Do I have anything to fear in house spiders or other insects here?

[BAJoe]

My fiances sister was stung by a scorpion when she was younger. Apparently they are common in older homes and basements. Has anyone else heard about this?

No not here in Argentina.I used to holiday on the Greek islands when I was living in the UK and it was common there,but here ???

YES! there are small scorpions here!! Instead of being called "escorpion" they call them ALACRAN. Very rare to see them but they can show up generally in undeveloped, sandy areas. Also near beaches or the coast. Have seen 1 or 2 around BA, and some more in Punta del Este, Uruguay.

 

[malbec]

There are scorpions everywhere in the country, but they are not deadly. My aunt was bitten by a scorpion (in one of the provinces in the North) while working in the garden. It was not serious, just a swollen arm for a few days. And pain. More about scorpions in Argentina (Spanisch) here.

I also know someone who was bitten by a spider - no idea what species- and was ill with fever for one week.

Other interesting nasty insects can also be found in the Northeast of Argentina:

-Ura: I had myself some of these, not present (as far as I know) in Buenos Aires
-Pique: had tons of thems as I child, also in the North (I haven't ever heard of cases in Buenos Aires)
-Taturana: also in the Northeast

 

[SaraSara]

This time of the year watch out for "mangangas", big black bumblebees that nest in the ground, preferably in places where there are shrubs. They are not dangerous but their sting is very painful.

My two dogs poked their noses into a manganga nest yesterday, and came back into the house with their eyes swollen shut.

 

[elhombresinnombre]

I think that the key recommendation is to play safe and be careful. There are very few things around that can kill you unless you have an allergic reaction to them. Unfortunately you may not know that until you have that allergic reaction. I'd never had an allergic reaction to anything in my life until I was sailing down the Rio Madeira in Brazil and suddenly I couldn't breathe any more. It must have been a particular pollen. I improvised a filter pad out of my clothes and within minutes my breathing came back under control. But it was several hours before the vegetation changed and I could breathe naturally again.

 

[Quentin.Daniels]

According to this, there are only three venemous spiders in Argentina, and only the Black Widow and the huge brown Loxosceles laeta (which I usually hear called "Araña del cuadro", because it likes to hide behind or under hidden places like picture frames) are present in BA or most of Argentina.

http://www.taringa.net/posts/info/1056189/Ara%C3%B1as-y-Escorpiones-peligrosos-en-Sta-Fe-y-Argentina.html

We are not talking about instant death, but can make you feel pretty foul. It also depends on the depth of the bite. They are not really common, but be careful when you clean in those dark places, I have seen a few of the huge brown jobbies around.

I also read in another tread that there are a few brown huligans in the recoleta area and they appear to strike from behind....

 

[mendozanow]

Only use colours for insects please!