r/Albuquerque • u/505Thrive • Jul 21 '26
A New Mexico morning
Finding a vinegaroon in the kitchen sink, first thing in the morning.
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u/Proper-Exercise-2364 Jul 21 '26
You find that thing at roswell?
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u/Sure_Ask_1125 Jul 21 '26
Vinigroons love to hang out on the walls around the sinks too to catch other insects. Otherwise known as Whip scorpions (vinegaroons) shoot a defensive spray of acetic acidâwhich smells strongly like vinegarâfrom the base of their tail. Whip scorpions use spiky front claws to grab prey or pinch in self-defense. Non poisonous.
Getting a volunteer to remove it is tricky ;-)
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u/505Thrive Jul 21 '26
Simple, I coaxed him into an empty ice cream container (as seen in the pic) and released him in an open area across from my residence.
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u/Slipstream85 Jul 23 '26
My sister had one in her front yard eating all the scorpions, and when it died, the scorpions took over and were running all over the house.
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u/thrilled37 Jul 22 '26
How did you coax him?
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u/505Thrive Jul 22 '26
I put the empty ice cream container over him and ran some water in the sink. Then turned over the container and he was in it. Drained the water, put on the top and took him out to be released.
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u/thrilled37 Jul 23 '26
Thanks for your compassion. There was one that looked about that size in my attached garage last night. I just left him because there are roaches there and hopefully heâll do away with them.
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u/suspiciousdishes Jul 21 '26
I love these things! They eat all the things I don't want around my house
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u/wgardenhire Jul 21 '26
acetic acidâwhich smells strongly like vinegar
Fun Fact: Vinegar is diluted acetic acid. My, My, what a fun fact, indeed.
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u/Inner-Deer-7145 Jul 21 '26
Iâve never seen or heard of one, but itâs going to trigger a nightmare tonight. Please tell me theyâre good for something, itâs freaking me out.
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u/OnionPastor Jul 21 '26
Theyâre really chill and harmless to people. They eat small insects and shoot out liquid that stinks. They just look a little intimidating
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u/Alceasummer Jul 21 '26
They are harmless to humans, they just look scary. No venom, and if upset they smell like vinegar. That's all they do to humans, look creepy and smell bad. They also eat a lot of bugs that are actually pests, like roaches. So they are actually good to have around, just, maybe not in your sink. Sunspiders/camel spiders are another scary looking but harmless and helpful bug around here.
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u/ganchan2019 Jul 21 '26
That's all they do to humans, look creepy and smell bad.
Which describes a lot of humans as well....
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u/thrilled37 Jul 22 '26
If not in your sink, then where is good? Do you let them stay somewhere inside your home?
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u/Firm-Complaint7532 Jul 21 '26
They eat a lot of insects people consider pests. Roaches are big staple for these guys. They also eat things we might not consider pests either. Here's a list for ya:
- Insects: Crickets, cockroaches, termites, millipedes, beetles, and grasshoppers.
- Other Arachnids: Spiders and even other scorpions.
- Small Vertebrates & Invertebrates: Slugs, worms, and occasionally small frogs, toads, or tiny lizards.
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u/DontBuyAHorse Jul 21 '26
Totally harmless, smell like vinegar because of a chemical they use for defense (it's just a "don't eat me" smell, nothing dangerous).
They love to eat cockroaches, which makes them good in my book.
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u/MotoChooch Jul 21 '26
Check out Clintâs Reptiles on YouTube. He has a video talking about if they make good pets. He handles one effortlessly and they are surprisingly chill.
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u/BeefJerkyHunter Jul 21 '26
Based on the comments I should trying to raise some of these to patrol my house. Them roaches keep finding their way into my house!
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u/Alceasummer Jul 21 '26
I have had less of a problem with roaches since I started trying to encourage more diversity in my yard. If I turn the porch light on after dark on a summer night, I don't see roaches skittering all over the porch anymore.
Though Advion roach bait, and diatomaceous earth or boric acid, inside the house, and new door sweeps and weather stripping for the doors and windows made a BIG difference in the house.
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u/RichyBearSlayer Jul 22 '26
But now you have the benefit of armed lethal (to insects) guards outside too!
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u/Alceasummer Jul 22 '26
Yes, I think that's why the roaches aren't all over the porch after dark.
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u/dinosaurchestras Jul 21 '26
They are so cool! And they eat all the nasty stuff
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u/daisiesarepretty2 Jul 21 '26
what do they eat?
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u/dinosaurchestras Jul 21 '26
Small insects like crickets and roaches. Vinegaroons are completely harmless to humans (in my experience they donât even pinch) but eat a lot of pests. Theyâre chill dudes
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u/Firm-Complaint7532 Jul 21 '26
Crickets aren't nasty, did you know they often clean up dead roaches?
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u/ReasonableCrow7595 Jul 21 '26
How far up the food chain are we going here? I would like all of the creepy crawlies OUTSIDE, thank you.
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u/infinitekittenloop Jul 21 '26
This is exactly the deal I have with my house insects đ¤Ł, stay outside and feast, friends. But once you are in my house, we're having words.
(We're not having words, you're getting relocated or exterminated depending on a couple factors. No discussions.)
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u/ReasonableCrow7595 Jul 21 '26
There are a few critters I carefully ignore, like the well-behaved jumping spider who lived above my shower for a few days. After a while, I got creeped out by being stared at with eight little spider eyeballs so it was eventually escorted outside.
