Scorpions, they’re survivors. They will live for as long as 15 years. They can survive without food for up to a year and thrive in many of the same extreme conditions as cockroaches, including intense heat and radiation. Some of the most efficient prevention strategies that work on other kinds of pests certainly do not work on scorpions. If you’re searching for answers about how to get rid of scorpions, those are some of the reasons why killing striped bark scorpions are often best left to pest control experts.
If you ever see a family of scorpions on your property, it’s a high possibility that there are several more. While scorpions may not move in packs, having just one of them find their way indicates that others can, too. The smartest way to get rid of scorpions and avoid hiding places is to rely on Arizona’s pest control professionals. However, if you need to eliminate an individual scorpion immediately, a few techniques might work.
How To Exterminate A Scorpion
Be cautious when using any of the following do-it-yourself approaches.
Spider Spray
Scorpions are arachnids, the same type of arthropods that comprise spiders and can be killed by most of the same pesticides. Any spider sprays accessible in the grocery store can kill a single scorpion. Use spider sprays cautiously as they can be poisonous to your pets.
Shoes and Knives
Despite their strength, you can stomp on scorpions to smother them or use a knife to impale their outer shell. However, it’s necessary to get close to a scorpion using one of these techniques, so it would be best to keep a brick or a sledgehammer ready.
Boric Acid / Borax
Boric acid and, to a lesser degree, Borax are organic compounds that can be sprayed or poured on scorpions to kill them ultimately. The process is sluggish, as the substance dehydrates the scorpions. As it will take time, the scorpion will still be able to sting for some time. Keep pets far from boric acid because it can be toxic if inhaled or swallowed.
Rodent Traps
You can get some success setting up rat and mouse traps in your residence.
Diatomaceous Earth (DE)
Another substance with the same dehydrating impact is diatomaceous earth, a powder made of fossilized diatoms that is harmless for pets and humans. It has jagged corners that cut the exoskeleton of a scorpion. You can sprinkle DE inside and outside, position it across door openings, crawl spaces, and cracks and holes where scorpions are likely to come into contact with it. The added advantage of DE is that it also allows monitoring of other kinds of insects.
Cats, cats
Cats are experts in capturing and killing a majority of scorpions, but you do need to be vigilant because cats could be stung or hurt. If you happen to have chickens, they can also hold the population down.
Sticky traps
The same traps that can catch small rodents can also work as scorpion traps. Place them close to the pools of water, in dark corners where they take cover, such as cabinets, at entrance points, inside garages, and everywhere else you’ve seen scorpions. Look for non-toxic kinds of traps if you have pets or children. Setting glue traps will help you manage the scorpion population within your property.
If you want to search for scorpions, do so at nighttime when they are the most active. You may use a black light bulb in a flashlight to find it because its exoskeletons illuminate in ultraviolet light. Make sure to check cautiously, wearing long trousers, long sleeves, gloves, and covered shoes. Using long tweezers will help keep you at a distance when dealing with scorpions.
Preventive steps
It’s nice to know what eliminates scorpions and to be ready to kill any scorpions you may find, but taking preventative measures to keep them away from your family is the other part of the picture. These are some of the basic tasks that might help:
Seal entry points. Some species of scorpions, such as bark scorpions, can pass through openings as narrow as a credit card, so you need to check the windows and doorways of your home carefully and around the foundation for tiny entry points. Use sealants, weatherstripping, or other fillers to secure spaces from scorpions and keep windows and doors in working order.
Reduce the sources of water. Scorpions get attracted to the moisture content. Even a wet towel on the bathroom floor may be the ideal place for a scorpion to hide. Reduce moisture in bathrooms with exhaust fans, strive to keep the spills clean, and examine the pipes and fixtures for leaks and drips. Though some outdoor water sources, such as swimming pools, cannot be eliminated, be sure to check the area around the pools and fountains periodically.
Keep other pests in order. Scorpions are carnivorous, feeding on unwanted bugs such as spiders, beetles, flies, ants, roaches, and small rodents. Keep your kitchen counters and shelves free from crumbs that attract insects and rodents and nourish scorpions. It helps control scorpion activity by significantly lowering the populations of all pests.
Reduce shelter sites. Scorpions are active at night to hunt for prey and feel dehydrated by exposure to intense sunlight and humidity, so they spend much of their time hiding in dark places. Check the closets and strive to keep shoes and other clothing off the closet floors. If you store things in boxes around your home, keep them off the ground and securely sealed. If you don’t need a storage room, keep the floors under the beds clear of any objects. Frequently check the shelves in your kitchen and bathroom and your drawers’ furniture interiors or behind your doors.
Keep the yard clean. Outdoors, try to clear piles of debris and wood (keep firewood at about 30 feet away from your residence) and thick bushes, which are the ideal hiding places for scorpions. You should take mulch material back at least six inches away from the base of your house. Often search for and trim tree branches and shrubs that are toughing with your home’s exterior—they can be used as pathways to your exterior walls.
Switch the outside lights off. Insects, such as crickets that may be drawn to the lights at your home at night, provide food for scorpions.
The Best Long Lasting Approach
The venomous scorpion sting that so many scorpion species deliver may bring pain for most individuals. Still, it may be life-threatening for older adults, small children, or people who have adverse symptoms or reactions to scorpion venom. Their deadly toxin is just one factor why it can be dangerous to try to kill all kinds of scorpions on your own because you have to get in contact with them.
While the above approaches can help you get rid of the few scorpions you can spot, the best course of action is to contact a certified professional to ensure that your scorpion concerns get under control.
At Scorpion Guard Pest Control, we provide comprehensive scorpion control services, such as scorpion sealing services. We take the time to identify and seal all the access points in your house, eliminating the need for using unnecessary chemicals in your home. Our formulated pest control products are as eco-friendly as possible. Our technicians will be ready to offer you scorpion-proof advice for your home as well.
The Scorpion Guard Pest Control experts provide top-notch support from highly qualified, experienced professionals with vast knowledge about scorpions. We’re a locally run pest control company, so we acknowledge all of Arizona’s homeowners’ specific pest problems. We also assure all of our pest control services, so we will happily go back to your home before your pest problem gets resolved.