Safeguarding Your Home from Scorpions

Few things are more disquieting than the sight of a scorpion, especially if that scorpion is on your home turf and mere feet away from you. Scorpions don’t have their sights set on humans as prey, but that doesn’t make their presence any less alarming. They’re not only creepy in appearance, but some species of venomous scorpion are known to sting when they feel threatened. Stay informed on how to safeguard your home and prevent a scorpion takeover.

Where Are Scorpions Coming From?

Once sighted, these eerie creepy crawlers are hard to forget. Scorpions are found primarily in warm, dry climates where water is more scarce outside, such as in the southern United States. These creatures can be most easily identified by their crab-like pincers and curled, segmented tail. Nocturnal and carnivorous, they’re most active in the dark where they’re likely to be found near moist spots and areas where their prey tends to congregate.

Scorpions likely roamed onto your property while on the hunt for food, water, and comfortable temperatures found in your home and garden. Any water or moisture source on your property is highly appealing to these pests. We aren’t the only creatures disturbed by harsh temperatures—these arthropods prefer moderate conditions over the extreme heat and cold found in their native areas. Your home and garden often provide all the water, food, and cool comfort a scorpion could ever need.

How to Get Rid of Scorpions

Scorpions are not only an unsightly nuisance, but also can pose a threat through the venom in their bodies. Most often, scorpion stings are no worse than a bee or wasp sting, but putting off their eradication can lead to unintentionally discovering an unknown allergy to their venom, and less than vigilant control efforts encourage more scorpions to join the fray. Careful and calculated steps are key when taking on scorpion control.

TAKE CARE OF FOOD SOURCES

The presence of even a few scorpions on your property indicates that they’re sticking around for the food supply. Scorpions can vary in size, and so can their prey. They’re known to feast on small bites such as insects and spiders, as well as larger prey like mice or lizards. While they don’t require animal or insect food sources, a scorpion sighting likely means you’ve got other pests on your hands, which means taking on a larger pest control plan. Banishing other small insects and rodents will send scorpions seeking sustenance elsewhere.

CLEAN THINGS UP

Because they’re largely inactive during daylight hours, scorpions need somewhere secluded to rest. They’re often found in piles of wood, rocks, debris, or other groups of objects that might be found in your yard. They’re especially likely to find shelter in spots likely to provide moisture, shade, and protection from harsh environments. Inspect any potential hiding spots and clean up or dispose of the debris that might be housing venomous pests.

CREATE A BURLAP TRAP

Because scorpions are attracted to moist, secluded areas, pick up some extra burlap sacks, dip them in water, and place them around your yard and the perimeter of your home. Scorpions will flock to these ideal hiding spots and can be trapped or caught inside and underneath the wet fabric. Next, grab some long tongs and gardening gloves; scorpions can be safely picked up using tongs that are 10-12 inches in length and scooped into jars until relocated and released far away from your home. Not interested in collecting jars of scorpions? Glue traps meant for mice, rats, or other pests can be repurposed and used in burlap traps to snare scorpions as well.

MAKE REPAIRS

Scorpions in your yard are one thing, while scorpions in your home and garage are entirely another. The best defense against scorpions inside your space is exclusion. Any small gaps underneath doors or walls can allow scorpions entry to wander in where they don’t belong. Recaulking any cracks or gaps, as well as replacing worn-out weather stripping or purchasing new sweeps or seal extensions, act as an effective blockade for future invaders.

CALL A PEST CONTROL PROFESSIONAL

Scorpions can be tricky to banish on your own. They’re often not as dangerous as they appear, but discerning which species are local to your area can be tricky and take up valuable time best spent on other things on your to-do list. Pest control professionals are trained in the best practices for scorpion control and equipped with the gear necessary to do so. To save yourself the headache, get in touch with one of our pest control experts to tackle the scorpion invasion head-on.

Keeping your home & garden safe is our priority, and even one scorpion sighting is more than you bargained for. Our professionals are standing by to provide support and step in when the task demands time or energy that you simply don’t have to spare. Contact us to discuss your next steps and review the options for scorpion control with one of our trained experts. Whether you’ve spotted one lone scorpion or you suspect you’re playing host to a dozen, our pest control professionals can manage it for you safely and effectively.

SOURCES

http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74110.html
https://newswire.caes.uga.edu/story.html?storyid=1696&story=The-scorpion-myth
https://extension.missouri.edu/g7364/
https://today.tamu.edu/2018/07/03/hot-dry-summer-has-scorpions-in-texas-heading-indoors/