Scorpions: The definitive guide and how to eliminate them
Scorpions are, by far, one of the bugs most feared by all, not only for their terrifying appearance, but also for how ferocious they can become if they decide to use their sting to defend themselves.
These animals have become authentic survivors, since they have existed for more than 400 years, adapting to the environment. Thus, it does not matter if it is desert and semi-arid regions, or humid and cold places, scorpions can appear wherever they want and without any problem, making their burrows with total ease.
What are scorpions?
It is about bugs belonging to the family of arachnids, where there are also ticks and spiders. Usually, they are related to desert and semi-arid zones, although their adaptive capacity allows them to be almost everywhere.
Many people confuse them with the classic spiders by the similarity in their appearance, more it is different bugs. The main discrepancy is in the tail of the scorpions, whose sting contains a powerful poison that they use to immobilize their prey and devour it.
Ants, spiders, centipedes, lizards and even small rodents are part of the diet of these peculiar and lethal bichillos. In addition to their tail, they have some hairs that work as sensors and detect the vibrations of their prey.
How to Get Rid of Scorpions for Good: The Ultimate Guide
Well, there is some truth to the old myth that the only survivors of a nuclear war would be the lowly cockroach and scorpion (as well as some foods which have a half-life rather than a shelf-life)
They live in the dark, they adore the scorching heat, their skeletal structure is on the outside and they can do yoga much, much better than you ever will: what chance do you have against them? Well, I’m here to give you the breakdown of every single tool, weapon and last hope at your disposal to finally get rid of scorpions for good.
Ruin scorpions’ living habitats
Newsflash: scorpions are living in your yard because they like it there. The conditions are favorable, the food’s good and they don’t have to pay rent for their single bedroom wooden log, or en-suite-construction-bag-left-forgotten-for-months. As soon as you begin to clear up any loose and inviting clutter, trash and disposable material from your yard that could make for a perfectly dingy and dark shelter for scorpions, you’ll begin to see a drop in their numbers.
Destroy scorpions’ food source
Joining up with point number one – by eradicating the elements of your yard that make for good shelter, you’ll disrupt the delicate little eco system that’s formed there. Especially if you get rid of rotten materials which can attract all manner of bug life; a scorpion’s staple diet. Do your best to keep flies and insects to a minimum around and inside your home. With no viable meal ticket available to them, scorpions will begin to look elsewhere for their dinner.
Get rid of leakage
Sticking with the theme of destroying the optimum scorpion environment; you also want to keep moisture to an absolute minimum where possible, both inside and outside the home. It’s no secret that standing water and moisture seepage are huge attractions for all kinds of pests and scorpions are chief among them, especially if you live in an arid climate (where both moisture pockets are few and far between and scorpions are most prolific).
Scorpions: The Ultimate Guide
Scorpions are very old creatures going back an estimated 430 million years. They are commonly believed to only be found in deserts, but species of scorpions exist in nearly every habitat including grasslands, forests, savannahs, and caves.
Scorpions have developed a reputation for being particularly dangerous creatures, but out of nearly 1,750 species, only 25 represent a threat to humans. Even among these species, the chance of a fatal scorpion sting is very rare. That being said, stings are painful and no one wants to deal with scorpions around their yards or in their homes. Find out everything you need to know about scorpion behavior and scorpion prevention and control techniques in this ultimate guide.
Scorpion Identification
Scorpions are arachnids that are related to ticks, mites, and spiders. They have eight legs, an elongated body, 2 grasping pincers in the front (known as pedipalps), and a 5-segmented tail that is often seen arching over the back. On the back of its tail is a venomous stinger that is the source of most of the trepidation surrounding scorpions. Scorpions can be many different colors including yellow, blue, reddish-brown, and black.
The size of a scorpion varies by species and can range from under 1 inch up to 9 inches long. Scorpions are unique because they will glow a bluish-green color when exposed to an ultraviolet light source (like a black light). This is because the cuticle contains fluorescent chemicals. UV flashlights will allow you to see them in the dark when they are most active.
