NEW ORLEANS, La. (BRPROUD) - Wednesday, June 2 is a day that Louisiana resident, Adrienne Altman is never going to forget.
The day started out like any other day might for Altman with the straightening of her pillow. Something happened this time that was not normal and as it turns out, not common in Louisiana.
Altman discovered something that looked 'rusty' and picked it up. Mind you, Altman was not wearing her glasses when she decided to pick up the visitor.
Well, the visitor wiggled and Altman screamed which led to her husband running to see if she was ok.
Altman had discovered a striped bark scorpion.
According to the Curator of Animal Collections at the Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium, Zack Lemann, "the sting of the striped bark scorpion usually causes nothing more than localized pain and swelling at the sting site which subsides in a matter of hours or less."
So what do you do when you have a scorpion on your pillow?
Lemann says, "to safely collect a scorpion, a good method is to use a wide-mouthed container such as a pint or quart-sized deli cup and place it over the scorpion. "
Altman did something like that by taking some cardboard along with Tupperware and boxing the scorpion in so it could not get out.
The issue is, the scorpion did escape and run under the kitchen cabinet.
What followed was a trip to the local hardware store by Adrienne.
Altman purchased Bengal Gold Roach Spray and proceeded home where copious amounts of spraying was done under the kitchen cabinet.
Two days later, and neither Altman nor her husband know if the scorpion is dead.
Curator Lemann stresses that "scorpions are not all that common indoors, and that none of the species here in Louisiana have venom of medical significance."
So just how common our scorpions in the state?
Lemann says, "it’s extremely rare to find a scorpion in the lower third of the state (the coastal region). By the time you get to Alexandria and points north, you’ll find naturally occurring populations, but because they are nocturnal and not usually associated with buildings, you would see scorpions regularly only if you were actively looking for them outdoors."
Just in case, you may want to look under your pillow tonight before you go to bed.
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