Watch your hands and feet

[youhavegottobekidding]

I wondering about that article on Castanet this morning with the headline "Watch your hands and feet". I did not realize we had scorpions in the South Okanagan? This picture was from Summerland supposedly. I have seen black widows before but NEVER a scorpion.

[Daspoot]

We have them all over the S.Ok, the clay cliffs and plateaus above them are good spots to find them. We used to bring them to Elementary School back in the 70's until one girl got stung by one. Not much worse than a bee sting really.

Now you just have to find a few Praying Mantis's and you have the trifecta of cool Okanagan bugs.

[youhavegottobekidding]

have you ever seen them in residential areas like you do in say AZ?? Interesting. Thanks

[Daspoot]

No, but I've never lived adjacent to the clay banks either. I have seen many many Black Widows, they like wood clutter and make a very messy, disjointed 3-d web. I'd rather be bit by a Praying Mantis and then stung in the same spot by a Scorpion here than bit by a Black Widow.

They are all 3, pretty passive bugs, and won't bite/sting unless supremely provoked.

[ToddT]

Praying Mantis' (Mantii?) are the closest thing to alien life we have on this planet imo.

[Daspoot]

One day at the shop we observed a small male mating with a large female on the outside wall in the morning, at first break he was still at it, at lunch, same thing (What a Stud!) By second break they had dis-coupled, and by 4:00 she had neatly clipped off his head and hind legs and was carrying his torso across the parking lot.

...at least he went out with a bang!

[twobits]

We have them all over the S.Ok, the clay cliffs and plateaus above them are good spots to find them. We used to bring them to Elementary School back in the 70's until one girl got stung by one. Not much worse than a bee sting really.

Now you just have to find a few Praying Mantis's and you have the trifecta of cool Okanagan bugs.

Now I know you have been around long enough to see some of the monster June bugs that show up around the August long weekend. They seem to be fewer and fewer now but I, and my kids, well remember 20 years ago the hockey puck sized ones that would hit the back deck, and just like a puck, bounce along for twenty feet. And when you came near them you would get that nasty hiss that would cause even the manliest of men to take a big step back. Surely they deserve inclusion in the Okanagan cool bug club. Just as alien looking as a Mantis and great show and tell material for school. The kindergarten teacher at Columbia for decades, Mrs Singh, probably still hates us!

[Daspoot]

June Bugs can be nasty, but if we are including ugly or scary looking bugs, the Tomato HornWorm has to be included.

[jusme3]

I was a groundskeeper for the last 8 years and I've seen more than my fair share of all kinds of critters but the ones that freak me out are those horned tomato worms....they'll rear up and hiss at you unprovoked. Grossest of all....my dog ate one the other day right in front of me *shudder*