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Scorpion sting: what to do in the Phoenix area
You may have felt a sudden burning pain, then found a scorpion in a shoe, towel, bed, or bathroom. In the Phoenix area, the sting people worry about most is from the Arizona bark scorpion. This page helps you sort out what you saw, what symptoms matter, and what to do next.
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- Sudden burning pain at the sting site
- Little swelling or redness
- Numbness or tingling that spreads
- Pain after nighttime contact
- Scorpion found in bedding or clothing
- Drooling or jerky movements in a child
If someone was stung or bitten
Call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222. It's answered around the clock by nurses and pharmacists at Arizona's poison centers, and they'll tell you whether you can stay home.
Call Poison Help: 1-800-222-1222
Call 911 right away for trouble breathing, swallowing or talking, or for a young child with strong symptoms.
Use the Poison Help panel above now, especially if the person stung is a child, an older adult, or has symptoms beyond local pain. The Arizona bark scorpion is the main scorpion in our area that can cause serious bodywide symptoms. After Poison Help guidance, a local pest control company is worth calling if scorpions keep showing up indoors or near sleeping areas.
In Arizona, several scorpions can sting, but the bark scorpion is the one tied to the main public health concern. It’s small, good at climbing, and common in homes here. Color alone won’t tell you much.
Bark scorpions hide in dark, damp, quiet places. That can mean bathrooms, laundry rooms, damp towels, pool areas, clothing on the floor, or stored items. They may also show up near riparian zones, which are areas along rivers, streams, or other water sources.
They rest during the day and move more at night. That’s why a person may get stung while getting dressed, stepping into shoes, picking up a towel, or rolling over in bed. It happens fast.
Finding one scorpion indoors doesn’t tell you how many are present. It does mean you should check the places where people sleep and where fabric touches the floor. If sightings repeat, look beyond the room where the sting happened.
- Small scorpion, often about one to three inches
- Slender pincers and slim tail segments
- Light brown color, though color can vary
- Climbs walls, ceilings, or rough cement
- Shows up under UV light, like other scorpions
- Active at night, hidden by day
Health risk
Most scorpion stings cause pain, burning, numbness, or tingling, with little swelling. Serious reactions are more concerning in young children and older adults. Trouble breathing, drooling, unusual eye movements, uncontrolled jerking, double vision, or trouble swallowing mean you should call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222, or 911 for severe symptoms.
Scorpions are most active at night in warm summer months. In the Sonoran Desert, monsoon season is scorpion season, so Valley homes often see more activity then.
What's different in the Phoenix area
Phoenix sits in bark scorpion territory, so a scorpion inside a home isn’t unusual. Monsoon season raises the odds of an encounter, and damp spots matter, even in the desert. Bathrooms, laundry rooms, pool towels, rough cement walls, and areas near washes or other water corridors deserve a closer look.
Often confused with
What you can do today
Use Poison Help first
The panel above is there for this situation. Poison Help can talk through the sting, the symptoms, and whether medical care is needed.
Call about symptoms now
Call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222. Call 911 for severe symptoms, such as trouble breathing, drooling, or uncontrolled jerking.
Call before home steps
Call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 before trying home steps or remedies. Call 911 if severe symptoms are present.
Check fabric before use
Shake out shoes, clothing, towels, and bed linens before using them. Be careful with damp towels around bathrooms and pool areas.
Cut down hiding spots
Clear trash, logs, bricks, and debris close to the house. Fix holes and cracks where scorpions can get inside.
When to call a pest control company
Call a local pest control company if you’re seeing scorpions indoors more than once, if one was found in a bedroom, or if children or older adults live in the home. A technician can look for entry points, cracks, damp hiding spots, yard debris, bed placement, and areas where scorpions can climb onto walls or ceilings.
Not sure what you're dealing with?
Describe it on the phone. The company on the other end handles these calls every day and will know what to ask.
Common questions about scorpion sting in Phoenix
What should I do first after a scorpion sting?
Use the Poison Help panel above or call 1-800-222-1222. Call 911 if there are severe symptoms, such as trouble breathing or uncontrolled jerking.
Was it a bark scorpion sting?
You usually can’t confirm the species from the sting alone. If you saw the scorpion, bark scorpions are small, slim, good climbers, and may glow green under UV light.
How worried should I be about a bark scorpion sting?
Local pain, burning, numbness, or tingling are common. Young children and older adults are more likely to have serious symptoms, so use Poison Help right away for any scorpion sting.
When do scorpion stings happen most in Phoenix?
Stings are reported more often at night during warm summer months. In the Sonoran Desert, monsoon season is a time to be extra alert.
Should I try to catch the scorpion?
Don’t handle a scorpion by hand. If you can observe it without getting close, note its size, shape, and where it was found, then focus on the person who was stung.
Get the scorpion sting problem looked at
One call connects you with an independent pest control company in your part of the Valley. Mon-Fri 9am-5pm.