Residents of the Southwestern United States regularly experience scorpion stings, which can be very painful but rarely cause ongoing health problems or deaths. If you find scorpions on your property, you can take steps to get rid of them yourself or call professional pest control services to help.

Scorpions, which are venomous arachnids, spend their days hiding and come out at night to search for water and food. To get rid of scorpions, you’ll want to hunt for them at night, remove their food and water sources, block access to or eliminate potential habitats, and use pesticides.

It’s important for homeowners in scorpion habitat areas (which include the Southern and Southwestern United States) to be able to identify a scorpion, know how to treat them if one has been spotted, and know what to do in the case of a scorpion sting.

How To Get Rid of Scorpions in Your Home 

DIY scorpion control involves the same steps the pros use. Unfortunately, since this stinging pest is a challenge to get rid of, there are no shortcuts. Below, I’ll take you through the steps of getting rid of scorpions both inside and outside your home.

1. Inspection

Professional exterminators start with a thorough inspection, and so should you. It’s the only way to identify whether you have a scorpion infestation. Start your search in attics, basements, crawl spaces, and dark places like closets and storage rooms.

When sifting through piles of clothes, wear welding gloves to protect your hands from potential stings. Since scorpions are excellent climbers, it’s best to check hanging clothing as well. 

2. Identification

Dead roaches with dismembered bodies can indicate a scorpion problem. Any live scorpions caught in sticky traps will help you identify possible nesting locations. 

3. Outside Treatment

Once you identify an infestation, it’s time to get rid of it using a pesticide spray formulated to kill scorpions. 

Fortunately, you don’t have to locate and spray each scorpion because the pesticide’s active ingredients will penetrate their hiding places. Start with a 10-foot-wide perimeter spray around your entire house. Be sure to get between the foundation and the ground. Next, switch to a two-foot-wide spray to cover the outside window sills, door frames, and patio trim. 

For scorpions, the wider the defensive perimeter, the better. For that reason, be sure to treat garages, storage sheds, and decorative rock gardens according to label directions. 

4. Indoor Treatment

Spot-treat plumbing access areas with spray pesticide to cover gaps around pipe entry points. Also, be sure to get behind toilets, appliances, and underneath washing machines. 

Diatomaceous Earth for Scorpions

Using diatomaceous earth to kill scorpions is a best-kept secret among professional exterminators. This naturally occurring substance contains diatoms mined from dry lake beds. It works by tearing the scorpion’s exoskeleton, causing it to dehydrate and eventually die. 

Use a bellows duster to apply diatomaceous earth in cracks, crevices, and wall voids. You can also use it as a broadcast insecticide for attics and crawl spaces. To do that, use a large pump duster to treat fiberglass insulation where scorpions like to nest. 

5. DIY Scorpion Repellents

Natural scorpion repellents are available as an alternative to chemical pesticides. They typically contain essential oils, including cedar, peppermint, cinnamon, and lavender. You can make your own by adding one drop of each oil to a 32-ounce spray bottle full of water and shaking well. Next, treat common problem areas, including exposed plumbing areas, baseboards, doorways, window sills, and the outside perimeter of your home.

These are not long-lasting repellents, so you’ll need to reapply every few days.

6. Follow-up and Monitoring

Check at least once a week for live scorpion activity. You can use a blacklight to aid in their detection since they give off a fluorescent glow in the dark. You can employ sticky traps throughout your home for widespread capture and monitoring as well. 

How to Keep Scorpions Out of Your Home 

It takes an integrated approach to keep scorpions out of your home.  Use a combination of the methods below to make your home a scorpion-free zone.

1. Limit Food Sources

Scorpions eat a variety of crawling insects, spiders, and other scorpions. Use a granular insecticide bait containing boric acid for broadcast applications outdoors. These products target many types of insects, limiting the scorpion’s food sources. 

Also, spray your home’s outside perimeter with a wettable powder insecticide spray. For a longer-lasting effect, employ a microencapsulated product. 

2. Modify Habitat

Scorpions are ambush predators, so they use any cover they can for that purpose. They also need to hide from their enemies, so they constantly seek shelter.

To keep them from taking refuge inside personal items, avoid leaving shoes and clothing items outdoors, and be sure to shake out your towel before drying off when swimming. You should also clean and organize closets, regularly rotate stored items in boxes, and keep linens, shoes, and clothing off the floor.

Scorpions also hide outdoors. Store your firewood away from your house, and be sure to check for scorpions before bringing any firewood inside. Scorpions are attracted to moist areas, so repair outdoor plumbing leaks quickly. Keep your yard tidy by removing debris such as trash, logs, and mulch and trimming tree branches to limit scorpions’ access to your roof.

