For most residents of the Las Vegas Valley, pets are furry and sweat through their tongues. Even those who go more exotic usually opt for a parrot or an iguana (or the occasional urban tiger), never thinking that the perfect pet might glow under a black light.

That’s right, people. All this time you could have been making friends with those scorpions in your attic, or so says eHow.com. Not only does the site tell you how to capture and train a pet scorpion, it also offers tips on feeding them (hint: it is neither cute nor advisable for you to tempt them with a live cricket held in your teeth).

The following is a summary of eHow-recommended things to know should you desire to build a relationship with a venomous arachnid. Maybe not the one that creeps across your face while you sleep ...

1) “Feed a potentially dangerous animal only when you know its habits well.” Scorpion danger is actual—not potential—so do your research.

2) The type of prey your scorpion buddy eats will depend on age, size and natural habitat. Once you know its flavor, you can raise your own live crickets, grasshoppers or even small lizards. For the faint of heart, try pet stores.

3) Feeding should unfold like so: Open the lid of your scorpion’s enclosure. Pick up prey with tongs and drop them into the lair. Do not pet your happily feasting scorpion, even if it wags its tail.

If scorpions don’t strike you as the kind of creature you’d name and take to the park, local company Catseye Pest Control just posted its “Top 7 Common Sense Tips to Keep Scorpions Out of Your House.”

Luis Pabon, technical director of Catseye, had this to say: “If you live in the southwest, you worry every morning about putting your shoes on only to be stung by a scorpion.” Maybe that’s just what happens when a scorpion tries to bring you your slippers …

These simple steps could solve or at least facilitate the solving of your problem:

7) Close or caulk door openings, screen openings and window cracks so scorpions can't get into the house.

6) Dust and vacuum in corners and normally undisturbed places where scorpions hide.

5) Eliminate the scorpion’s prey (crickets, spiders, and other insects) by using common pesticides.

4) Common pesticides don’t work well on scorpions. Contact a professional pest control company if considering applying chemicals.

3) Eliminate outdoor places where scorpions can hide, such as trash piles, rock piles, decaying wood or piles of junk.

2) Don't walk around the house at night in bare feet.

1) Hire a professional pest control company to do a black light inspection to determine if there is a scorpion infestation, since scorpions glow.