We see a scorpion fairly regularly here in Central Italy. There are quite a few critters that bite or sting. And I have been bitten by most of them at some time or other!
The Sound In The Night
Was It A Mouse?
I was kept awake by the sound of rustling in the night. Every time I started to doze off the noise got louder, or so it seemed. At first the two dogs didn’t seem too bothered, but I lay in bed wondering if it was a mouse. And if it was a mouse, how did it get in?
Earlier Problems With Mice
We had mice in our other bedroom several times until we found how they were getting in. Our former dog Barnie told me we had them initially by diving under the bed and then chasing one all round the bedroom. We put out a humane trap and caught several and followed the rules and took them a long way from the house to release. Otherwise they find their way back. But we still had them coming in.
Then we found that they had taken advantage of a crack in a wall underneath the vaulted ceiling and made a nice little tunnel. They could access the bedroom via the woodshed by using the tunnel. Once that was blocked, no more mice.
The Dogs Began To React To The Sound
As I lay in bed listening to the rustling, suddenly, Spud shot out of bed and ran across the room. He was closely followed by Ringo of course.
I sent them back to bed and put the light on to look around. Much to Barnet Boy’s disgust as he had managed to sleep through everything until the light went on. I was more convinced than ever that it must be a mouse. I looked everywhere, with Spud sticking his nose in places as if to say “check in here Mum”.
Spud And The Scorpion
Spud worries about his bed and scorpions. He has done so since he was a pup. He started shrieking and got out of bed and wouldn’t get back in it. When I checked, there was a scorpion in his bed. I caught it and put it outside but poor Spuddy was traumatized. Remember he was only a baby.
For several weeks afterwards he would sit by his bed and wait for me to check the bedding and show him there was nothing in it. Luckily he got over it, but he is still quick to tell me if there is a scorpion in the room.
Scorpions In Italy
The scorpions found in Central Italy are black, grow to about 30mm in length and are not venomous thank goodness. But boy does their sting hurt! It is worse than a wasp or bee sting in my experience. I got up to visit the bathroom one night and inadvertently put my hand on a wall and BANG. I hadn’t seen the scorpion (who are nocturnal by the way) and I put my hand on him. And he made me pay for it. My finger came up double the size and it throbbed and throbbed for about half an hour. That taught me a lesson!
Back To The Sound In The Night
I could not establish what was making the sound or exactly where the sound was coming from. It seemed to echo, which I couldn’t figure out. You know how your brain is when you are half asleep!
The dogs went back to bed and we all went to sleep. In the morning, it was dark and BB took the dogs out for their walk and I put on my bedside lamp. It is a touch lamp, open at the top.
It Was A Scorpion In The Bedside Light
I went into the bathroom and when I walked back into the bedroom I gasped! There was a moving shadow on the wall that looked like the creature from the black lagoon (you get the idea). Then I heard the rustling sound again. Low and behold it was a scorpion in the bedside lamp! It was making shadow monsters on the wall. I quickly turned the light off to stop him getting burned and tipped him into a glass and took him outside.
At least we solved the mystery of the sound in the night! This time anyway…
Before you go
My name is Dorothy Berry-Lound an artist and writer. You can find out more about my art and writing at https://dorothyberryloundart.com.
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Thank you for reading!
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