TOP ELEVEN PEST- "Bark" Scorpions
There are about 70 species of scorpion in the United States. Scorpions are a nuisance pest, but are also of medical importance
because of their sting. Their stings can range from a mild wasp-like sting, which can be accompanied by an allergic reaction, all
the way, RARELY, to being fatal.
Identifying:
Adult scorpions range in size from under 2 inches to over 4 inches long. They look a lot like a tiny lobster, with menacing looking
claws out front and a long thin tail that ends in a sting.
Dangerous:
Stings from the Bark scorpion, found here in Arizona, can be fatal. The stings are often very painful and are usually followed by
immediate (few minutes to 24 hours) distress, including numbness around the wound which rapidly spreads to the entire extremity;
weakness or even paralysis of the injured part; hyperactivity and anxiety; profuse salivation; dizziness; difficulty in speaking and
swallowing; respiratory distress; and, in some cases, convulsions. The sting site does not swell or become discolored as it does with
less dangerous species.
The injected venom is a neurotoxin and if death occurs, it is caused by respiratory paralysis and other
complications, usually within 2-20 hours after the sting. There is an antivenom sometimes available but rarely needed. Here in
Arizona, the best course of action for someone stung by a scorpion is to call poison control. Since scorpion stings are not uncommon
here, they are able to give you the best directions for care.
During the day, scorpions try to hide someplace that is cool, moist and dark, as this helps them conserve water. Night time is when they are the most active as they start hunting for food and water.
Scorpions eat insects and spiders, and have been known to eat each other. They sometimes enter homes as part of their foraging activity at night. They usually enter >> back to top
your home the same way you do, through the doors or sometimes the windows. Scorpions don’t leave a pheromone trail to follow back outside, so at daybreak they don’t know how to get back outside, and are trapped in your house, so they start looking for a place to hide. That place can be anywhere in your house that gives them shelter, like your shoes, blankets, dresser drawers, the shirt on the chair or the socks on the floor. You get the idea, they can be anywhere!
| Control eliminate living area | Control the food source |
Control create barrier to house |
Control call us for control |
Biology:
Scorpions give birth to live young, which immediately climb onto their mothers back at birth. They remain there until their first
molt, which usually occurs within 7-30 days. After that first molt, they descend, scatter and feed. Maturity can take from several
months to possibly 4 years. They reach adult coloration within 2-3 months. Adults may live for up to around 6 years.
Control:
Step 1 is harborage elimination. This includes removing wood piles, trash, and debris, storing firewood and lumber
off the ground, eliminating large stones and landscaping timbers, etc. If you don’t do this part, you are not going to
get good control of your scorpion population, even with the best pest control program.
Step 2 is to control their food source, which will primarily be insects. Step 1 will go a long way to achieving step 2, but
step 2 often calls for a good pest control program. It should also include a vegetation free zone at least 18 inches from
your foundation. The idea here is to keep them away from the house by eliminating harborage, so they are less likely to find
their way inside.
Step 3 is exclusion from access to the inside your house. This means doors that fit tight with good weather stripping ALL
THE WAY AROUND YOUR DOORS, tight fitting windows AND SCREENS in good repair, caulking door and window frames, plumbing and
utility penetrations, vents, fascia, etc. etc. etc.
Step 4 is pest control. This comes after all of the above because without the above steps, no pest control program can be
successful. If you consider your scorpion problem serious, you should really consider a professional pest control program.
You should also consider buying and USING a black light to hunt scorpions after sunset, when they are most active. This
simple population reduction practice will have a significant impact on your scorpion control program. They glow under a
black light, so are fairly easy to spot. When you see one you can smash it or spray it. >> return to TOP ELEVEN PEST
