Signs of scorpions near your home

Living here in the Valley, we have our fair share of scorpion infestations. If you haven’t encountered one yourself, you will, at least, know someone who has seen a scorpion face-to-face.

As the weather starts to heat up, homeowners and renters cannot help but wonder if their home will be subject to a scorpion infestation.

Most homeowners fear scorpions because of their venomous sting. A scorpion sting is painful for most people, but can cause more serious symptoms in children, those with an allergic reaction, or the immunocompromised.

Noticing crucial warning signs of scorpions in-and-around your home can help you to be more proactive in finding these scary pests before they sneak up on you.

Believe it or not, scorpions aren’t invading your home just to make your life miserable (although it may feel that way sometimes!). They’re actually after something. Three things, in fact: food, shelter, and water.

Here’s what you need to know:

Unlike crickets, roaches, ants, and most other types of pests, scorpions are actually carnivores. They’re highly effective predators that use their venomous sting to immobilize their prey.

Bark scorpions prey on a wide variety of insects, including other common household pests like crickets, roaches, and spiders. If you currently have pests in your home, you’ve already got something that nearby scorpions are interested in.

Most scorpions invade Valley homes while on the hunt for food. It’s why eliminating their food supply—by controlling other types of pests—is an effective means of combatting a scorpion infestation.

The Arizona Bark Scorpion is a nocturnal hunter. As such, they need a cool and dry area to hang out during the day, out of the intense summer sun here in Phoenix.

In a natural environment, rocks, trees, and bushes often get the job done. After all, the bark scorpion gets its name from its native habitat, being primarily a tree dweller.

As we’ve built subdivisions over the desert, bark scorpions have adapted marvelously. Our miles and miles of air conditioned homes, irrigated lawns, and nook-filled block walls provide them with ample shelter.

Like all living things, bark scorpions need water. They’re highly adapted to their native desert environment, and can go months without it. But, they rarely have to: our suburbs, lawns, and canals have brought water to them.

If you have water around your property—such as in your lawn or garden—that’s going to attract all kinds of pests, which, in turn, will attract scorpions.

Scorpions can squeeze into ridiculously tight spaces. They’ve been known to get in between gaps no wider than a credit card!

However, in many cases, they don’t have to try all that hard. Many Valley homes have gaps under or around exterior doors and windows that allow them relatively easy access.

If there’s something inside that scorpions want, and it’s relatively easy to get into your home, they probably will make their way inside. It’s only a matter of time.

It’s why we often recommend home sealing as part of our strategy to prevent scorpions from returning to your home.

This probably isn’t what you want to hear, but it’s rare for a scorpion sighting to a be a one-time, random event. Scorpions aren’t exactly social or swarming creatures like bees are, but they do follow one another to new places.

That’s partially because bark scorpions hibernate in groups in the winter. While adult scorpions are solitary hunters, they won’t venture far from larger groups of scorpions, since they’ll need them to survive the colder (relatively speaking; this is Phoenix, after all!) months of the year.