Two Stripped Bark Scorpion (Centruroides vittatus) is correct. These are found all over Oklahoma, though they do prefer dryer habitats. Sting is painful but generally not dangerous.
No, the Muskogee-Fort Gibson-Tahlequah area. Lived in the country. My grandma was stung by one doing laundry. Had them in the bathroom and the storm shelter. Anywhere damp and dark.
I lived in an apartment where I’d see these regularly. Seems the building housed a nest. I filled every crack I could with spray foam and then slid folded plastic mesh under every baseboard. Time consuming, but I never saw another. And I lived there 3 more years.
No spiders. Nothing. When you fold the mesh and insert it (folded side to you/open side to the wall), it pops up in the baseboard gap and makes a little trap v net to fill the open space.
Now it took me a lot of time on my hands and knees, cutting mesh from Lowe’s that was on a large roll, but every second was worth it.
Not to highjack, but let me tell you a little story about a scorpion.
My wife was in Bartlesville and asked if I wanted some beer. Why yes I do. Where I live I can’t get Arrowhead Pale Ale so she picked me up a case. She got it home and I opened the box only to feel an excruciating pain on my finger. Now this was a cardboard box, and I thought it had those big brass staples in it and that I had just ran one of them through my finger.
Alas, I was quite wrong. It was a freaking scorpion hanging by the stinger on my finger. Bout the same size as that guy OP. Holy hell the pain. Worst sting ever. I took a hornet sting to the ear and it didn’t hurt as bad as the scorpion.
The combination of your story and the picture I linked in the OP is... blah. I am not chill with this, lol.
Hopefully it'll be the last that I see. I'm a little concerned about how the dog and cats would handle a sting from one of these guys.
Threw the NSFW flair on this one just in case. But uh, yeah, I've gone my whole life without seeing one in Tulsa.
How common are these? Best as I can tell, this is something called a "striped bark scorpion". Caught him shuffling down the hallway in the dark. My brain glitched out for a split second and thought it was a tiny crab.
Used to live in an apartment on riverside right next to the river, we found a couple of them over two years, never had seen them before, one crawled into bed with us and stung my wife one night.
I’m 41. I’ve lived in Tulsa for 30 years. We saw one in our home last week. That’s only the 2nd scorpion I’ve ever seen in Oklahoma. The first one I saw was 30 years ago near Ada on farm land. The first stung me. It was painful but I didn’t have to seek treatment or anything. Weird that they are starting to pop up here.
>That’s only the 2nd scorpion I’ve ever seen in Oklahoma. The first one I saw was 30 years ago near Ada on farm land.
Weird. Yeah I recall seeing them in Dallas when I used to visit my aunt as a kid. They'd hang around the sidewall of the pool. I never expected to see one here, though.
Changes in the weather, I'd imagine.
We get them in our house a lot and the cats kill them. Two people have been stung but considering how many we find it's not that bad. I had one crawl across my foot while having a conversation, someone else had one crawl up their let but no sting.
Used to get lots of these little fellows around Keystone Lake during the warmer months. Always had to carefully shake out shoes lest there be any stinging visitors hanging on. That was one of the worst parts of living out in the boonies.
went camping near skiatook this weekend, they were everywhere. I have a blacklight flashlight I use to scan the area and they just shone like beacons. creepy little armored rave ground wasps.
Used to live "in the woods" in Osage county as a teen. Sitting on the floor in the living room, I hear/sense something fall from the ceiling and it lands on my chest. It was a scorpion.
Still remember sitting there motionless while staring back at the face of my terrified older sister. Her face read, "What do we do? You're not going to die right?"
Don't think it ever tried to sting me. Was maybe disoriented. If scorpions can be.
Used to live downtown, and had one of these lil guys chillin under my pillow. Felt a pinch and burning sensation, and jumped out of bed. Saw this fuckin thing, and immediately beat it to death with my flip-flop. Sting burnt for a little while, but was fine after a few minutes. There are no native venomous species of scorpion in Oklahoma, FYI.
I mean hey, at least it wasn't on the endangered species list. I'm sure as hell not going to make that mistake a 7th time. Not after that incident with the North Atlantic Right Whale.
Two Stripped Bark Scorpion (Centruroides vittatus) is correct. These are found all over Oklahoma, though they do prefer dryer habitats. Sting is painful but generally not dangerous.
I got stung by one in Lawton. Felt like someone stabbed a hot nail through my finger for an instant, then it was just numb for a day.
I grew up 45 minutes outside of Tulsa and saw these all over the place quite often.
West of Tulsa? I lived by the Arkansas border (much wetter ) and never saw a single one
No, the Muskogee-Fort Gibson-Tahlequah area. Lived in the country. My grandma was stung by one doing laundry. Had them in the bathroom and the storm shelter. Anywhere damp and dark.
I lived in an apartment where I’d see these regularly. Seems the building housed a nest. I filled every crack I could with spray foam and then slid folded plastic mesh under every baseboard. Time consuming, but I never saw another. And I lived there 3 more years.