Scorpion Behavior
Scorpions are nocturnal creatures. They spend the majority of the day hiding in cool, sheltered locations and will hunt at night. The diet of a scorpion mainly consists of insects and spiders, but may also include other scorpions, lizards, snakes, mice, and other small creatures. They are able to identify and locate their prey by sensing vibrations. They will either use their pincers to capture their prey or their stinger to inject venom to paralyze it.
Things I’ve Learned {the hard way} About Scorpions
about three months after we had moved into our current home. I was seven months pregnant with baby number two. Our nearly-two-year-old had woken early on a Saturday morning and I’d gotten up with her to let my husband snooze a little longer. Thinking he would sleep in for another hour at least (and patting myself on the back for taking the early shift), I was surprised when he emerged from our master bedroom just a few minutes later.
In a daze he told me he thought he’d been stung by a scorpion. He had rolled over in bed to go back to sleep and his elbow brushed up against the wall behind our bed (where a headboard would be if we had one). He said he had a funny sensation around his elbow, like a tingling, pins-and-needles numbness that was getting more intense.
Like any good wife, I didn’t believe him for a second and thought he was completely over-reacting. After all, he wasn’t screaming in pain and hadn’t seen anything when he’d looked at the spot on the wall where his elbow had made contact. To rule out the off-chance that he wasn’t insane, we went to investigate. Sure enough, when we pulled the bed away a few inches, a huge bark scorpion was crawling leisurely up the wall, just inches from our pillows.
And then I did what has become commonly known in our family as “Sarah’s scorpion dance” (picture much frenetic arm-waving and foot-stamping). After we had captured the scorpion using a water glass and flushed it down the toilet, I calmly considered our options: 1) Move, 2) Burn down the house, and 3) Move. I don’t normally have major phobias when it comes to bugs and spiders, but a giant deadly arachnid practically IN OUR BED during a season of life when we had a roaming toddler and impending newborn just about put me over the edge.
In the last two years I have learned a lot about scorpions. Although I am not a pest control professional or an entomologist, I have talked to several scorpion experts and experienced more first-hand trial and error than I care to remember
Scorpions
Scorpions are nocturnal, predatory animals that feed on a variety of insects, spiders, centipedes, and other scorpions. Large scorpions occasionally feed on vertebrates such as small lizards, snakes, and mice. Most scorpions live in warm, dry climates, and many of the species
IDENTIFICATION
Scorpions are easily distinguished by their crablike appearance, pair of pincers, four pairs of legs, and long, segmented tail ending with an enlarged segment bearing a stinger. Although they have two eyes in the center of the head and usually two to five more along the margin on each side, they don’t see well and depend on touch. When running, they hold their pincers outstretched, and the posterior end of the abdomen is usually curved upward. Scorpions that hide under stones and other objects during the day tend to carry their stinger to one side, whereas burrowing scorpions hold their stinger up over their backs.
The bark scorpion is the only common climbing scorpion and does not normally burrow but usually lives above ground under tree bark and in palm trees and crevices of rocky cliffs. Because it can ascend slump block walls or stucco, this species is the scorpion most likely to enter dwellings. The bark scorpion is attracted to moisture around homes and in the house. It also may be found in stacked lumber or bricks, firewood piles, cellars, and attics. It needs only a crack of 1/16 inch to enter a home.
This scorpion can often be found around homes and in garages. It is a night feeder attracted to water, swimming pools, irrigated areas, or outside lights where food prey such as beetles, cockroaches, crickets, moths, and other insects are attracted as well. During the day it may be found in woodpiles, palm trees, and decorative bark or under loose boards, woodpiles, rocks, or the bark of trees
LIFE CYCLE
Scorpions grow slowly. Depending on the species, they may take 1 to 6 years to reach maturity. On average scorpions may live 3 to 5 years, but some species can live as long as 10 to 15 years. Scorpions have an interesting mating ritual. The male grasps the female’s pincers with his and leads her in a courtship dance that may last for several hours. The exact nature of this courtship dance varies from one species to the next. In general, the male deposits a sperm packet and maneuvers the female over it. The sperm packet is drawn into the female’s genital opening located near the front on the underside of her abdomen. The female stores the sperm packet, and the sperm is later used to fertilize her eggs. After mating, unless he is quick and able to escape, the male is often eaten by the female.