Scorpions are creepy-crawly eight-legged arachnids that we find fascinating, but we don’t want to get too close to them with their crablike pincers and barbed tails. They are also related to ticks and mites and are known for their painful sting and noxious venom that can invade our homes. Texas is home to about 20 species of scorpions, with the striped bark scorpion is most commonly seen and the only one found throughout the state. Scorpions are also referred to as “living fossils” because scorpions date back to 440 million years in fossil records.
Scorpion Identification
The striped bark scorpion is uniform pale-yellow in color and can be identified by two dark, longitudinal stripes on its body. This color is great for the environment they live in as it acts as natural camouflage from predators as well as prey. They are medium-sized and can be up to 2 ¾ inches with a five segmented tail that can be arched over its back. They are nocturnal, spending their days holed up in burrows, crevices, under rocks and woodpiles to conserve moisture and avoid the heat and sunlight. Their venom is used to immobilize or kill its prey and to defend itself against predators. They will come out at night to eat. Hunting for insects, arachnids and other scorpions. They ingest their food just like spiders do, in liquid form, using sharp, protruding jaw-like structures to break the prey up. They will come into our homes in search of water and shelter.
Scorpion Prevention
The steps in the prevention and elimination of scorpion are as follows:
1. Identification
2. Eliminate food sources
3. Remove hiding spots
4. Exclusion
5. Chemical control
If you keep your home free of other pests that they eat, then you’ll eliminate their food source and they’ll move into the next house. Make sure to remove any place they can hide, like piles of trash, firewood, stones, or boards that are laying around on the ground. Seal points of entry into your home like gaps around doors or windows and pipes or wires that enter our home. There are some natural ways to try and eliminate them. You can use damp burlap bags to lure pests out that the scorpions will eat to eliminate food sources. The best solution to maximize scorpion control and minimize infestation is powerful scorpion pest control that is consistent and done by professionals. The treatment needs to be done inside the walls, all outlets and any other areas scorpions like to hide. Unfortunately, there’s no treatment that’s 100% effective against scorpions. This is the reason you need to treat monthly and use professional pest control.
Scorpion Inspections, Control & More in Austin, Round Rock, Leander, Pflugerville & Cedar Park, Texas
Of course, prevention is the best way to deal with scorpions. If you can keep them out, you won’t need to try and get rid of them once they’re inside. Eliminating scorpions can be extremely difficult but don’t lose hope, contact A-Tex Pest Management at the first sighting of scorpions because the longer you wait, the more treatment will cost. Call us today!