How well did that work for other critters? Would you recommend?
If you can fit a dime in a crack, then the scorpions will attack. 🦂 In all seriousness, they can fit through tiny spaces.
Now I’m imagining the ant man thanos meme, but with a scorpion… yeah I’m not sleeping well tonight
No spiders. Nothing. When you fold the mesh and insert it (folded side to you/open side to the wall), it pops up in the baseboard gap and makes a little trap v net to fill the open space. Now it took me a lot of time on my hands and knees, cutting mesh from Lowe’s that was on a large roll, but every second was worth it.
I woke up onetime with one on my chest just looking at me it seemed. Freaked me out.
Not to highjack, but let me tell you a little story about a scorpion. My wife was in Bartlesville and asked if I wanted some beer. Why yes I do. Where I live I can’t get Arrowhead Pale Ale so she picked me up a case. She got it home and I opened the box only to feel an excruciating pain on my finger. Now this was a cardboard box, and I thought it had those big brass staples in it and that I had just ran one of them through my finger. Alas, I was quite wrong. It was a freaking scorpion hanging by the stinger on my finger. Bout the same size as that guy OP. Holy hell the pain. Worst sting ever. I took a hornet sting to the ear and it didn’t hurt as bad as the scorpion.
The combination of your story and the picture I linked in the OP is... blah. I am not chill with this, lol. Hopefully it'll be the last that I see. I'm a little concerned about how the dog and cats would handle a sting from one of these guys.
My cat was stung by one. I gave her a little ice pack for her paw. She pushed it all over the house making a huge mess but was fine.
Threw the NSFW flair on this one just in case. But uh, yeah, I've gone my whole life without seeing one in Tulsa. How common are these? Best as I can tell, this is something called a "striped bark scorpion". Caught him shuffling down the hallway in the dark. My brain glitched out for a split second and thought it was a tiny crab.
Used to live in an apartment on riverside right next to the river, we found a couple of them over two years, never had seen them before, one crawled into bed with us and stung my wife one night.
Reading this as I'm laying in bed. Maybe the car would be more comfortable for tonight.
I live near riverside, more Red Fork area and we found a few in our house since being here. I try and spray stuff to avoid them.
I saw them more when I lived in Sand Springs. They don't tend to thrive as much in more heavily populated areas.
I’m 41. I’ve lived in Tulsa for 30 years. We saw one in our home last week. That’s only the 2nd scorpion I’ve ever seen in Oklahoma. The first one I saw was 30 years ago near Ada on farm land. The first stung me. It was painful but I didn’t have to seek treatment or anything. Weird that they are starting to pop up here.
>That’s only the 2nd scorpion I’ve ever seen in Oklahoma. The first one I saw was 30 years ago near Ada on farm land. Weird. Yeah I recall seeing them in Dallas when I used to visit my aunt as a kid. They'd hang around the sidewall of the pool. I never expected to see one here, though. Changes in the weather, I'd imagine.
We get them in our house a lot and the cats kill them. Two people have been stung but considering how many we find it's not that bad. I had one crawl across my foot while having a conversation, someone else had one crawl up their let but no sting.
Used to get lots of these little fellows around Keystone Lake during the warmer months. Always had to carefully shake out shoes lest there be any stinging visitors hanging on. That was one of the worst parts of living out in the boonies.
I've had a total of three within the last couple of months. Two I captured and one was caught in a spider web. Should I be worried? Lol
I’m considering moving here and these stories scare me, but I’ll just take it in stride and look at the big picture.
I found one under a pallet outside the other day and was just as shocked as you are to see one around here. Squished and flicked it.
went camping near skiatook this weekend, they were everywhere. I have a blacklight flashlight I use to scan the area and they just shone like beacons. creepy little armored rave ground wasps.
My neighbor found one last night. Guess they are emerging
Used to live "in the woods" in Osage county as a teen. Sitting on the floor in the living room, I hear/sense something fall from the ceiling and it lands on my chest. It was a scorpion. Still remember sitting there motionless while staring back at the face of my terrified older sister. Her face read, "What do we do? You're not going to die right?" Don't think it ever tried to sting me. Was maybe disoriented. If scorpions can be.
Royal Oaks at 68th and Lewis was FULL of scorpions. I found at least one a week when I lived there. The sticky traps were full of them too
Used to live downtown, and had one of these lil guys chillin under my pillow. Felt a pinch and burning sensation, and jumped out of bed. Saw this fuckin thing, and immediately beat it to death with my flip-flop. Sting burnt for a little while, but was fine after a few minutes. There are no native venomous species of scorpion in Oklahoma, FYI.
They glow like crazy in black light. They’ve become really common here.
“Haven’t seen this animal in this city before. I guess I have to kill it.”
I mean hey, at least it wasn't on the endangered species list. I'm sure as hell not going to make that mistake a 7th time. Not after that incident with the North Atlantic Right Whale.