Insects and small animals will look for habitats that are easy to live in, so modifying your home and yard to be uninhabitable is a good way to prevent scorpions from entering and keeping them from hanging around.

3. Use Exclusion Methods

Scorpions can enter houses through any number of openings. Sealing them out is an effective way of keeping them from entering your home.

Make sure weatherstripping fits tightly around windows and doors. Use caulk to seal pipe entry points where scorpions travel along plumbing lines and cracks around window sills, door jambs, and foundation walls.

Switch to yellow outdoor lighting to attract fewer insects, which are a scorpion’s favorite meal.

4. Set Traps

Glue traps work well for scorpions as well as other crawling pests. Mice glue traps are a good choice. Just be sure to fold them over per label directions, protecting them from dust, pets, and curious children. 

Set them up in places throughout your home, including under beds, in closets, behind toilets, under sinks, and in attics, storage rooms, basements, and crawl spaces.

Finding one or two scorpions per year is not usually enough to signal an infestation. However, full glue traps in more than one room means you have a severe scorpion problem. 

5. Put Up Chemical Barriers

Liquid pesticide barriers help seal the gaps that mechanical exclusion techniques miss. Choose a pyrethrin-based insecticide with a microencapsulated formula to achieve the best results. 

Spray areas between the foundation and the house. A band 10 feet wide around the entire structure is optimal. Be sure to also apply to entryways, windowsills, and patio areas for thorough coverage. 

How To Identify Scorpions 

Identification is the first step to removing any pest, including scorpions. You can find scorpions primarily in five U.S. states: California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Nevada.

Scorpions are predatory arachnids that feed on crawling bugs, including cockroaches, crickets, centipedes, spiders, and even other scorpions. Occasionally, they consume vertebrates such as lizards, mice, snakes, and frogs.

Scorpions are nocturnal, meaning they are active mostly at night. However, when a nest experiences population pressure, you can see them during the day as well. 

Characteristics

Most scorpion species in the United States are one to five inches long. Depending on the species, they are light yellowish-tan to dark brown. All types have one pair of pincers, four pairs of legs, and a long tail with a sharp stinger. 

Habitat

Some scorpions burrow into the ground, while others nest in or under natural or human-made features. You can find them outside in tree bark, woodpiles, under loose boards, in palm trees, and in pool equipment boxes (they’re attracted to swimming pools and irrigation systems for the moisture). In addition, they seek out easy access to attics, crawl spaces, and closets. 

Life Cycle

Many species of scorpion found in the United States mate during spring or fall. Gestation typically lasts two to three months, and females produce a brood of 25 to 35 young. 

Scorpions give live birth rather than laying eggs. The young scorpions look like smaller versions of the adults, except they don’t yet have stingers. They ride on their mothers’ backs until their first molt. After that, they molt up to five more times, becoming increasingly independent each time. They will, though, continue seeking the safety of the mother, especially when threatened by predators. 

Scorpions reach sexual maturity after about two years and then live another 15 years. 

Are Scorpions Dangerous? 

Arizona bark scorpions have the most potent venom of any scorpion species in North America — but scorpions prefer to use their pincers to overpower their prey. This strategy conserves venom, which can take up to two weeks to replenish after a sting. 

Humans who are stung typically recover within about 30 minutes. Symptoms include localized pain and swelling. A sting from a bark scorpion, typically found in Arizona, can be serious for those allergic to bee stings. Small children are also at risk for health complications. Vulnerable individuals should seek medical treatment immediately if stung. 

Antivenoms are widely distributed throughout the United States, so treatment is readily available. As a result, only been a few deaths in the United States from scorpion stings have been reported the past few decades. 

What To Do if a Scorpion Stings You

If you find yourself with a scorpion sting, take the following steps:

1. Wash the sting area with soap and water.
2. Ice the area for 10 minutes then remove the ice for 10 minutes. Repeat the process once more. 
3. Keep the bite area still to prevent the spread of venom.
4. Administer a mild antihistamine if okayed by a physician.

Seek immediate medical assistance if any of these symptoms are present:

• Difficulty breathing
• Excessive drooling 
• Increased heart rate
• Incontinence (difficulty holding urine)
• Muscle spasms
• Anxiety or seizures
• Abdominal cramps

Today’s Homeowner Tips

Scorpions burrow into the ground or nest under rocks and other objects. They’re attracted to swimming pools and irrigation systems due to the moisture. 

Final Thoughts

With the information detailed above, you’re armed with the essentials pest control professionals use to deal with scorpions. But controlling them can be an ongoing chore if you live in an area where scorpions are a regular menace, so it may worth your while to seek the help of a professional. Be sure to find a qualified pest control company that is licensed, bonded, and insured in your state.