Tips & tricks for working with medically significant Buthids!

This thread is for everyone to give their opinions and techniques as to how to maintain safety when working with Buthids. Feel free to add any tips and tricks you may have! If you do not work with Buthids, please feel free to give any tips and tricks you may have on keeping whatever it is you may keep.

Tools:

-salsa cups with lids
-deli cups with lids
-new paintbrush (never used for painting)
-long tweezers
-plastic containers of various sizes



Here is a video as to how I would transfer a 7i Leiurus quiquestriatus.





Please post pictures, videos or anything you think would be healpful to us all. Thank you.

Excellent video Keith. I would have done the same thing. Although, you think that sweet little killer wouldn't like something more larger?

Its temporary, until I can find something larger that is secure and that is not glass. I feel bad but Safety first.

Nice vid Keith.

If I may ask - whats wrong with Glass?

~Abyss~ wrote:

Nice vid Keith.

Thank you Eddy.

As for the glass question. I live in California where earthquakes and tremors are a real threat. The last thing I need is for a tank to break letting loose a Deathstalker in my house. I never use glass for keeping venomous animals. Acrylic or plastic only.

Keith,

Excellent video man!!

I will share this on my networks.


Great job!



Joey

Great video.

A few bits I would do differently, though. I don't like using tape near my scorpions. An online 'friend' of mine used tape to secure a juvenile A. australis' tub. It one day accidently ended up getting stuck to the tape during maintenance which led to the guy having a hair-raising half hour trying to unstick a very unhappy, dangerous scorpion. A tub with a tight fitting lid or clip locks would have avoided this.

A pair of rubber tipped 10'' forceps would have done the job. You could have lifted the hide out straight away, without having to flip it with one tool, then swap to another tool to slide it up the side of the enclosure (would you not also risk tipping the tub as you did this?). The method you presented would also only work if you were using cardboard hides. If you were using bark or thin pieces of slate like most others do, the forceps would be capable of removing these in one go whilst also keeping your hands out of the range of the scorpion. The forceps can then be used to gently guide the scorpion in to the tub. They're also ready in your hands so that if the unfortunate happens and the scorpion is dropped you have the correct tool available to swiftly pick it up.

I guess it's all just a matter of opinion though, and what works best for you. Personally I like to keep things as simple as possible. Using just a pair of forceps and a tub means I never have to swap 'tools' and so can keep my eye on the scorpion at all times. Here's a HOW TO I wrote a while back showing the methods I use to handle my scorpions HOW TO handle a scorpion

Nice video. I'm surprised you didn't perform this operation in a bath tub in a locked bathroom. Imagine what could happen if an earthquake struck while you had the lid off the container housing the scorpion.

shebeen wrote:

Nice video. I'm surprised you didn't perform this operation in a bath tub in a locked bathroom. Imagine what could happen if an earthquake struck while you had the lid off the container housing the scorpion.

shebeen wrote:

Nice video. I'm surprised you didn't perform this operation in a bath tub in a locked bathroom. Imagine what could happen if an earthquake struck while you had the lid off the container housing the scorpion.

LOL, you joke but that’s a very real possibility here in California.

shebeen wrote:

Nice video. I'm surprised you didn't perform this operation in a bath tub in a locked bathroom. Imagine what could happen if an earthquake struck while you had the lid off the container housing the scorpion.

Funny thing is I was thinking about using the bathtub, and I do think about earthquakes happening while I'm working.

@ callum B: I have had bad experiences with tweezers in the past. I find that some species are far to aggressive for the tweezer technique. Like you said though, it is all a matter of opinion. If it works for you then awesome! I agree that using multiple tools can be a headache. I will change the enclosure soon, and when that happens I will ditch the tape method as well.


Thank you everyone for the compliments, I will try and have another video up today or tomorrow.

I'm only half hardheartedly joking. I had a pair of chipmunks as a kid and when it came time to clean their cage I always removed them in the tub with the bathroom door locked. A couple of times they did get loose but never made it out of the tub. It's a good thing too, because I would never had been able to catch them if they had full run of the house.

I also just use tweezers and a tub. Keeping it simple is the best way for me.

You guys certainly know what you are doing so I will try the tweezer method again. Like callum B said, My system only works for my setup. I would have a hard time tryin this technique with a Tityus sp lol. Back to the petshop I go.

