moving from VA

I live in Manassas, VA and am seriously considering moving to the Phoenix area. Eveything there sounds perfect except for the critters...one in particular...the scorpion. Tarantulas I can deal with, even snakes...but having a deathly fear of bees...the thougth of something dropping from the ceiling on me while in bed has made me reconsider my move. My mother lives with me and suffers from osteo-arthrits. Phoenix would be the perfect climate for her condition. But after reading about scorpion encounters...i'm terrified. Ive now ruled out any possibility of moving into a house. At the moment...an apt or condo on the 2nd floor or prefereable the 8th or higher is about my only consideration. I know this sounds neurotic but, i cant imagine living in fear all the time. Here in Virginia, you can go ouside and sleep on the lawn if you want, nothing will bother you except you might get a few ants in your pants but thats it. And even THEY dont bite (cept carpenter ants). I never realized what a "benign" state I lived in until I started looking at other places. If it didn't cost 600,000 to buy a house, Id stay here. But also, need the dry hot climate for mom. Is there a living arrangement out there that will eliminate ANY possibilty of dealing with scorps, like a hi-rise? Does living 2nd floor or higher keep them out? HELP!! Id really like to move out there but until i've resolved this in my head...Im stuck. I would appreciate any advice or reassurance I can get. Thank You! Laura

Laura68,

The scorpion hype is highly overrated, see below:

Here in Virginia, you can go ouside and sleep on the lawn if you want, nothing will bother you except you might get a few ants in your pants but thats it.

I do that here (Phoenix) also without any problems, as well as throughout other parts of the state.

Is there a living arrangement out there that will eliminate ANY possibilty of dealing with scorps,

Scorpions and such are most often found in areas with new construction, because their habitat has recently been disturbed. I like older houses because of the quality of construction (my house was built in 1972), and I get the added benefit of little to no weird critters because there hasn't been any construction in my area for years.

Where you will tend to find them is on the outter edges where houses are being built extraordinarily fast (these are also the poorly-constructed houses, but few are aware of that and you won't find any price breaks because of lower quality construction).

Does living 2nd floor or higher keep them out?

Probably not, they have no problems climbing.

I would appreciate any advice or reassurance I can get.

Many of the discussions on this forum are related to people who are moving here and have questions about scorpions. I think you will feel more comfortable after reading through here a bit. Some people have had some bizarre experiences, but it's not as common as you might think. I'm a Phoenix native and have lived here my whole life. I have never seen a scorpion in my house or anywhere near my property.

I'm a native too and have seen one scorpion in all my years. It was in an apartment on the middle floor in the middle of the city.

I have a client that moved into a house that was built in 1990 and is full of them. She is deathly afraid (allergic to bees etc) and has learned quite a bit about them. They can go through a space as small as a credit card. This house in particular, is built on old orange groves in Mesa and I'm surprised they are still around.

I wouldn't have it hurt your decision to move here. Don't live next to a mountain and there are certain pockets of the city that may be more prone than others. If you do decide to buy a home, you can read the seller's disclosure statement which will tell you if the previous owners have ever encountered the critters.

Laura,

I moved from Manassas in Oct. of last year to Tucson. I had read of the scorpions and was very concerned about what to expect if I moved. I've never seen one and after about a month started to relax about the whole thing. If there are no cracks or crevices, and the screens are tight, then they can't gain access. Initially I kept reminding myself of that logical fact.

I've never seen them outside for that matter. [I live in a single-story condo.] The only critters I've ever seen are small lizards occasionally on my patio in the spring and summer.

As an aside, I'm not sure but you might find Tucson has a lower housing cost than Phoenix, since Tucson is smaller.

My biggest adjustment here was acclimating to the heat in the summer.

Gary

There are lots of critters in Arizona. If you have fears you can have an insect control company spray your home/apt. and yard monthly.

I was bitten by the Brown Recluse spider in Michigan! We do have Brown Recluse spiders, Black Widows, scorpions, snakes, etc. You just take precautions and live with it. You learn not to stick your hand into a bush or leave food out for the roaches. You don't go lightly into the desert with open toed shoes on....you can find black widow webs at night with a flashlight and kill the spiders (they don't see thr light.

If I had it to do over I would be more concerned about the lack of funding in Arizona for education, the over population, and illegal immigrants taking your work away. The traffic is horrible and summers are scorching.

It's a beautiful state but please don't think moving to Arizona will heal a broken marriage, supply a good income, or give you or your children a good education.

Wow, thanks for all the input! The comment made about lack of funding or good income was an eye opener too. Im not trying to heal a broken marriage (not married but have a male friend in AZ....), no kids to educate. Gary, you're from the same town I am so...you know what im used to here. How hard was it to acclimate yourself to the heat? I get irritable here in Virginia on those 90 degree days lol...i can only imagine whats out there. I dunno...there are things that interest me there but...im starting to look back to the Roanoke or Lynchburg areas of VA. I suffer from anxiety a little and all this bug stuff...im thinkin...perhaps i should reconsider. I know me...and all I have to do is see ONE in the house..and thats it...I wouldnt sleep for days. I appreciate the input of all who have responded. You've been a big help. Im glad I found out now rather than waiting til I got there to deal with it. Im stayin in Virginia. Thanks people! You've been great! Laura

Scorpions? Is that ALL! I've got cougar tracks 'front of the house 'n along my fence line 'past 2 days. Last nite 3' from the end of my driveway. Horses were panicked 'n the dogs were barkin' fierce. Horses don't even pay attention to the coyotes... They're about most every nite. This is the wild west... not some Florida retirement center.