Scorpion Identification & Prevention

What are Scorpions?

Scorpions are predatory arachnids that hunt by grabbing prey with their strong claws and stinging it with their venomous tail. This paralyzes the prey and makes it easy for the scorpion to consume. Scorpions hunt mostly crawling invertebrates, such as cockroaches, silverfish, centipedes, and the like. This might make them good to have around the house – if they couldn't inflict painful stings on people, that is. Stings are the main reason you want to keep scorpions out of your house.

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Are Scorpions Dangerous?

North American scorpions are generally not dangerous. Most scorpions can inflict a painful sting that causes swelling and redness at the site of the injury, but little more. A scorpion sting might hurt for a few hours, but you will be no worse for the wear in the long run. There's only one exception to this rule here in the United States: the Arizona bark scorpion.

The Arizona bark scorpion is the only dangerous scorpion in the entire country. This scorpion packs a venomous punch that can cause serious systemic symptoms that require medical attention. Even with this potent venom, you are still unlikely to die from the sting of the Arizona bark scorpion. Furthermore, we Georgians don't have to worry about this particular scorpion at all, as it only lives in the Desert Southwest.

Why Do I Have a Scorpion Problem?

You usually wind up with scorpions in Georgia because you have an infestation of the things they like to eat. Scorpions will sometimes enter your home to escape freezing cold or floods, but they are much more likely to come inside if you have juicy cockroaches or tempting centipedes roaming around. This means keeping other infestations at bay can also go a long way toward keeping your house free of scorpions.

Where Will I Find Scorpions?

You'll find scorpions where their prey is. This means you will often run into them hiding in dark, low-traffic areas of your home, such as crawl spaces and basements. They may also be inside cabinets or underneath appliances because this is where common household pests like cockroaches tend to be. Scorpions are also infamous for their habit of hiding inside shoes, so if you have a known scorpion infestation, you will want to be careful putting your feet in your shoes until you have dealt with it. They'll also hide in clutter. Any dark, quiet place will do.

How Can I Prevent Scorpions in the Future?

If you don't already have a scorpion infestation, there are a few things you can do to make your home less attractive to these venomous pests:

• Store pantry foods in airtight containers
• Keep garbage cans tightly covered at all times
• Eliminate all open water sources that you can
• Seal up cracks and holes in your home's exterior
• Never leave pet food or pet bowls sitting out

The above measures can help cut down on your likelihood of future infestation by reducing entry points and pest prey. If you are already seeing scorpion around your prioperty, however, you will want to call in the experts here at American Pest Control for professional help.