@shebeen: Its all in good fun, your post gave me a good laugh.

Hey keith it's fancy talking to you again. I'm not a huge fan of tweezing my scorpions. I'm scared to go too tight or too loose. so I'm a big far of working in a second larger tub when dealing with hots. And using deli cups to scoop and tip them to move them around. All at long tweezer length away. I actually have 2 tweezers so at no point do I have a free hand to try to do anything foolish with.

Keith I posted this up on our SF facebook page

This is turning into one of them good threads.

I never usually actually use tweezers to pick up my scorpions. Only when it's the only available option in a situation. My method is basically the same as yours Keith, guide them into a tub with the tweezers and lift them out in that.

Out of interest, being that the bottom line of this thread is about avoiding being stung, has anyone ever been stung whilst carrying out maintenence, and if so what did you do wrong and how could you have avoided the situation?

~Abyss~ wrote:

Keith I posted this up on our SF facebook page

I am very flattered by that actually. I'll have to make a new FB account to get on there. My lady trips when Im using facebook lol.

@yames: Its been a while man, how are thos LQs you got a while back treatin ya? I am not a fan of tweezers but I am starting to realize that they may be a required tool when working with arboreal Buthids. I'm gunna pick up some 12inch tweezers this week along with some other goodies. I'll see what happens with them. I agree that I get too scared to either press too hard or too soft.

Simple enclosure setups really help the process.

Callum B wrote:

This is turning into one of them good threads.

I never usually actually use tweezers to pick up my scorpions. Only when it's the only available option in a situation. My method is basically the same as yours Keith, guide them into a tub with the tweezers and lift them out in that.

Out of interest, being that the bottom line of this thread is about avoiding being stung, has anyone ever been stung whilst carrying out maintenence, and if so what did you do wrong and how could you have avoided the situation?

Back when I was a kid I got tagged by a mesobuthus martensii, I was stung while I put my hand into the cage to get the water container. If I learned anything it is to not put my hands into a scorpions enclosure EVER, regardless if it is medically significant or not, I do not come in contact with scorpions unless I am trying to handle them.

What about you callum B?

No stings so far. Bar a few of my harmless scorplings that occasionally end up running on to my fingers when I lift their hides, I never handle any of my scorpions. I'm a huge wimp and hate the thought of being stung haha.

Always be careful when using shorter delis like that as larger specimens have a tendency to almost hop out of the cups when agitated. Also, large tweezers are extremely useful and could take the place of the plank of wood that clearly offsets the balance of the cup, which could, in extreme circumstances, jeopardize your safety. You can use the tweezers (10"+) to coax the Lq into the cup via the flat wide end and then flip the tweezers over to grip the bottom of the cup, flipping the cup over within the confines of its enclosure to eliminate the risk of it having somewhere to go if it happens to get out of the cup. Also, I've found that tipping the cage to a corner over top of a deli that is sitting in an wider and taller container works very well for transferring, using the flat end of large tweezers (10"+) to gently push it.

Really, these methods should be used for all scorpions whether medically significant or not.

I agree that the wood being offset is not a very good thing to be happening. It could jepordize my saftey with out a doubt. Good catch man. I will find a flatter surface.

A larger enclosure would help out alot as a taller deli cup would be safer. That is the only deli cup that fits into that enclosure. An upgrade is very much needed.

You are right. These methods should be used for all species.

Thank you for your insight Envyizm! It is always nice to hear the opinions of somebody of your caliber.

In light of you guys giving me some new tips, I have decided to remake the video. It will be up later tonight. You guys rock! Thank you for the advice and support!

Sorry for double posting.

My Lq babies are 5 @ 4th i and looking good. 1 still at 3rd i and getting close to molt. Some of the early ones will likely get a full molt ahead of her.

When I have had to move the mom for tank maintenance I coax her into a deli cup on it's side then tip it up to settle her at the bottom then before I take it out I tweeze a lid almost into place and click it on then I take that out by hand and put her into a large empty aquarium inside that sealed deli cup. I don't intend to ever not be especially careful. I actually use that same method for all my emps and haddy's too. I like having a safety routine that I never alter regardless of species. I feel it protects me and them from unnecessary risks. Stings and potential falls and heaven forbid escapes.