Scorpions are some of the oldest creatures known on earth and are true survivors. These nocturnal arachnids typically stay out of sight, taking shelter in cracks and crevices. However, if they find a food source in your home, you may be seeing more scorpions than you would like.
How to get rid of scorpions? To get rid of scorpions, first, make sure you eliminate their food source to discourage them from returning. Once your pest problem is under control, you can use repellents, sprays, or traps to kill any remaining scorpions. Finally, seal off the crevices they may enter through to keep them away.
In the rest of this article, we’ll look at these arachnids in more detail. We’ll also talk about their diet and patterns so you learn how to keep them out of your home. Let’s take a look at what you can do if you find yourself with a scorpion problem.
What Is a Scorpion?
Scorpions are arachnids that have a long history dating back over 435 million years on earth. There are over 1,500 species of scorpions around the world, meaning this invertebrate has plenty of variety across hemispheres. They can be found on each continent, excluding Antarctica.
What Does a Scorpion Look Like?
Scorpions look like tiny lobsters with eight legs and a signature stinging tail. They have sensitive hairs rising off their body, a set of pincers, two eyes on top, and two to five sets of eyes on their body sides. They come in red, black, and brown colors. Some varieties can even glow in the dark.
How Many Legs Does a Scorpion Have?
As an arachnid, a scorpion always has eight legs. The most recognizable is the first pair that carry the scorpion’s pincers. These resemble little lobster claws and are a key in the scorpion’s predatory abilities. It relies on its pincers to grab its prey and crush as needed.
How Many Eyes Do Scorpions Have?
Scorpions can have up to 12 eyes, depending on the species. They always have two eyes on the top of their body, but they have a varying amount of lateral eyes. They will have at least two pairs of these lateral eyes and as many as five pairs.
Although they have so many eyes, scorpions are not known for their vision. They struggle to see clearly. They mostly perceive general movements and light versus dark.
Where Do Scorpions Live?
Scorpions live most commonly in hot, dry climates. Though they can live in a variety of climates, their typical habitat is a desert or other similar surroundings. They like to hide in crevices and under rocks, wood, and other natural debris.
How Long Do Scorpions Live?
Scorpions typically live for about three to five years. However, this is only an average, and a scorpion can live much longer. Environmental factors will contribute to the lifespan, and female scorpions tend to live longer than males.
What Do Scorpions Eat?
A scorpion’s diet consists mostly of insects, spiders, small critters, and sometimes they will even eat other scorpions. However, eating other scorpions is typically a last resort. They are predators that use their venom to paralyze their prey and use their pincers to catch and prepare their food.
Types of Scorpions
These arachnids are some of the oldest living creatures on earth, dating back to the dinosaur era. The number of species reaches over a thousand, but these are organized into larger family types.
The three main scorpion family types are:
- Buthidae: The Buthidae family is home to at least 800 different scorpions who prefer tropical and subtropical places to live.
- Hemiscorpiidae: The Hemiscorpiidae family has 72 species, but none of these are found in North America.
- Scorpionidae: The Scorpionidae family has 240 species, and some of these are the biggest scorpions known to man.
Most Dangerous Scorpion
At this point, you may be wondering, “Are all scorpions poisonous?”
While all scorpions are equipped with a stinger in their tail, their level of danger varies greatly. There are a few scorpions that could kill a human with their venom. Children and the elderly are at greater risk, but there are still some instances of scorpions killing healthy adults.
The most poisonous scorpion is the Arizona Bark Scorpion, followed by the Fat-Tailed Scorpion. After these, the most dangerous are the Deathstalker, the Brazilian Yellow Scorpion, and the Indian Red Scorpion.
For all of these scorpions, they tend to sting humans only as a last resort, such as when they feel threatened. If you accidentally step on them, you would be in danger of its stinger. The scorpion knows that humans are not prey, so they will not actively come after you.
Are Scorpions Deadly?
Scorpions can be deadly, but getting stung does not always translate into receiving a lethal dose of venom. Likely, you’ll notice some swelling at the sting site, and it may feel painful or numb. If you’re stung by a more poisonous scorpion, you may exhibit erratic movements and muscle twitches.
- If more intense symptoms appear and you notice the pain spreading, contact a medical professional right away.
- For mild bites, where the pain begins to subside after the first few hours, you can take care of it at your home.
What Does a Scorpion Sting Look Like?
A scorpion sting will make the skin look swollen and reddish. Depending on the sting, the swelling and redness may be localized, or they may surround the area where you were stung. These symptoms usually come within the first five minutes after the sting.
How Long Does a Scorpion Sting Last?
With a mild bite, the pain will likely subside after two or three hours. It should completely dissipate within 24 hours. You may experience numbness or tingling for a longer period, usually two to three days.
What Attracts Scorpions?
Scorpions are attracted by their prey because they want to feed and survive like all animals. They feed on insects, and especially termites. Even a small termite infestation can be enough for scorpions to move in. So, try to keep your home pest-free.
With no pests around, there’ll be no reason for a scorpion to nest in your home.
How Do Scorpions Get In the House?
Scorpions love small cracks and crevices and can locate these easily to enter your home. If there is any space under your doors, around your windows, or piping, they can easily use this space to enter the home. They can also crawl in through exterior vents to enter your home.
How to Kill a Scorpion?
Killing scorpions can be a bit of a challenge. These arachnids are born survivors, and methods that work on other pests won’t wipe out your scorpion problem.
However, the blunt force will do the trick. You should protect yourself if you want to stomp on an individual scorpion or smash it with a heavy item. They can sting you if you come too close to their poisonous tail.
How to Get Rid of Scorpions in the House?
Preventative treatment is key in keeping scorpions out of your home. Stay up-to-date on your pest control. Eliminating their food source will keep them away in the first place.
