be the ultime combo!!!!


I did a quick Google and with the info I read before I'm pretty sure a scorpion can pierce the silicon/latex gloves you are mentioning. Try leather gloves if you need them.


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## K3jser (Dec 11, 2007)

24$ for a pair of does? 

i whent down to my local household store, you know.. they sell forks and pans and stuff like that.. stuff you use for cooking, you can buy a pair of barbaque thongs same size for like 10$.. same thing


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## tyrant963 (Dec 11, 2007)

a dude at the some petstore told me, as long as your not allergic to a bee sting, then you dont have to worry about a emperor scorps sting.  Not sure if thats true


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## lucanidae (Dec 11, 2007)

Put a cup over your animal anytime you work with it. If you are really scared put something small on top of the cup to weight it down. Really...as long as you use common sense you don't need gloves. Common sense does include tongs or forceps for more dangerous species.....it seems I lack common sense completely but I haven't been stung in years.


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## skinheaddave (Dec 11, 2007)

I assume by silicone gloves you mean the thick oven-mitt kinds rather than something thin like a latex examination glove?  If so, I wouldn't bother when it comes to manipulating scorpions.  You lose all your manual dexterity and that means you open up the posibility of injuring your scorpion.  If you mean the thin kinds then the sting will pass right through anyhow.  In fact, depending on the thickness, a large scorpion like an emp or asian forest may get a lucky shot through the thick kind too.

So what can you do?  As has already been mentioned tongs/forceps are the way to go.  You can even put some foam or rubber padding on the end of forceps.  My wife made me up some tweezers with foam padding on them which I quite like.  I have also known some people to use plasti-dip or some other rubberizing paints as well as just taking some plastic or rubber tubing and slipping it over the ends (making sure it fits snuggly, of course).  Just get tongs big enough that you don't put your hand within sting range -- these things can't jump and they can't telport so if you don't put your hand in there, you won't get stung.

If you are not happy with that, then there is one remaining solution -- get rid of them.  If you are THAT paranoid about them stinging then you are going to either get stung, injure yourself or someone else or, most likely of all, kill your scorpion.  It is okay to be a bit nervous and it is great if you are cautious -- but if the only thing you can do when you are near them is worry and sweat bullets then you are not going to be rational enough to maintain them.  They may have a nice hard shell, but they do not take kindly to being flung, having things dropped on them etc. because you are scared and have jerky, instinctual reactions.  

Cheers,
Dave


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## gambite (Dec 12, 2007)

I have found that if you just take some time to get to know your scorps and how they react, then you will be fine by just using common sense. When I first got mine, I was the same way. After a few months of occasional handling and 'playing' with them, I found what makes them get mad and aggressive and what they will tolerate long enough for me to do what I need.


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## K3jser (Dec 12, 2007)

tyrant963 said:


> a dude at the some petstore told me, as long as your not allergic to a bee sting, then you dont have to worry about a emperor scorps sting.  Not sure if thats true


A friend of mine who got alot of scorps have been stung plenty of times by his scorps and no reaction at all.. well pain and stuff like that.. but then this summer a bee stung him and he had to go to the hospital, had a serious reaction to the bee sting cause he was allergic to bees, he has afterwards been stung with out no bad reaction.. i belive that the bee venom and scorpion venom aint the same thing.. so you can be allergic to bees and still have no reaction from a scorpion sting


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## ~Abyss~ (Dec 12, 2007)

I would be carefull with any scorp period. But sometimes I admit when I have a low level scorpion that scares me I get stung on purpose to shake it off. Like my H.arizonensis scared the crap out of me when I first got them. I got stung on purpose and it wasn't so bad.


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## Vietnamese510 (Dec 12, 2007)

K3jser said:


> A friend of mine who got alot of scorps have been stung plenty of times by his scorps and no reaction at all.. well pain and stuff like that.. but then this summer a bee stung him and he had to go to the hospital, had a serious reaction to the bee sting cause he was allergic to bees, he has afterwards been stung with out no bad reaction.. i belive that the bee venom and scorpion venom aint the same thing.. so you can be allergic to bees and still have no reaction from a scorpion sting



lmao you make it sound like we should all get stung plenty of times


and i still use tongs or leather gloves for rehousing and ect.

i still just want to be safe no matter  what.

so brendan just be safe ise the tongs or leather gloves it doesnt matter how weak there venom is its still not "cool" to get stung by a scorpion


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## K3jser (Dec 12, 2007)

How do i make it sound like that? i dont premote handling of scorps, much better to use thongs for yourself and the scorp. All i wanted to say was that you can be allergic to bees without being allergic to scorps.. dont know if it works the orther way allso


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## Xaranx (Dec 12, 2007)

I have had a few scorps for about 4 months now, not been stung yet.  I'm getting more lax lately, don't always run to get the tongs just to move a piece of bark.  That's how it starts I'd imagine.


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## K3jser (Dec 12, 2007)

i dont use thongs for everything, normaly when i have to pick them up i use a plastic box and just push them into it with the lid of the box.. normaly they just run in.. i rember when i had my first scorp, when i opened the lid for its home and it started to home near i closed it fast, used thongs for everything back then, Now iam abit more careless because i know my scorps and know they dont jump out of they hiding and start chewing on my hand. Just have to get abit used to them and know what they are like, had a H.spadix i chould go near without him trying to sting me thouge the glass, had to use thongs for everything around him, agressive little one  where one of my longimanus doesnt care what i do in her home as long as i dont disturbed her too much..


