Signs of a Scorpion Infestation in Your Home

Are you concerned that you might have an issue in your home with scorpions? Have you seen a scorpion around your house, or seen some type of evidence that may have concerned you? This is clearly a situation that nobody wants to find themselves in, but there are ways to figure out if you have an issue before things get out of hand. If you’re looking for a way to determine if you have a scorpion problem, or worse, if your home is infested with them, this article will give you all of the information you need. 

So, how do you know if you have a scorpion problem? There are a variety of signs to look for in order to tell if scorpions are in your home. Here are some common signs:

• You have had scorpion sightings, including their distinctive translucent stingers attached to their tail end.
• You have noticed possible scorpion droppings, which look like little patches of sand.
• There have been scorpion tracks around your home. These are easy to spot and resemble a smear or track of tiny pebbles on the ground.
• You have come across scorpion egg cases, which are small and shaped like a “Tic Tac” mint container.
• There have been live scorpions in the home, especially in bathtubs or near plumbing.
• There have been dead scorpions around the home, especially on walls and along baseboards.

Keep reading to learn more about identifying scorpions and how to prevent an infestation from taking over your home.

What Are Scorpions?

Scorpions are invertebrates that have eight legs, a segmented tail that is curved over the back, and it ends with a venomous stinger. Scorpions can be found in many colors including tan, brown, dark blue, or almost black. The average size of most scorpions is around six centimeters, which makes them somewhat large for an arthropod.

They feed on insects and spiders. Although scorpions resemble lobsters or crayfish, they are not crustaceans but are more closely related to the spider family. There are more than 1700 different species of scorpions throughout the world, and they all have somewhat similar appearances.

There are three main types of scorpions in the U.S.: hairy ones with pincers, shiny dark-colored medium-sized flat ones without pincers, and pale yellowish small round ones that burrow into sand or gravel. These little creatures can definitely be difficult to spot, due to their sometimes translucent coloring and small size.

Scorpions are most often seen and recognized in a desert environment, but can also thrive in many other surprising habitats. These interesting animals have been known to live at sea level, but have also been known to abide near mountains throughout the world. Although scorpions are most prevalent in hotter temperatures, they actually seem to seek out the shade and cooler resting spots. These little pests are nocturnal and enjoy running wild at night.

Scorpions usually choose to sting whenever they are disturbed by someone or something. This is because they have a stinger to paralyze their prey before eating it and to defend themselves from being attacked. Scorpion stings on humans can range from very painful to potentially fatal depending on the species of scorpion, the age and health of the person stung, and where they were stung.

How Do I Know if There are Scorpions in my Home?

The signs listed above are the most obvious signs of a scorpion issue in your home. Some signs of scorpion issues aren’t as subtle, but you can easily learn to look for or recognize these signs. If you’re not sure whether there’s a scorpion in your house and you’ve found one of their pincers, it’s usually pretty safe to assume that there is something more going on.

Pungent Scent in Your Home

Scorpions are known to put out a distinctive odor. If you keep smelling a pungent scent that smells kind of like rotten eggs or chlorine bleach, then you might have scorpions in your home. This sulphuric smell is one of the most reliable indicators of scorpion infestation within your walls and under your floorboards.

Scorpions in Your Pool

If you have spotted scorpions in your pool, it may be an indicator that you have scorpions in your home. If you’re not sure whether it’s a scorpion, inspect the area closely to see if there are any features that could help determine whether or not you’ve got one of these creepy crawlers on your hands.

More Bugs in Your Home

Have you noticed an influx of other small insects in your home recently? If you have seen more bugs, like crickets and roaches, there is a chance you could be seeing scorpions soon. They will always go where there is food to eat and are willing to eat a wide variety of insects and small creatures. 

If you or your family members have anything more than rare or occasional scorpion stings, which are very rarely lethal, then you should definitely be concerned about having an infestation.

If you have actually spotted a scorpion or two inside of your home, this, unfortunately, increases the odds that there are many more you haven’t yet seen. Scorpions are known to be quite territorial and like to stay put once they have found a place to take refuge.

If you want to try to look for scorpions in your home with greater ease, some scorpions like the bark scorpion glow under any ultraviolet light. Using some type of blacklight can help you to successfully hunt for these creepy crawlers.

You can always choose to call your local pest control company to have them come to inspect your living space for scorpions. The trained eyes of a professional can spot something that may be quite difficult for the average home dweller. 

How to Prevent Scorpions From Infesting Your Home

There are some ways you can prevent scorpions from entering your home or finding shelter within it. You’ll have to keep up on cleaning regularly to remove their preferred habitat, which is trash and debris. Also, always check your shoes before putting them on since scorpions are drawn to dark, moist places, like the inside of boots and shoes.  

Keep Your House Dry

It is important to keep your house dry since moisture attracts scorpions; seal up cracks and crevices with caulk, weather stripping, or steel wool to keep them out of your home. Also make sure that all dry leaves and debris are cleared away from your foundation, as scorpions like hiding under piles of brush.

Make sure you use fresh mulch in landscaping areas of your home, rather than dead falling material, as these can attract pests like termites. Keep glass surfaces clean and dry since moisture can cause mold, which scorpions like to eat.

Enclosures with fine mesh screening are often used to protect pets from scorpions when they’re outdoors. Check these enclosures regularly for unwelcome visitors in the form of live or dead scorpions. If you do suspect that you have a scorpion infestation in your home, call pest control for advice on how to handle the situation.

Do your part in making sure that you don’t attract these pests into your home by cleaning up regularly as well as using pest control methods rather than chemical ones where possible.

Eliminate Food & Water Sources

Working to eliminate any food and water sources for scorpions can help to ward them off. Since they are always on the hunt for other bugs to eat for their nourishment, treating your home to prevent the overtaking by any small pests can be a significant help.

Scorpions will also always need a water supply in order to survive. Taking extra strides to keep your home and outdoor property free from any standing water will keep scorpions from being able to survive long term in your residence.

Take Preventative Measures Against Scorpions

Scorpions might seem like scary creatures but they aren’t too difficult to get rid of if you notice them quickly, especially if you know what signs of scorpion infestation to look out for! Here, you’ve learned what signs to look for if you think there are scorpions in your home. Now it’s time to keep an eye out and make sure they don’t get too comfortable and become part of your house! 

If you have a serious infestation on your hands or want to take preventative measures, consider investing in some professional pest control. They’ll be able to remove the scorpions quickly and efficiently so that you won’t have to worry about them again. It is so helpful to contact an exterminator for advice on how to handle the situation.

Unfortunately, scorpion populations are growing thanks to milder winters making them difficult to control. If you’re unlucky enough to have a problem with these pests, call a trustworthy pest control business for advice on how best to handle the situation before you end up with an infestation like this one!

Scorpions have supposedly been around since the age of dinosaurs and they are probably not going anywhere anytime soon, so it will be up to us humans whether or not we want to allow these pests in our homes and businesses. It’s very important that we take measures now before scorpion populations continue to grow: like cleaning up regularly as well as using safe pest control methods rather than chemical ones where possible. Good luck!

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