You can choose a natural scorpion repellent or a chemical option to deal with scorpions that have made their way inside.
How to Kill Scorpions Around Your House?
If you’re up against a scorpion infestation in your home, you may need more methods than pure blunt force to get the job done. You may be wondering how to catch a scorpion, but luckily you don’t necessarily need to make direct contact to kill it.
You have a variety of options and methods when it comes to killing scorpions around your house.
- Since scorpions are arachnids like spiders, you may consider using a poisonous spider spray on these little pests. You can easily find spider sprays online, at the supermarket, or at the local hardware store. However, these chemicals may be dangerous for pets or children. So, use them carefully.
- You can also consider using traps to kill scorpions. Rodent traps may deliver mixed success depending upon your placement, but sticky traps should work better. Place these sticky traps in the spots where you have seen scorpions. They like dry, dark crevices and other hiding spots, so use this knowledge to your advantage when setting the traps.
- There’s a slower way of killing scorpions. You can use certain compounds that will dehydrate the scorpion until it dies. While this is a bit of a brutal death for the scorpion, it can be the least toxic or gruesome option for the homeowner.
- You can use Sprinkle Boric Acid or Diatomaceous Earth on where scorpions lurk in your home. As the scorpion comes in contact with these substances, they’ll slowly dehydrate and die. Boric Acid can still be hazardous to pets, but Diatomaceous Earth is less harmful.
Related: Diatomaceous Earth Uses as a Natural Pesticide | Tips and Guide
What Repels Scorpions?
To repel scorpions, you can choose a chemical or natural repellent or spray. There are plenty of products on the market you can spray and apply in your home to kill the scorpions you have and keep any new ones away. Use the chemical ones with care, as they can be dangerous for pets and children.
Best Scorpion Repellents
There are plenty of scorpion repellents on the market that can help keep scorpions away.
If you’re searching for the least harsh option, this Cedarside Scorpion Shield from Amazon is all-natural and pet safe, letting you use it worry-free.
- ✅ PROTECT YOUR HOME WITH SCORPION SHIELD - Scorpion Shield is a...
- 💪 TOUGH ON SCORPIONS SAFE ON THE ENVIRONMENT - Non-staining...
- ✅ NON-TOXIC CEDAR OIL FORMULA - Scorpion Shield Kills and...
- 🌱 TOTAL HOME COVERAGE - Scorpion Shield is a contact killer...
- 💧HOW TO USE SCORPION SHIELD: Apply once daily or as needed to...
Best Scorpion Sprays
Plenty of spray products help you eliminate scorpions once and for all from your home.
For example, the Harris Scorpion Killer Spray from Amazon is EPA approved for indoor use. This liquid won’t damage your home’s interior while being efficient at killing scorpions.
- Kills Scorpions When Spray Dries - The spray will kill once...
- Great Value - 1 Gallon allows for repeated applications on an...
- Odorless Formula - Odorless and non-staining formula will not...
- EPA Registered - Registered with the Environmental Protection...
- Extended Trigger Sprayer - Use the included trigger sprayer to...
Try to use this spray where you have seen scorpions in your home and where you think the scorpion nest might be.
Best Scorpion Traps
If you want to place some traps on scorpions, you’ll want to choose a sticky glue trap.
The Catchmaster 72MAX Pest Trap from Amazon is a good example. The strong glue trap will hold any scorpion that wanders across one.
- READY TO USE: Spider, Rodent and Insect glue traps are...
- YEAR ROUND PROTECTION: Catchmaster glue traps are safe, non-toxic...
- SAFE FOR THE FAMILY: Designed to help you keep your family...
- TOTAL COVERAGE: Can be used indoors in residential, commercial,...
- INTELLIGENT PEST MANAGEMENT: At our core, we are dedicated pest...
Home Remedies to Get Rid of Scorpions
After reading all of these harsh, chemical options, you may be wondering, “What kills scorpions naturally?”
The most common DIY option to deal with your scorpion problem is using essential oils.
Cedar, peppermint, lavender, and cinnamon oil are all known to have a repelling effect. You can dilute these strong oils and add them to the areas of your house where scorpions mostly lurk.
Scorpion Bite Treatment
Luckily, most scorpion stings are mild and don’t require emergency medical treatment. The majority of scorpion venom will give you one of these mild stings. You can treat a mild sting at home without seeking additional medical care.
However, if you think you’ve been bit by a deadly scorpion or you are experiencing more severe symptoms, contact a medical professional immediately.
How to Treat a Scorpion Sting?
For a mild scorpion sting treatment, wash the area gently with soap and water. If you’re experiencing a lot of pain, you can take over-the-counter pain medicine and perhaps apply a cold compact to the sting site. The worst of the pain and swelling should pass within 24 hours.
Home Remedy for Scorpion Bite
One popular home remedy for scorpion bits is a freshly cut onion. Slice the onion and apply it directly to the scorpion bite.
People swear by this at-home remedy to swelling and pain relief related to their sting.
How to Keep Scorpions Away?
If you’ve had a scorpion problem in the past and are looking to keep them away, make sure to seal off their favorite entrances.
Check for dark crevices around your doors and windows. Scorpions love these openings, and sealing them off will keep them from entering.
Summary
Scorpions can be a frightening pest at first glance, but even if stung, you’ll likely recover without much struggle. To avoid scorpion problems in your home, keep your home pest-free and seal off any entry crevices. If stung by a scorpion, the pain will likely subside in a few hours. If not, be sure to seek medical help to avoid any complications.
List of Sources
Insects and Scorpions. (2018). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Houseman, R. M. (2011). Scorpions. University of Missouri.
Scorpion Stings. (2019). Mayo Clinic.
Scorpion. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.
Wright, R. (2016). Scorpions. Oklahoma State University.
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