Do we get Scorpions in TRNC?

japeal



Joined: 12/09/2008
Posts: 1052

Message Posted:
28/12/2009 20:07

Do we get scorpions over here, whilst using notebook, found what looks like a tiny scorpion walking over keyboard. Dark brown, approx 1/2 inch long but with distinctive curled up tail, opened window and blew it of machine with great haste!

elkiton



Joined: 15/03/2009
Posts: 514

Message Posted:
28/12/2009 20:19

Yes, we do....back in September this year I visited the downstairs toilet, accidently knocked the waste bin and a scorpion ran out from behind, onto the floor mat, sting raised, just missing my bare foot by inches. I had my sandals in my hand and crushed it ........reflex action.

It was big, a clear 5 cms in length, and sort of transparent colour with brownish bands across it, bit like some of the spiders you find out here.

Interestingly, wikipedia suggests that there are more deaths world wide by scorpion sting than by snakebite.

I now inspect my clothes should I chance to leave them lying around!

best regards

TonyE

Maz


Joined: 29/03/2009
Posts: 1924

Message Posted:
28/12/2009 20:21

I confirm that we do, but they are nothing like the size of those we see in Hollywood movies! but if one bites, it does hurt. Won't kill you, but causes a bit of pain. But wise advice froim Tony E, check clothes, particularly shoes just in case one is hiding in there, and also be careful when gardening, they can lurk ready to nip the end of your finger.



Have a good summer next year, bite-less and Scorpion free.

henrik



Joined: 01/10/2009
Posts: 314

Message Posted:
28/12/2009 23:22

nice reflex.. one less to count.. http://www.ntnu.no/ub/scorpion-files/european_scorp.php

But the thingy on your computer was not a scorpion.. it was a Forficula auricularia, the Common earwig or European earwig - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forficula_auricularia

Buy books, read and serch the internet.. I need to say this as I did this in previous posts about snakes and other..



Dont be so ignorant to the nature you live in!



Mesobuthus cyprius Gantenbein et al. 2000

As the name indicates, this species is endemic for Cyprus. This species was previous regarded as a subspecies of M. gibbosus, (M. gibbosus anatolicus), but molecular and genetic analysis revealed that the Cyprus population was clearly different from the mainland populations of the subspecies. The Cyprus population obtained species status in 2000.



It is almost impossible to separate M. cyprius from M. gibbosus by traditional morphological means. Genetical analysis are necessary.

scruff


Joined: 15/07/2008
Posts: 1070

Message Posted:
28/12/2009 23:51

As the previous message suggests, this was almost certainly an earwig. They are similar to the UK. type but more brown in colour & tend to wave their tails around. The UK. version seems blacker in colour?

boglefan



Joined: 07/06/2009
Posts: 511

Message Posted:
28/12/2009 23:55

Henrik, I totally admire you and understand what you are saying but when an insect or reptile suddenly appears it is (unfortunaltely) a human instinct to react.

There was a large ?insect ?crustacian dropped onto my friends terrace one of the evenings when I was staying. I have tried to find out what it was exactly but it was very large and may have been harmless but to this day (two years down the line) I have not found anything remotely like this creature. One of the other guests crushed it with a brick so could not get a photo of it, but as my friend Nurseawful told me she has never seen me react like that to any other creature I have come across in NC. When possible I try to catch and move any animals/insects rather than kill them but this was the strangest things ever and I regret not getting more on it, Might have been totally harmless but the rest of the guests didn't want to take the chance. Fear of the unknown.

henrik



Joined: 01/10/2009
Posts: 314

Message Posted:
29/12/2009 00:53

hi boglefan, the thing you killed was most probably a "Gryllotalpidae" or Mole cricket.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gryllotalpidae

it looks very ugly but is more or less harmless.. Mole crickets are relatively common and I dont see big problems in killing one or two just because of not knowing.. our cats love to hunt them.. but still it should not be killed if not needed.. As I say, dont fear the unknow, respect the known! Read, learn.. .... .. bla bla...

Ailletoo


Joined: 24/01/2009
Posts: 1003

Message Posted:
29/12/2009 01:06

I suggest that you learn about the Flora and fauna of the country you now live in, then, hopefully, these creatures that are necessary to our ecology would not die an unneccessary death.

japeal



Joined: 12/09/2008
Posts: 1052

Message Posted:
29/12/2009 07:46

Henrik,



that was not what was on my computer, It definately looked like a scorpion not a bit like the earwig you have linked a picture to. Do not really care what it was, it looked like a scorpion, as stated before even the tail curling up, the thing was literally10 inches in frontof my eyes so i saw it clearly.



