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Striped bark scorpion stings

What to expect, how to treat it, and when to get help

Danger to healthy adults: Low Last reviewed 2026-07-20 Sources 5 Read 5 min
The short version

A striped bark scorpion sting is painful but, for a healthy adult, almost never dangerous.1 Clean it, cool it, treat the pain, and watch for the rare warning signs. If the person is a young child, or you see a spreading or whole-body reaction, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 or get emergency care.

What to expect from a sting

The venom of this species is a comparatively mild neurotoxin, and the sting is almost never life-threatening.1 Texas A&M is blunt about it: there are no scorpions in Texas considered lethal to humans, and reports of deaths from this species are not well substantiated.2 The University of Arkansas describes it as a low-toxicity venom of usually minor medical importance.3

Reactions do vary from person to person, so the same scorpion can cause a slightly different reaction in two different people.2

What the national data shows

Across all US scorpion stings reported to poison centers from 2005 to 2015, more than 90 percent were safely managed at home, and serious (major) effects occurred in only about 0.15 percent of cases, most of them in Arizona, where the genuinely dangerous species lives.4 The severe, whole-body envenomation that scorpions are famous for is overwhelmingly associated with the Arizona bark scorpion, not the striped bark scorpion.1

Go straight to what you need

DO THIS NOW

First aid

Step-by-step care for a typical sting.

 SYMPTOMS

What it feels like

Normal symptoms and how long they last.

 EMERGENCY

When to see a doctor

The warning signs that mean get help now.

 KIDS & PETS

Children and pets

Why they need extra caution.

Sources

  1. Missouri Department of Conservation. “Striped Bark Scorpion,” MDC Field Guide. mdc.mo.gov. Accessed 2026-07-20.Backs: venom is a comparatively mild neurotoxin, almost never life-threatening; reactions vary by person.
  2. Texas A&M AgriLife, Field Guide to Common Texas Insects. “Striped Bark Scorpion.” texasinsects.tamu.edu. Accessed 2026-07-20.Backs: no Texas scorpions are considered lethal; reports of deaths are not well substantiated.
  3. University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum. “Scorpion (Centruroides vittatus).” arthropod.uark.edu. Accessed 2026-07-20.Backs: low-toxicity venom of usually minor medical importance.
  4. Kang AM, Brooks DE. “Nationwide Scorpion Exposures Reported to US Poison Control Centers, 2005 to 2015.” NIH/PMC (PMC5440315). pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Accessed 2026-07-20.Backs: more than 90 percent of US scorpion stings were managed at home; major effects in about 0.15 percent, most in Arizona.
  5. Shamoon Z, Rerolle S, Nelson JA, et al. “Scorpion Toxicity.” StatPearls, NIH/NCBI Bookshelf. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Accessed 2026-07-20.Backs: severe envenomation is associated primarily with the dangerous Arizona bark scorpion.
Medical disclaimer: This page is educational and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. For a severe or worsening reaction, or any sting in a young child, contact Poison Control (1-800-222-1222 in the US) or emergency services. For pets, contact a veterinarian.  ·  Last reviewed 2026-07-20.

The Scorpiologist is an independent, non-commercial reference. No products, no lead-gen, no fear-mongering.  ·  Every claim is cited on the page.  ·  Last reviewed 2026-07-20.