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Scorpions are common household pests that cause damage. These arachnids are frequently found in South America, with the larger species typically residing in desert regions. Scorpions prefer dark areas during the day and venture out at night to hunt for food and water. To eliminate scorpions, you can hunt them at night, block food sources and shelters, use live predators, and apply scorpion-repellent sprays. This article provides further guidance on how to eradicate scorpions.
Steps
Eliminate Food Sources and Seal the Home
Eliminate Excess Moisture. Scorpions often enter homes in search of water. Therefore, it's important to keep floors, corners, cabinets, and low-lying areas dry and free from leaks. Avoid allowing water to accumulate in puddles or collecting in containers outside the house.
Eliminate Pests from Your Home. Scorpions feed on insects, so if you have cockroaches, ants, or other pests in your home, you should address this issue before focusing on scorpion removal. Here are a few useful methods to reduce the number of insects in your home:
- Clean up food crumbs and wash dishes immediately to prevent insects from finding food.
- Sprinkle boric acid or diatomaceous earth around baseboards and under sinks; these natural substances help kill pests.
- Consider spraying insecticide around the house to eliminate pests. Be sure to read the instructions carefully and use the product cautiously, as some insecticides can be toxic to humans and pets.
- Reduce the number of pests outside your house, as scorpions prefer to live outdoors.
Eliminate Scorpion Hiding Spots. Scorpions prefer to hide in dark places, especially during the day. You need to remove any structures inside and around your house that could provide convenient hiding spots for scorpions. Implement the following measures to prevent scorpions from crawling inside your home:
- Store cardboard boxes on shelves rather than on the floor.
- Avoid clutter around the house or under the bed.
- Organize your closet and bedroom. Scorpions love hiding in shoes and piles of clothes on the floor.
- Outside, trim bushes and tree branches where scorpions might hide. Clear piles of wood, rocks, or mulch. Trim climbing plants and other potential shelters.
Seal Your Home. Scorpions can squeeze through cracks as small as a credit card. Sealing your home is an essential step to keep scorpions out. To ensure your home is secure, take the following actions to seal doors, windows, and the foundation:
- Use caulk to seal holes and cracks in walls, baseboards, or the foundation.
- Make sure windows are tightly closed and screens are securely in place to prevent scorpions from entering.
- Seal gaps under doors to prevent scorpions from crawling in from underneath.
Hunt Scorpions
Prepare the Right Tools. The best way to eliminate scorpions quickly is to hunt them at night when they are most active. This method is not for the faint-hearted, but killing scorpions one by one is an effective way to quickly reduce their numbers around the house. To hunt scorpions, you will need the following tools:
- A blacklight (ultraviolet) bulb. Scorpions glow in the dark, so you can easily spot them using a blacklight bulb. Use a flashlight or headlamp with a blacklight bulb.
- A tool to kill scorpions. In many areas of Arizona (USA), people use long-handled tweezers as weapons to break the scorpions' exoskeletons. You can also use a long knife or wear thick boots to stomp on them.
Search for Scorpions Around Your Home. Check the areas outside walls, along the base of the walls and fences, beneath bushes, and under leaves, rocks, cracks outside, and near the house. Shine blacklight in these areas to make scorpions glow.
- Scorpions usually don't reside in grass, so you may not find many in the lawn.
- You can search for scorpions inside the house, in the attic, along baseboards, and in many other areas where you've seen scorpions before.
Eliminate Scorpions. Use long-handled tweezers, a knife, or boot soles to kill the scorpions. Then, place the dead scorpions into a trash bag, tie it securely, and dispose of it with regular household waste.
Use an Alternative Scorpion Hunting Method. Hunt scorpions at night by using a UV flashlight, ant spray (such as Raid), and cockroach spray. Directly spray these products on each scorpion. These sprays work the quickest.
- If a scorpion climbs the wall or ceiling, you can use wasp spray (like Raid) to eliminate it.
Using Traps, Insecticides, and Scorpion Repellents
Spray Insecticides Designed Specifically for Scorpions. Spray a circle around the exterior of your house about 180 cm wide. Spray along the foundation of the house up to about 30 cm high. Apply insecticide around windows, doors, and baseboards inside your home. Don't forget to spray in the basement, garage, and closets. Also, treat any piles of materials where scorpions may hide.
Use Synthetic Insecticide Powder and Absorbent Powder. These substances will eliminate scorpions before they can sneak into your home. Sprinkle the insecticide powder and absorbent powder around electrical outlets, water pump equipment, and in the attic. Apply the insecticide powder in any cracks.
Contact a Specialist. If you continue to experience problems with scorpions, it is recommended to call a pest control center.
Set Sticky Traps. Sticky traps designed to catch insects or mice can also be effective in trapping scorpions. Place the traps around water sources and in dark corners of your home. Once you catch a scorpion, dispose of the trap and set up a new one.
Adopt Cats or Chickens. Some cats enjoy hunting scorpions, so having a cat can actually help reduce the number of scorpions. Chickens also love eating scorpions, so you might want to consider raising one in your yard.
Sprinkle Cinnamon Around Your Home. Cinnamon powder serves as a natural repellent against scorpions. Sprinkle it in dark corners, on windowsills, and along the baseboards to prevent scorpions from entering.
Advice
- Regularly wash your bedding and shoes if you live in an area where scorpions are common. These are places where scorpions tend to hide indoors.
- If you spot one scorpion outside, there's likely another one nearby. Most scorpions don't stray far from their group.
- Bathrooms are a common place to get stung by scorpions. Be sure to check the bathtub in winter, as scorpions might crawl into the pipes. A simple precaution to avoid being stung is to check first and run the water for about 30 seconds before using the shower.
- Cover the drain when not in use or place a fine mesh over the pipe to prevent scorpions from crawling up through the plumbing.
- Remove electrical outlet covers and sprinkle insecticide powder to prevent scorpions from hiding inside outlets.
- Avoid vacuuming the house after spraying for scorpions, as the insecticide dries into fine crystals, which are most effective when the scorpions walk over them. Vacuuming will reduce the effectiveness of these crystals.
- Do not use cardboard, wood, or wicker containers inside your home, as scorpions are attracted to these materials.
- Track the scorpions' path. If you find one in the same area of your home, they may have entered through a nearby entry point. Seal any cracks and ensure that windows, smoke detectors, and floors have no gaps.
Warning
- Scorpions may sting if they feel threatened. Most scorpion stings are similar to bee or wasp stings in intensity. While most stings are not life-threatening, it is advisable to see a doctor, especially if a child is stung.
- Wear a mask and gloves when spraying or applying insecticides.