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## Mr. Mordax (Dec 13, 2007)

Brendan said:


> I know it sounds stupid, but whenever I make contact with the scorpion or whenever I put my hang in the terrarium or whenever I do anything that involves the scorpion I will be wearing a silicone glove.
> 
> Just a question, how do scorpions react to gloves? Do they think its threatening and attack it as much as they can?


They won't react any differently to gloves than they will to your hands or to some large predator.  If they have the option they'll skitter off to their burrow; if they're cornered, they'll get defensive.  Most of mine sit in their burrow with their claws sticking out if I'm in there for tank maintainance.

As Skinheaddave mentioned earlier, most gloves won't even help you (and may be dangerous to the scorpion).

I've been in this hobby only about a year and a half, but I've handled several scorpions (different species too) and never been stung.  The best idea is to simply avoid handling the really dangerous species.  If all you have are emperors I wouldn't worry about being stung.

I wouldn't worry about anaphylaxis, either -- I've only heard of one or two cases of alergic reactions from scorpion venom.

Since you're relatively new to the hobby, it's perfectly understandable to be apprehensive about handling.  I was really nervous for the first four months of scorp-owning until I got up the nerve to hold them.

ANYWHO!  At the end of my long-winded post, I'll say this: if you don't want to get stung, don't poke at your scorpions, reach into a burrow you can't see in, or otherwise corner them.


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## Vaughan69 (Dec 13, 2007)

K3jser said:


> How do i make it sound like that? i dont premote handling of scorps, much better to use thongs for yourself and the scorp. All i wanted to say was that you can be allergic to bees without being allergic to scorps.. dont know if it works the orther way allso


Thongs for you AND the scorp? kinky!  lool

On a more serious note you CAN get pierce resistant gloves that they use in hospitals when handling things like used needles. I know it is the extreem but they do pretty much garauntee you wont get stung on your hands at least. Theyre not cheap by any means though £134 plus VAT which works out about $260 if im not wrong. Im sure there are cheaper ones around but these are the highest grade safety ones and are machine washable  lol but then i guess theyre not TOO thick for handling scorps if theyre machine washable. heres the link 

http://www.meadowshealthandsafety.com/acatalog/HexArmor_Gloves.html

Hope this helps satisfy your safety worries lol

edit: just read the glove description and it actually says for use with 'small animal handling' whether this qualifies for arachnids or other such animals i dont know...


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## Brendan (Dec 13, 2007)

Vaughan69 said:


> Thongs for you AND the scorp? kinky!  lool
> 
> On a more serious note you CAN get pierce resistant gloves that they use in hospitals when handling things like used needles. I know it is the extreem but they do pretty much garauntee you wont get stung on your hands at least. Theyre not cheap by any means though £134 plus VAT which works out about $260 if im not wrong. Im sure there are cheaper ones around but these are the highest grade safety ones and are machine washable  lol but then i guess theyre not TOO thick for handling scorps if theyre machine washable. heres the link
> 
> ...


Wow!

Those things would work perfectly!! I'm serious!

Sadly, I don't want to pay over $40 for a pair of gloves


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## K3jser (Dec 13, 2007)

Brendan said:


> Wow!
> 
> Those things would work perfectly!! I'm serious!
> 
> Sadly, I don't want to pay over $40 for a pair of gloves


Brendan you cant be serious that your that scared of being stung?


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## Vaughan69 (Dec 13, 2007)

They are litterally THE most extreme measure of safety and i doubt many people would use them with anything other than the most medically signifficant scorpions. BUT they are an option none the less, just whether you can justify THAT price is the question...


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## Brendan (Dec 13, 2007)

K3jser said:


> Brendan you cant be serious that your that scared of being stung?


Nah, I'm not THAT scared. I was just joking about those gloves.

The only things I'll be using are leather gloves & tongs.



Vaughan69 said:


> They are litterally THE most extreme measure of safety and i doubt many people would use them with anything other than the most medically signifficant scorpions. BUT they are an option none the less, just whether you can justify THAT price is the question...


Of course I'm not going to buy em xD

To be honest, the whole point of this thread was actually just to ask how scorpions would react to gloves XD.

Because, they will NEVER be seeing my naked hand.


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## Mr. Mordax (Dec 13, 2007)

Brendan said:


> To be honest, the whole point of this thread was actually just to ask how scorpions would react to gloves XD.


The same way they'd react to hands.



> _Because, they will NEVER be seeing my naked hand. _


As SHD said, gloves make you lose dexterity -- so if one _does_ crawl on you, you won't be able to manipulate it as easily or as safely.  And all but those sharps-protection gloves won't even help.

And besides, a startled scorpion could easily clamber up the gloves and onto your wrist . . . and maybe interpret the opening of the glove as a secure burrow to hide in . . . (I almost had a flatrock go up my pants because of that behavior).


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## Crono (Dec 13, 2007)

I've had a skittish Lychas try to run up my arm before, a glove would have just given it an even better grip and, likely, a very tempting place for a skittish barkscorpion to run into. (It was a very stupid mistake, I got careless)

Get some tongs and practice with them, and always be aware of the scorp when you do maintenance (or isolation with a cup like mentioned above), and you will be fine.

Edit- Looks like I should only have one tab open at a time if I want to get the first post.


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## K3jser (Dec 13, 2007)

Guys havent you looked at the site? you can get arm protection allso.. plus the gloves.. ! its perfect! muahhaha..


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## Mr. Mordax (Dec 13, 2007)

I looked -- I've just had a scorpion climb all the way onto my back once before I knew it.  I somehow doubt a pierce-proof bodysuit would be too feasable.  *shrug*


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## K3jser (Dec 13, 2007)

whould hate to climb into such a thing just to feed my scorps or enter my scorp room


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