SCORPION
Despite what many people say, pesticides do kill scorpions. These nocturnal living nightmares are harder to kill than most other pests, but the idea that pesticides are ineffective against scorpions is 100% false.
Scorpions, like spiders, walks on tiny barbs instead of pads like most other insects. These barbs, which act similar to hooks, are what give them the ability to walk up walls and across ceilings. Because there is very little surface area on the tips of the barbs, they pick up far less product when walking across treated areas. As a result, the killing process often does not begin until the scorpion rests on a treated surface or eats an insect that has contacts a treated area, ingesting the product directly.
Scorpions also have a thick exoskeleton that not only increases their resistance to pesticides, but it takes much longer to absorb the product. For this reason, we don't just treat the perimeter of the home. Instead, we treat all areas of the yard that could be problematic, increasing the chances they will cross a treated a surface long before reaching the home. We always recommend regular service for anyone who lives in areas with scorpions. Once they establish themselves in an area, they tend to remain part of the environment.
Scorpions do not die in the winter - this is another myth. Instead, they enter a state called brumation, meaning they move slower not only to conserve energy, but because they are cold blooded. Despite lower activity in winter months, indoor sightings on untreated properties are just as common in winter months. This is due, not only to them seeking warmth, but they are often brought indoors with holiday decorations kept in garages and sheds.
Several species of scorpions can be found in the Surprise area, but the three most common types are bark scorpions, stripetail scorpions, and desert hairy scorpions. Bark scorpions are the most common type homeowners see and also have the most medically significant sting. Stripetail scorpions can deliver a painful sting but are generally less severe than bark scorpions, while desert hairy scorpions typically produce a reaction similar to a bee sting for most people. Young scorpions, especially young bark scorpions, are considered the most dangerous because they have not yet learned to regulate how much venom they inject. This means they are much more likely to deliver their full venom load when they sting. Despite the very reasonable fear people have of scorpions, thousands of people are stung every year, and fatalities are almost unheard of.
Bark scorpion - up to 2.5, sometimes 3 inches long with thin pincers and tail. These are a bright goldish color, sometimes with a faint single brown stripe down the back. With age, their back may become a bit darker than the rest of their body.
Stripetail scorpion - may look identical to a bark scorpion to the untrained eye, as they grow to about the same size. These often have a darker body than bark scorpions, but the key distinction between the two is the size of their tail and pincers. Stripetail scorpions have much thicker tails with ridges running down the side, and their pincers are larger and bulbous in shape.
Desert hairy scorpion - these are the largest scorpions found in Arizona, often reaching up to 7 inches long. They're generally a yellow-gold color with a dark colored back, and small hairs coming out of their tail, legs and pincers.
Scorpions have poor eyesight and primarily navigate by following edges and perimeters. They prefer temperatures around 70–80°F, just like us, so when they are traveling along a house and encounter a door with small gaps, they may be drawn inside by the cooler air escaping in the summer (or warm air in the winter). Surprisingly, scorpions only need a gap about the thickness of a credit card to enter a home. Ensuring door thresholds and weather stripping are sealed as best as possible are key to preventing scorpions from making their way inside.
Scorpions can also make their way into attics by climbing exterior walls and accessing the attic through gaps in the bird block in the eves, entering through gaps in the weep screed at the foundation, or using nearby trees and bushes that touch the home or roofline as a bridge. Finding a scorpion inside a laundry room, or especially a bathroom, particularly in a tub, shower, sink, or toilet, more often than not, indicates activity in the attic. Despite a common myth, scorpions do not come up through drains. Instead, scorpions crawl through small openings in exhaust fan vent covers (fart fan) and fall from the ceiling. While they can crawl out from the attic access point, the bathrooms are far more common due to the moisture and humidity, which scorpions are extremely sensitive to. When they fall onto smooth surfaces like tubs or sinks, they cannot climb back out, which is why they are frequently discovered there. It's not uncommon for a scorpion to fall in a sink, crawl into the drain, and run out when the water is turned off, giving the appearance that it crawled up from the drain. The best thing a homeowner can do in this situation is hire a professional to screen exhaust fan vent covers or do it themselves. Until this is completed, no matter what product is used or how often a property is treated, finding scorpions inside will be an ongoing issue.
Homeowners often ask about using diatomaceous earth for scorpions, but in most cases, it is not very effective, especially outdoors. While it can work (and takes a long time) in very specific dry environments, it tends to absorb moisture and turn into a paste after rain or irrigation. Once it dries, it forms a hard crust that no longer works as intended leaving an unsightly, useless mess. This residue also makes it more difficult for products to bond properly to surfaces during pest control treatments.
One of the most effective things homeowners can do is hunt scorpions at night using a blacklight, as scorpions glow under UV light. Removing them manually while maintaining regular pest control service can significantly reduce activity on a property. It is important to note that baby scorpions typically don't glow under UV light because their hyaline layer, which gives scorpions the ability to glow, hasn't fully developed. As they molt and mature, these compounds form in the outer cuticle and they begin to glow like adults.