Scorpions and Spiders

[Maureen]

My fiance and I will be moving to Albuquerque within the next two years or so. We are so excited. It looks like an amazing city. However, I am concerned about scorpions and recluse spiders. Are they a big problem in ABQ? Are there any tricks that will keep the critters out of the house and away from biting us, or our dog?

[jim]

That old western adage of checking your boots before putting them on has a lot of merit for folks living in the country. I once started to pull on a pair of irrigation boots when a good size bull snake came crawling out. It was a harmless snake but I can assure you that my heart missed a few beats!

[Maureen]

I think that I would pass out if that happened to me. I will be checking my shoes religiously when I get out there...country living or not...I'm not risking having a snake/scorpion/spider greet my foot

[JMG]

I've lived in the tropics. There: you got bug problems. Other than the disgusting cockroaches (which we have far fewer of in the North Valley than in Nob Hill/UNM area, for some reason), we do not have a dangerous insect/reptile/parasite/predator issue here in Albuquerque. It's not worth worrying about.

But while we're telling icky bug stories;
In Jamaica, the cockroaches would land on your shoulder like a parakeets. They were everywhere; big, red and they flew. One morning I poured the water through my Melitta coffee filter and noticed, for the first time, the skitter skitter sound the water made when it dripped through into the pot (solid ceramic pot; not clear glass). Figured I just hadn't been paying attention before, so hadn't noticed that sound. Poured myself a cup of coffee, drank it, then removed the filter to look in the pot, to see how much was left.

Huge cockroach floating in the water. It had been alive when the hot water came through, hence the skitter skitter sound. Now it was just stewing in there, turning my coffee into roach broth.

I will tell you that I NEVER drink coffee until I inspect the pot and will do this for the rest of my life, no matter where I live. It's not reasonable, but it's an emotional response. PCSD: Post Cockroach Stress Disorder.

[Maureen]

I think I would need some serious therapy after this

[Sarah Anonymous]

honestly, you are making yourself scared just with your imagination. you are already escalating. maybe you should talk to a therapist now, if you are so vulnerable to your fear of bugs and spiders.

[Edith Grove]

In nearly 9 years of ABQ livin' I've seen no scorpions, no tarantulas and loads of black widows. As mentioned before, the widows are shy and retiring and have easily identifiable webs. I did have one in the house behind the couch - but it was taken care of with no trouble.

Wear gloves when sticking your hands into dark places outside and just use a broom to brush their webs away from near your house to encourage them to move elsewhere. They do a good job of eating lots of pesky insects, so I don't feel the need to exterminate them off my property.

[jim]

Let's not forget our lovely 6" centipedes! They're not poisonous but they can pierce your skin and give you an infection.

Black widows seem to be everywhere but tarantulas, scorpions and rattlers are more selective of their neighborhoods. Tarantulas like the foothills. Scorpians and rattlers are most common in the developing areas of the west side and Rio Rancho. I don't think I've ever seen a brown recluse. None of these critters are really aggressive unless cornered or provoked. I have slept on the ground in the open desert while camping all my life and have never been bitten. Black bear and cougar seem to be having an active year, particularly on the east side of the Sandias but they have also appeared over the years in Rio Rancho.

[Doug R]

Do get yourself up to speed on how to handle rattlers. Don't pick up any dead things (plague). And don't dig into the side of any dirt arroyos...........(oops...had a flash back from my childhood with the last comment)

[Flaca]

Doug, you forgot don't reach into bushes during the summer, as snakes take shelter in them during the summer to escape the heat. never reach into a hole or bush, even if you drop a million dollar diamond in it. Most people think that a rattler will announce its prescence with a warning rattle.
There are many different species that have different personalities. Also the rattles might be knocked off some how or having a bad hair day.
There are some small green rattlers along the Arizona line that will come out of a bush and chase you down. They don't waste time rattling. They were made nervous because they felt vibrations from the round up-one of the other riders saw my horse trying to run backward-two of them on front -left and right. He shot them-never pick up what you think is a dead ratler as they can have muscle spasms after death and bite.
I have a cousin in southern california that said the Black rattle snakes rattled after they bit you and the red rattle snakes rattle while pumping venom in you.
The main thing is that most snakes are scared and try to wait it out. I had a class mate bit in the chest when he was pushing toy cars on the back porch. He and his 2 little brothers had pushed their cars over the Western diamondback several times and the snake didn't do anything. Then the snake couldn't take it any more. One time my brother picked up what he thought was a piece of rope. It was a rattler, he dropped it and we ran like hell. It was hiding in a grass clump, hoping that we'd go away. we did!
A coiled snake is supposed to be able to strike 2/3 of their total length. An uncoiled snake 1/3 of their length. The best thing is live and let live, but you don't want a pet rattler greeting friends and playing with your pets..

[Robin]

interesting!

[JMG]

[[even if you drop a million dollar diamond in it.]]

I hate it when that happens.

[JMG]

You forgot to tell Maureen about hantavirus.

Oh, and for the record, PTSD in New Mexico stands for "Post Tarantula Stress Disorder."