How To Deal With Scorpions In The Home

There are around 1,200 known scorpion species on the planet, and they exist on every continent except Antarctica. There are 70 identified species of scorpion in the United States. If you live somewhere with scorpions, you’ll want to know how to safely and effectively deal with these venomous arachnids.

To keep scorpions out of your home, seal your exterior, maintain window screens, and keep outdoor clutter to a minimum. You can spray liquid insecticide outside the home, or use sticky traps inside the home where you’ve seen them. Diatomaceous earth and cedar oil are natural ways to keep them away. Fix leaks, reduce humidity in the home, and eliminate their food sources to make your home less appealing to them.

Scorpions are pests you never want to see in your home. They can inflict painful and sometimes life-threatening stings. To ensure you never come face-to-face with these creepy crawlers, you’ll want to know all the ways you can effectively keep them out of your home. If you do see a scorpion in the home, you also need to know how to remove it safely.

Effective Ways To Keep Scorpions Out Of Your Home

1. Seal Cracks And Gaps

The best way to keep scorpions out of your home is to close up all potential entry points. Take the time to locate and seal the cracks and vulnerabilities in your home. If there are gaps between doors and the floor, use door sweeps to fill them. Scorpions can enter your home through small holes. When you eliminate these entry points, you are far less likely to see these stinging pests inside your dwelling. 

2. Maintain Window Screens

Another way scorpions enter the home is through tears in window screens. If you live in a region with scorpions, you must keep window screens in good condition. Inspect each one regularly and patch any holes or tears as soon as you notice them. When all your screens are damage-free, you can let in fresh air without worrying about scorpions or other unwanted pests.

3. Stay Extra Diligent After It Rains

Scorpions are more likely to enter your home after it rains. Be extra diligent in sealing your home anytime it rains when you live somewhere with scorpions. Heavy downpours force scorpions out of their dwellings, and they will seek shelter in safer, drier locations. Often, this means they will try to get into your home any way possible.

4. Place Sticky Traps In The Home

Sometimes, no matter how well you seal your home, scorpions still find a way in. If you’ve ever seen one inside, you’ll want to find ways to trap and prevent them from roaming free in your house. Sticky traps are a non-toxic and effective way to stop these stinging arachnids in their tracks. Place the traps in dark areas, including under the sink, and near entryways. Once a scorpion steps onto the sticky surface, they become stuck and immobilized.

5. Spray Specialized Insecticide Outside Your Home

If you live somewhere like the American Southwest, where scorpions are common, you may want to take a more aggressive approach to keeping them away. There are several long-lasting liquid insecticides you can spray on your home’s exterior that will kill scorpions and help keep them far from your home.

6. Fix Leaks And Lower Humidity In The Home

While many scorpions live in the desert, they still prefer dark, damp areas. They seek out these areas to shelter from extreme heat and they prefer wet areas because they can hunt their favorite prey there. To make your home less appealing to scorpions, remove stagnant water, seal leaks, and lower the humidity in your home. Removing stagnant water helps make your home less appealing to scorpions.

7. Sprinkle Diatomaceous Earth Inside and Outside Entry Points 

Diatomaceous earth is a great way to get rid of various invertebrates, including scorpions. This powder scratches the pest's exoskeleton and dehydrates. In some cases, diatomaceous earth can kill them. Even if diatomaceous earth doesn’t kill scorpions in the home, they will leave your home and not return.

8. Remove Clutter

Like many predatory pests, scorpions seek dark areas where they can find ample places to hide. If your home is cluttered, there are many potential hiding places. Removing all unnecessary clutter makes your home less appealing to scorpions and more appealing to you.

9. Avoid Using Mulch Close To The Home

Mulch has many benefits, but if you live in a region where scorpions are prevalent, you should rethink where you spread mulch. Scorpions love mulch because it provides a moist, sheltered habitat where they can live and hunt for food. There’s nothing wrong with using mulch in your garden, but you might want to reconsider using it close to your entryways. Spreading mulch close to your home increases the likelihood scorpions can get into your house. If you do use mulch near your home, opt for cedar mulch.

10. Eliminate Their Favorite Food Sources 

Scorpions go where there’s food, so eradicate all their favorite food sources from your home. These arachnids are hunters and eat various insects. To make your home less appealing, keep it clean and keep window screens shut. Disinfect your home regularly, and never leave food out. Remove cobwebs promptly and relocate spiders outside when you see them. The fewer insects you have in the home, the less appealing your home becomes to scorpions.

11. Spray Cedar Oil To Repel Them

Another great natural method to help repel scorpions is cedar and cedar oil. The scent of cedar oil is unpleasant for a wide range of insects, including scorpions. This oil is toxic to these creatures because it affects their sensory system. Spray cedar essential oil in your home to help make your dwelling less appealing to these pests. If you have pets or small children, this is a great, natural, and safe method to make your home less appealing to scorpions.

Tips For Locating And Removing Scorpions Safely

1. Use A Black Light

Scorpions are often small and difficult to spot. One great way to find them is to use a blacklight. Scorpions glow in the dark when you use a black light, which makes them very easy to spot at night. If you find scorpions in the home from time to time, it's worth getting a black light. 

2. Use Insecticide Spray

If you don’t want to get anywhere near a scorpion, have an effective spray insecticide in your home. There are several scorpion-killing products you can purchase. Spray it directly on a scorpion, and the pest will die rapidly. If you are afraid of being stung, insecticide is the best hands-off solution to kill a scorpion.

3. Wear Thick Gloves

If you prefer a more humane approach to removing scorpions from your home, you can manually remove them. If you decide to take this approach, wear thick gloves, like gardening gloves. This significantly reduces the risk of being stung. Once you trap the scorpion, you can remove it and set it free far from your house.

4. Wear Protective Footwear And Clothing

No matter what method you use to get rid of scorpions in your home, always wear protective clothing and footwear. Some scorpion species are incredibly fast, so you must protect your skin in case you miss one and it tries to sting you. Wear boots and thick jeans so your lower body is completely protected.

Wrapping Up How To Deal With Scorpions In The Home

Scorpions are pretty scary. Not only do they look creepy, but some species have venom that can cause severe pain and even death whne they sting. To ensure these stinging arachnids stay out of your home, seal all cracks and vulnerabilities in your home’s exterior and maintain your window screens regularly. You can spray specialized liquid insecticide on your home’s exterior, or use sticky traps to stop them in their tracks.

Some natural methods to keep scorpions away include sprinkling diatomaceous earth near your entryways and in the home, and spraying cedar oil. Remove all stagnant water and do your best to minimize insect infestations in your home to make your dwelling less appealing to scorpions.

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