What is the best way to get rid of scorpions?
Eliminate excess moisture. Scorpions enter homes looking for water. Keep floors, corners, closets and crawl spaces dry and free of leaks. Refrain from allowing water to stand in puddles or containers near the exterior of your home.
Get rid of bugs in your house.
Scorpions feed on insects, so if you have an issue with roaches, ants, or other bugs in the house, you’ll need to solve that problem before the scorpions will go away. Here are a few good ways to keep the insect population down in your home:
- Clean up crumbs and do dishes promptly so bugs don’t have a food source.
- Sprinkle borax or diatomaceous earth around the baseboards and under the sinks in your home; these natural substances kill insects.
- Consider spraying insecticides around your home to kill insects. Do research and approach this method with caution, since some insecticides are poisonous to humans and pets.
- Keep the population down outdoors as well, since scorpions prefer to live outside.
Remove scorpion shelters.
Scorpions like to hide in dark places, especially during the day. Get rid of structures in and around your home that could be used as a convenient hiding place by a scorpion. Take the following measures to keep scorpions from hanging around:
- Store cardboard boxes on shelves instead of the floor.
- Don’t keep clutter around your home or under the beds.
- Keep your closets and bedrooms neatly organized. Scorpions like to hide in shoes and piles of clothes on the floor.
- Outdoors, trim back bushes and foliage that scorpions can hide under. Get rid of piles of wood, rocks or yard clippings.Trim back vines and other potential hiding spots.
Seal your home.
Scorpions can slip through an opening the size of a credit card. Sealing your home is an important method for keeping them from invading. In order to make sure your home is secure, take the following measures to seal the doors, windows and foundation:
- Use caulk to fill in holes and cracks in your walls, baseboards or the foundation of your home.
- Make sure your windows close tightly and the screens are sealed so scorpions can’t climb in.
- Get door seals to prevent scorpions from coming in under the doors.
Hunting Scorpions,
Get the right equipment. The best way to get rid of scorpions as fast as possible is to hunt for them at night, when they’re most active. It’s not for the faint of heart, but killing them one at a time is a good way to reduce the scorpion population around your home, fast. To hunt scorpions, you need the following equipment: A black (ultraviolet) light. They glow in the dark, so you’ll be able to see them clearly by using a black light to search them out. Get a flashlight or headlamp with a black light bulb. A tool you can use to kill them. In parts of Arizona, long-handled tweezers used to break the scorpions’ exoskeletons are the weapons of choice. You can also use a long knife or wear a pair of heavy boots to step on them.
How Do I Know If I Have A Scorpion Infestation?
If you live in a warm, dry climate and notice more than one scorpion in your house per month, or see both an adult and juvenile scorpion, then you could very well have an infestation. If there is a scorpion inside the house, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s nesting there or, or you may have a scorpion problem; it may be nesting outside and coming inside for water or shelter.
Scorpions can also be more common in newer homes built on the outskirts of metropolitan areas. Because they’re able to go long periods without eating, you may not notice them for several months yet could still have an infestation.
What to Do If You See a Scorpion at Home
Never catch a scorpion with your bare hands unless you know exactly what you are doing. Here are helpful tips on what you can do if you see a scorpion in your house:
- Use a broom and duct tape: If the scorpion is on the ceiling, the best way to catch it is by using a broom and duct tape. Stick a long piece of duct tape at the end of the broom. Let the sticky side face out to catch the scorpion. Poke the scorpion with the broom until it falls on the sticky side. Then, place an empty jar or can over the handle to cover the scorpion. Tip the can side up and carefully put the lid on. You can free the scorpion far from your home.
- Use a sticky trap: You can use sticky traps to catch scorpions. Place these traps near entryways, water sources, or in dark and cool places around the house. Anywhere you suspect a possible scorpion hiding spot is an excellent place to put those traps. Also, for your family’s safety, opt to purchase the non-toxic versions.
- Use a DIY burlap trap: A DIY trap that’s effective in catching scorpions is a moistened burlap sack. Wet the sack and place it in areas where you think scorpions might be hiding. These include the basement, attic, near the entryways, or in the garage. Leave the sack open overnight. Be extra careful when checking the sack in the morning. Make sure that you’re wearing gloves, too. Keep in mind that scorpions pack a nasty sting. You may repeat the process until you catch the scorpion.
- Use essential oils: Certain essential oils deter scorpions. These include lavender, peppermint, cinnamon, and cedar. Simply dilute any of these oils in water and spray it generously in scorpion-troubled areas. These are the windowsills, doorways, sinks, baseboards, attic, basement, and around the perimeter of your house. Aside from keeping them out, these essential oils can also flush them out from their hiding spots. Fumigating is also another effective method used for more significant scorpion problems. We recommend contacting a professional to do this as it is more advanced.
Tips and Tricks for Riding Your Home of scorpions All Together:
Fix holes and cracks to make entering the home less inviting
Caulk around all holes and other entrance possibilities where your pipes and other plumbing enters rooms in your home. Start from the main floor and go upward, and seal all the areas around pipes,drains, fittings, walls, vents, etc., where a scorpion might gain access to the house. This includes ceiling fixtures because scorpions can climb. REMOVE YOUR DOG DOOR.
Look outside too. Check the mesh over the dryer vent and any holes around it. Check everywhere that cables, wires, and pipes enter the house, as well as for any holes in the walls, doors, and windows. Your heating and air-conditioning outlets should also be checked.
Install weather-stripping around loose-fitting windows and doors. Be sure that all window and door screens are in good conditions, free of holes or tears.
Fix leaky faucets, pipes, and any other dripping sources of water.
Plant lavender or cedar near doors
Don’t want to plant anything? You can buy dried plants, or use lavender essentials oils when cleaning your home. I have herd that the live plants do a better job at deterring the scorpions though.
Clear up your yard of any debris
Get rid of scorpion hiding places. They love hiding in piles of wood, rocks, and dead leaves, and can also be found in compost heaps. Keep the lawn mowed at all times, and prune bushes and overhanging branches to keep these away from your house, garage, and shed walls.
When Will Scorpions Sting?
The typical scorpion will not go out of their way to sting humans since their natural inclination is to flee or give a threat display when disturbed. But if stepped on or otherwise crushed, scorpions will sting. Again, the majority of scorpions aren’t dangerous despite their reputation. Those who are more susceptible to their venom are people who are very old, very young, or allergic to them. Bark scorpions are the exception to this rule, and being stung by one of them will require a quick hospital visit. Scorpions can even be seen as beneficial in that they can help eliminate bugs and spiders. Some have yet been known to eat mice.