Colder temperatures may drive bark scorpions indoors

      The following are typical questions our Master Gardeners answer daily at the Nevada Cooperative Extension. If you have gardening questions, call the Master Gardeners' hot line at 257-5555 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. There is also a gardening Web site at http://www. intermind.net/mgarden/.
     
      Calls this week focused on aerifying lawns, composting and what to put in the compost pile, watering schedules for the yard and the bark scorpion.
      The bark scorpion, a true scorpion, likes to live in cracks of the bark on trees like palms and around rocks. As the temperature is getting colder they may try to find ways into the house for the warmth.
      We have had some concerns from the public about reaching our horticulturist faculty in the office. I hope you will understand that as this city has grown by leaps and bounds that our horticulture staff has not.
      In fact, our horticulture department has gotten smaller. This is one of the reasons we have the Master Gardener volunteers assisting on the phone.
      With the help of these trained volunteers our office answers 5,000 to 6,000 gardening phone calls each year. These Master Gardeners consist of many experts in their own right coming from the Rose Society, the Iris society, Cactus and Succulent clubs and many just darned good gardeners. The next time you call, ask for the Master Gardeners.
      The following represent some typical calls that our Master Gardeners received during the last few days.
      Q: We found a scorpion in our home and we were told it was a bark scorpion. Can you give us some information about this?
      A: This is probably the bark scorpion which we have seen a lot of this year. Scorpions have been around for a long time. They have changed very little in 350 million years. They inhabit the Southern and Southwestern United States and Mexico. The adult length, is 2-2 3/4 inches long.
      It takes about five years for them to reach full size. They live for five to nine years. They are renowned for their tails which are long and slender with a stinger at the end. This stinger can be curled over its back to sting prey. They have thin pincers up front and four pairs of legs.
      They walk with their pincers extended. The body is yellowish-brown. During the day they hide in dark places, such as under rocks and in cracks. They hunt in a wide variety of places where insects and spiders occur. Their prey includes insects, spiders and anything it can overpower. They wait for small prey to come close, then grab it with their pincers.
      They do not see well and so depend upon touch, sensing with the numerous hair-like organs on the tail, legs and pincers. They feed at night on larger prey by stinging them. Small catches are torn apart with the pincers. They are active only when nighttime temperatures exceed 77 degrees Fahrenheit. They are inactive and rarely seen during winter.
      They will attempt to run away and hide if possible and sting only in self-defense if they are cornered and are not considered aggressive. The venom of this species affects the nerves, causing severe pain and possibly death for young children, older people or people in poor health. All scorpions glow greenish-yellow under black light and can be easily spotted this way.
      If you think a scorpion has stung you there are a few symptoms to watch out for. Symptoms include: Local pain where stung but no swelling; touching the area is painful; numbness and tingling in parts of the body distant from the sting; trouble focusing eyes or random eye movements; trouble swallowing, drooling and the tongue feels swollen; slurred speech; young children may rub their faces which may indicate facial numbness; muscle twitching; and restlessness, irritability, or hyperactivity.
      Not all these symptoms will occur in every person, although some should appear in the first two or three hours.
      Children under 10 years are at higher risk than other people are. First aid for a scorpion sting is simple. Wash the sting site with soap and water. You may apply a cool compress to the sting site, but do not use ice. Numbness and tingling should pass away in time. If symptoms persist or are severe, seek medical attention.
      Q: When are persimmons ripe?
      A: The most widely available persimmon in the United States is the Hachiya, also called Japanese persimmon. It's large (up to three inches in diameter) and round, with a slightly elongated, pointed base.
      The Fuyu persimmon is smaller and more tomato-shaped. When ripe, both have a red-orange skin and flesh. The Hachiya is quite soft when completely ripe and has a smooth, creamy texture and a tangy-sweet flavor.
      If eaten even slightly underripe, it will pucker the mouth with an incredible astringency. The Fuyu, however, is still firm when ripe and is not at all astringent. Choose fruit that is plump and soft but not mushy (the Fuyu should be quite firm). The skin should be smooth, glossy and brightly colored.
      Persimmons that are not quite ripe can be ripened at room temperature. Store ripe fruit in the refrigerator for up to three days.
      Q: What should be my watering schedule this time of year?
      A: It's tough to say exactly because each situation can be quite unique. Right now tall fescue lawns are using about one inch of water per week as long as the nighttime temperatures stay low.
      This would translate into about 30 to 40 minutes of water each week. When to apply it depends on the soil you have and the degree of slope for your lawn.
      Sandy soils and lawns on slopes will have shorter times applied more often. Flat lawns on heavier soils will be watered less often but with longer application times. The total number of minutes each week should be about 30 to 40 minutes.
      For trees and shrubs that are not desert species, watering deeply every two or three weeks should be adequate on all but the very sandy soils. Deeply means watering so that the moisture reaches at least 18 inches deep and out to the dripline of the tree.
      Desert trees and shrubs could be watered monthly if they have been on appropriate watering schedules up until now.
      Cacti and other truly desert species can be watered deeply once and put to bed until next spring unless we have unusually warm weather.
      Q: Can I aerify my lawn now?
      A: Now is a good time to aerify if it needs it. The best time is in the spring a month or two before hot weather. I wouldn't dethatch now unless the lawn is in a very warm location. You need time after dethatching for the lawn to repair itself and re-establish cover to prevent weeds from encroaching.
     
     Bob Morris is a horticulture specialist with Nevada Cooperative Extension.