Scorpion sightings on the rise in Central Oregon

There are scorpions in Central Oregon, but sightings are rare. People can go their whole lives without seeing one, but that could be changing.

Kathleen Evans was doing a load of laundry when she found this out. “I went to go grab the last bit of laundry, picked it up and I heard a thump,” she said Thursday.

She thought it was a quarter falling from her son’s pocket. But this was no coin.

“We’ve been in Bend since 1971,” she said, “lived out in the country almost my whole life, and I absolutely have not seen a scorpion.”

Until now, and she’s not alone.

Some pest control companies told NewsChannel 21 they’ve been getting more calls for the critters recently.

Jon Nelson, the curator of wildlife at The High Desert Museum, is seeing the same trend.

“Even just yesterday, we had a homeowner bring one into the museum,” Nelson said. “It’s probably more reports than we’ve seen for the last few years.”

Nelson said he does not know the exact cause and noted it could be several different factors.

“It could be just because of the warm weather we’ve been having,” he said. “It not only can make invertebrates and cold-blooded animals more active, but it also could make people want to go outside at dusk and dawn, which is when a lot of these animals are more active.”

Nelson said the species people have been seeing are northern scorpions. They’re venomous, but not aggressive. He recommends just leaving them alone, if you see one outside.