Bad little buggers--and it turns out the smaller varieties are the worse for damage from stings. I know, 99% of you guys live in places that don't have the little bastards.

The local Ace is advertising scorpion lites. They're UV LED flashlights, for $9.95. Little bitty black lights.

Which are good for. . .wait for it. . .

DIAGNOSING A/C LEAKS! If you have a leak in your system, you get a dye charge, put it in with enough freon to get the compressor to kick in and when it gets dark, you shine the little scorpion light down in and you see a faint fluorescing glow which can lead back to the leaking o-ring or component. The actual pressurized system in a Dakota is remarkably simple (compared to some cars.) So actually getting to fix leaks is possible.

In a day or two, I'll post a tutorial on repairing A/C. Gotta write it up.

 

Good tip. They sell kits with the UV die and light and glasses that enhance the glow, for $10 or so.