John

Tenakoutou



Joined: 27/07/2009
Posts: 4110

Message Posted:
29/12/2009 08:54

Mole Crickets (Greek Cypriot name: 'Kolokithas' - sorry, don't know the Turkish name) are mainly nocturnal - they decimate seedlings; especially freshly planted ones. You can buy granules in Cyprus to eradicate them. In the olden days in Cyprus, the farmers used to burn huge bonfires at night to attract them, which was the only way to reduce the mole cricket population.



Notice the strong mandibles on the Mole Cricket - I don't think it would be wise to grab hold of one!



On the subject of 'nasties and bities', beware of the large brown centipedes - about the length of the aveage forefinger - these will give you an extremely painful bite. They love to crawl up walls and get into bedrooms - in my flat on the 3rd floor in Paphos, I found three in the bed at different times.



My wife was bitten on the thigh in the bed by a scorpion in the village (near Koukla) we lived in Paphos District - bloody painful, although I didn't feel a thing!

MarkVPiazza


Joined: 14/08/2008
Posts: 530

Message Posted:
29/12/2009 10:46

I have asked several locals this question previously - the answer has always been no



Mark

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
29/12/2009 10:58

We had a scorpion in the house when we lived near Bellapais, it was around September time it was pale brown, almost transparent in places, it was around 7 or 8 ctms. long.



We showed it to our Cypriot friend who's lived here all is life and is very well up on nature, he was quite concerned and said he had never seen one before.



We have photo's but I,m computor thick, and don,t know how to put them on here.

elkiton



Joined: 15/03/2009
Posts: 514

Message Posted:
29/12/2009 20:00

MarieB, sorry to disagree, scorpion stings can be very serious....being this close to turkey there is a real possibility of finding nasties like these around if they came in through freight.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fattail_scorpion



best regards

tonyE

Tenakoutou



Joined: 27/07/2009
Posts: 4110

Message Posted:
30/12/2009 13:15

elkiton/Msg 13:



From the (several) nests of scorpions we found on our (village) property near Paphos, the sandy-brown coloured scorpion, as depicted in your Wiki link, is already here!



I've plenty of 'scorpion stories' to tell from our years in RoC!

denizen



Joined: 21/08/2009
Posts: 388

Message Posted:
31/12/2009 08:10

My freind and I had been out collecting firewood. We had qite a pile of logs at the back of the house. A TC nieghbour told me to watch out for scorpies when moving the wood. Apparently woodstacks are a favorite living site.



D

Tenakoutou



Joined: 27/07/2009
Posts: 4110

Message Posted:
31/12/2009 08:58

Quite right, denizen!



When we moved into our house (Paphos), the previous owners had left a tea-chest against the back wall of the house - it was the type that had a pallet base. That was when we found the first nest of scorpions - very light brown and opaque.



They can be aggressive if disturbed. One afternoon, I was going to go out of the back door and there was a scorpion on the doorstep. As I approached, it 'charged' me - I couldn't believe its courage; me so big and it so small! I was barefoot, so wasn't game to stomp it, so I reached for a can of 'Aroxol' (GC brand of fly spray) from the kitchen bench top. I literally gave the scorpion one small 'puff' and it keeled over and expired immediately. This wasn't even cockroach spray! Why kill it? Because it stood its ground and wouldn't let me out of the door. I'm no Bhuddist, but I try not to kill or harm any insect or creature uneccessarily (snakes included) - but I do draw the line at sandflies and mossies!

denizen



Joined: 21/08/2009
Posts: 388

Message Posted:
31/12/2009 13:17

That's comforting, Tenakoutou. Although we like a living fire I don't think we'll have it much longer. Keeping our dog and 3 cats away from the logs is hard, you know how inquisitave they are, specialy the cats. We're thinking of having a gas fire installed in the great, just to be on the safe side. Was it just normal fly spray you used, it might be a good idea to spray the logs now and then.



D

Tenakoutou



Joined: 27/07/2009
Posts: 4110

Message Posted:
04/02/2010 10:43

If it's any consolation, I just cut about 12 cubic metres of pine logs into lengths suitable for our log burner from 2 metre long pine trunks - so far, not one scorpion! Of course, at current (February) temperatures most insects will be in a torpid state.



I can't see any reason to spray the log pile - a bit OTT isn't it?



Yes, normal flyspray, in my experience; even a small 'puff' makes them keel over in a coupla seconds and expire!



I wouldn't swap a log burner for a gas fire if I was you. Gas fires cause a lot of humidity and you'll likely end up with black mould all over the house. Kerosene has a much higher calorific value than gas - also much more economical, but also causes humidity, which in turn causes mould.



I've yet to meet the person who has a trouble-free central heating system in TRNC...so my advice, unless you thrive on hassle and expense, is to forget it!

Oleander


Joined: 03/05/2009
Posts: 302

Message Posted:
04/02/2010 12:08

You could get nasty fumes burning wood you've sprayed with chemicals.