Texas is home to about 20 species of scorpions, with the striped bark scorpion being the one most commonly seen throughout the state. Scorpions are arachnids because they have eight legs and are relatives of spiders, mites and ticks, with lobster-esque pinchers in the front and a long tail that has a venomous stinger. The striped bark scorpion is yellowish to tan in color with two stripes down its back. Adults can measure about 2.5 inches in length. These scorpions have made Texas their headquarters and more and more Texas homes have been having issues with them. Some will spend their time on the floors and others will climb walls, drapes, clothing and will hide in shoes and under piles of clothing.

Venomous Sting of a Scorpion

The sting of a scorpion is not only painful, it is venomous and can cause serious problems. There are cases that the sting can be deadly. Death can be caused if you happen to have an allergic reaction to the venom and if treatment isn’t sought, death can be caused by anaphylactic shock, but this is very rare. If there are signs of anaphylactic shock, dial 911. The sting usually produces local swelling or a red spot on the skin. There’s about 20 minutes of sharp pain with another day or two of mild discomfort. Ice packs can also help with pain and swelling.

Steps to Prevent & Keep Scorpions Out of Your Home

1. Piles of branches and debris need to be removed. They will use these places to hide and the whole property needs to be taken into consideration. Keeping them out of your yard will ensure they stay out of your home. Garbage always needs to be taken to the curb promptly. If you have a fireplace, then firewood should not be stacked next to the house and only brought indoors as needed. Branches and shrubs that are overgrown need to be trimmed and make sure they can’t touch the house or hang over the roof.
2. Eliminate openings to your home. Gaps between windows or doors and the frames need to be sealed. Use caulking or weather stripping. Keep in mind that scorpions can squeeze through the smallest of openings, so make sure these gaps are completely sealed.
3. Remove sources of food. Like most other pests, scorpions are attracted to homes where they can find food. Scorpions eat insects so they will leave if they can’t find them. Make sure pest control for your home is done regularly and use yellow outdoor light bulbs instead of white ones as the yellow ones are less attractive to insects.

Scorpion Pest Inspections, Control & Removal Services in Cibolo, Universal City, New Braunfels, San Antonio Texas

Using a backlight will make it easy to do inspections in your home. Scorpions will glow a yellowish-green color under black light. If you find them, you can vacuum them up, seal the bag and take it outside right away. There aren’t a lot of sprays you can use to control scorpions. Insecticides typically won’t last long enough to have a real impact and because they move around inside your home so quickly, it’s hard to find predictable places to use them. Scorpions are very difficult to control and very hard to keep out of your home. If you find yourself dealing with them, contact A-Five Star Termite & Pest Control today!