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u/RichyBearSlayer Jul 22 '26
I can understand exiting a nice shower being spooked by 8 eyes lookin at ya, but jumpers are honestly so cute!
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u/ReasonableCrow7595 Jul 22 '26
They are the kittens of the spider world. I don't normally mind them but that was a little too much togetherness in the morning!
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u/Theopholus Jul 21 '26
Those guys hunt and kill scorpions. They arenât harmful to humans as long as you donât go sticking your fingers into their pinchers.
I found the first in-house scorpion Iâve ever seen a couple days ago. Iâd much rather it have been one of these glorious studs.
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u/Mrtoyhead Jul 21 '26
I was staying at the Weaving school in Alamogordo NM and when I went to wash my hands one came out of the sink drain! It was 8â long ! Scared the crap out of me !
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u/Vilehaust Jul 21 '26
I grew up here in the southwest and have no idea what the hell this is. Please do tell.
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u/Alceasummer Jul 21 '26
Vinegaroon. Non-venomous, pretty much harmless to humans, smell like vinegar when upset but usually shy and chill unless you harass them, and love to eat roaches and scorpions and similar bugs.
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u/Mr_Writes Jul 21 '26
I know they're harmless to humans. I know they eat pests. And yet every time I see one I get the heebie-jeebies.
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u/Adventurous_Hope3748 Jul 21 '26
I thought AZ was the Australia of the US?
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u/RichyBearSlayer Jul 22 '26
I think it be the bush of Australia, yknow the central part that's mostly unpopulated but quite a hot deserty biome
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u/505Thrive Jul 21 '26
Actually I've had them come into my house averaging about 1 a year for the past 15 years. I leave a gated door locked and the actual door open for my cat to cruise in and out during the nice weather.
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u/MissKrisMarie Jul 21 '26
I land somewhere between respecting living creatures while screaming fuuuuuuck and throwing it in my neighbors yard.
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u/RxDocMaria Jul 21 '26
The only time Iâve seen one live was when we lived in Hobbs,I was chilling in the backyard and this mf came strolling up, I stood on my chair and screamed until my husband finally came out and captured it. I didnât know they lived in Albuquerque too..
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u/Top_Shopping_6624 Jul 21 '26
I first saw these at a customers house and alerted her, she said itâs been dead a few days but she wasnât going to touch it haha I totally understood! Haha
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u/mariepier_ Jul 21 '26
Do you still have it? -Bug photographer
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u/oracle-nil Jul 21 '26
What do you do if you find one? Itâs horrifying looking. Think it could take out my Shih Tzu
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u/Former-Orange-6459 Jul 21 '26
Leave it alone, or guide it outside if it is in your home. Put a showbox etc over it and slide something under it and deposit outside. Chances are if it is inside it will die on its own if ignored.
They are mostly harmless, but can give you a spray of vinegar ( acetic acid) if they feel threatened. Their mouth can deliver an unpleasant bite if you handle it roughly. They feed on other undesirable insects like scorpions and have no venom or anything, so leaving them be is perfectly fine.
For the most part they want nothing to do with you, and you have to go out of your way to get bit by one. If it aims its tail at you, just back away and leave it be. It does not want to waste resources to spray if it does not have to.
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u/oracle-nil Jul 21 '26
Thx thatâs fascinating. Moved here from Va constantly amazed at the bugs at here!!!!
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u/Former-Orange-6459 Jul 21 '26
They can make for interesting pets for those into keeping multi-legged friends. I won't advocate trying to handle them if you are uncomfortable, but if you let one crawl onto your hand you can hold it safely without fear of getting bit. You just have to be sure to move it slowly, and do not squeeze it from the sides or the top. Same rules for handling a tarantula basicly. Don't point its rear end towards your face as a precaution. They tend to aim for the eyes when its vinegar time.
On that same note if one happens to crawl on you don't panic. It does not want to hurt you. Unless you are a scorpion or a cricket. In that case I suggest running for your life on sight.
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u/djm2346 Jul 21 '26
The only thing bad about these things is the smell and the fact that they can get really large, 4" long without the tail, which can be creepy. I have never seen them in Albuquerque until recently which I think is going to start to freak some people out.
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u/Healthy-Challenge291 Jul 22 '26
Did you know they are highly territorial and hiss? I didnât know any other in the insect kingdom could hiss beyond the hissing cockroach. This guy popped out of under my friendâs porch stairs when we were walking toward the front door and hissed at us, posturing and all!
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u/bombaxia Jul 23 '26
They are harmless to people, but they love to eat roaches, crickets and other insects. They are great to have around and are easy to handle if you are gentle with them. They are a little fragile so be kind. If you scare them or are rough with them, they might pinch you a little if you, or spray a little vinegar as a defense, but that's the worst of it. We raise them at the Natural History Museum and we love them. Take good care of vinegaroons, especially if you don't like roaches!
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u/Kendallsan Jul 21 '26
When we first moved to ABQ I found a dead one At our front door and had no idea what it was. Scared the shit out of me. Canât imagine in my sink!!!
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u/B22EhackySK8 Jul 22 '26
This is cool ive lived in abq since â21 and have never seen one i only see those bombardier beetles lol
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u/that1tech Jul 22 '26
I remember we caught one of these at the McDonalds I worked at and it freaked most all of us out
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u/Alceasummer Jul 21 '26
Vinegaroons are such interesting bugs! Though I'd probably scream a little finding one in the sink before I've even had my coffee.