Florida bark scorpions - C. gracilis

[1Lord Of Ants1]

I got word of a good scopion hunting trail from a pet-shop employee. Supposively they are as common as mosquitos in this area...but I'm still managing to worry myself, due to the several unsuccesful trips in the past few weeks. (Last trip was nearly fatal, ended up stepping just a couple feet away from a fat 5 foot eastern diamond back rattlesnake) My question is, are there any tricks for scorpion hunting? This area is far-ish so coming back often will not be very plausable. I need as many scorps as I can pick up in one couple hour trip. As far as collecting containers go, do I need a container for every C. gracilis/C. hentzi I catch? Or will several scorps in one container not eat eachother? C. gracilis is a bark sorpion....so, where would one be more prone to finding one? In a standing tree, under the bark, on a dead standing tree, or on a dead fallen tree? Or under a rock? Under leaf litter? Or maybe burrows? Does temperature make a difference? I'm going this weekend. (Highs for this saturday are 81, mostly sunny, Sunday no clouds with 85 as highs, humidity 60+ for both days) Would it be better in the morning? Afternoons? Evenings? I'm not going at night/or when it gets dark. Thanks.

 

[telow]

going at night would prob be best and on a warm humid night

but since you dont want to go at night then your looking at these areas

fallen palm fronds that are on the ground or almost on the ground
loose bark on the old pine trees or bark on the ground near the pines
logs or branch piles are good too
rocks you might not have too much luck with
unless your looking for fire ants (haha no thanks) or something else like that
and centruroides are nor burrowers so no digging them up

but i would say to go in later in the after noon into the evening
do you have a black light ?


but the c. hentzi you can keep together with no real problem
if you use a bucket or something just put a hand full of leaves or something
in the bottom for them and your good and the gracilis is pretty much

 

[1Lord Of Ants1]

I do not have a blacklight, which is why I don't want to go at night since it's pointless with even lower visability.

 

[telow]

it is haha but it works i used to go in tampa to get c.hentzi all the time
theres not so many gracilis but at night with a blacklight it well worth it

 

[John Bokma]

I find very often C. gracils under rocks but they have to be large to find adults. If you have trouble rolling one over it might be the right one. Note that rocks that are deep in the soil often don't have C. gracilis (in my experience) hiding under it. Look for minimal sizes of rocks of about 4-5 hands wide.

 

[Pinchy McSting]

Blacklight
SNAKEBOOTS!!

Where's the trail?

 

[1Lord Of Ants1]

Blacklight
SNAKEBOOTS!!

Where's the trail?

I still can't go at night, my dad has to come with me....

The trail is right on the heart of oviedo, it's called cross-seminole and is open to everyone. I also called the guy back. He said I didn't need a blacklight, and he came up with 200 scorpions in 4 hours one day in spring. (Mix of C. gracilis and C. hentzi, C. gracilis are supposed to be more numerous in this area) Though he did mention he hasn't been back there in 8 months, and the scorpion population tends to crash and explode randomly.

 

[charlesbrooks]

The best place to catch scopions in orlando

Sorry about the late reply. I just found this thread. The best place I catch scopions in Orlando is Tuperware headquarters down on South Orange Blossom Trail by Gatorland. On a good night I find one every 15 sec. with my blacklight.

 

[VikingMetal]

The best place to catch scopions in orlando

Sorry about the late reply. I just found this thread. The best place I catch scopions in Orlando is Tuperware headquarters down on South Orange Blossom Trail by Gatorland. On a good night I find one every 15 sec. with my blacklight.

What time of night did you have the most luck? What area of the lot did you look? I just tried and got stopped by the security guard. It rained a bunch earlier, so it probably wasnt a good night anyway.

 

[charlesbrooks]

The best time is at night. Not really onTuperware main property, but in the field just left to the property, on the the pine trees. Make sure that you bring your black light.. You might want to check on the pine trees on Osceola School of Performing Arts too.

 

[Plutoofdeath]

I got word of a good scopion hunting trail from a pet-shop employee. Supposively they are as common as mosquitos in this area...but I'm still managing to worry myself, due to the several unsuccesful trips in the past few weeks. (Last trip was nearly fatal, ended up stepping just a couple feet away from a fat 5 foot eastern diamond back rattlesnake) My question is, are there any tricks for scorpion hunting? This area is far-ish so coming back often will not be very plausable. I need as many scorps as I can pick up in one couple hour trip. As far as collecting containers go, do I need a container for every C. gracilis/C. hentzi I catch? Or will several scorps in one container not eat eachother? C. gracilis is a bark sorpion....so, where would one be more prone to finding one? In a standing tree, under the bark, on a dead standing tree, or on a dead fallen tree? Or under a rock? Under leaf litter? Or maybe burrows? Does temperature make a difference? I'm going this weekend. (Highs for this saturday are 81, mostly sunny, Sunday no clouds with 85 as highs, humidity 60+ for both days) Would it be better in the morning? Afternoons? Evenings? I'm not going at night/or when it gets dark. Thanks.

 

[Plutoofdeath]

I’m from Tallahassee Florida.

For some reason I can find a scorpion . I lived here all my life 23 years only seen 1 . My dad’s friend found it 5 year’s ago . I been looking for scorpion’s everywhere I can not even one .. Making me mad Im on 8 acres with a Barn . Next to my land is the state forest spent 3 hour’s still nothing .. guess there playing hide and sink .

 

[1Lord Of Ants1]

I’m from Tallahassee Florida.

For some reason I can find a scorpion . I lived here all my life 23 years only seen 1 . My dad’s friend found it 5 year’s ago . I been looking for scorpion’s everywhere I can not even one .. Making me mad Im on 8 acres with a Barn . Next to my land is the state forest spent 3 hour’s still nothing .. guess there playing hide and sink .

Centruroides gracilis is mostly present in central and southern Florida, though it is far more common in South Florida due to it’s preference for low lying areas with limestone that can be found above ground. They can inhabit a wide variety of habitat but in general are more intolerant of the very dry conditions hentzi often occurs in.

Gracilis can be locally common in central Florida, but C. hentzi becomes the dominant species central northward. Hentzi can also thrive in a wide variety of habitat, but in general thrives best in and reaches the highest population densities among higher elevation habitat with a well draining substrate. Pine trees do best on this type of ground and that is their choice of microhabitat; both standing and downed trees.

 

[Plutoofdeath]

Ty for info

 

[1Lord Of Ants1]

Ty for info

The dryer spots in the Ocala national forest (just follow the pine trees) are absolutely infested with C. hentzi. It’s easy to collect them en masse this time of year by peeling the bark sheets off downed pines.

 

[Plutoofdeath]

The dryer spots in the Ocala national forest (just follow the pine trees) are absolutely infested with C. hentzi. It’s easy to collect them en masse this time of year by peeling the bark sheets off downed pines.

I’m in Tallahassee there’s a few National forest In my area I try them out sometime this weekend