Naturally Deter Scorpions

Although scorpions can make great pets when properly housed and cared for, most people don't want them crawling uninvited in or around their houses. You could buy chemical products to keep them away, but why bother when there are numerous natural solutions?

Steps

  1. Catch and release.  While this method may not be effective against scorpion infestations, it works well if you just have the occasional unwanted 'guest'. Care for Scorpions tend to be found around water sources, so a great place to look with care is around your sink, shower recess, or bathtub in the bathroom, and around similar wet areas in the laundry and kitchen. If you find a scorpion, it's just a matter of covering them with a wide enough plastic container, sliding a piece of cardboard under the container to cover it, and then transporting the 'guest' outside.
    • If you have a bug catcher, consider using that device instead of the plastic container and cardboard sheet.
    • If you don't want to return the scorpion to the wild, humanely kill it quickly by a swift crush with the boot. Use a fly swatter to collect the squashed body. However, consider returning the scorpion to its natural habitat rather than killing it because it is a beneficial predator.
  2. Fix holes and cracks to make entering the home less inviting. Caulk around all holes and other entrance possibilities where your pipes and other plumbing enters rooms in your home. Start from the basement upward, and seal all the areas around pipes, Fix Your Tub Drain, fittings, walls, vents, etc., where a scorpion might gain access to the house. This includes ceiling fixtures because scorpions can climb.[1]
    • Pour bleach down the drains of your septic system. Do this on a weekly basis if you have noticed scorpions crawling up the drain to gain access to your home. Use 2 tablespoons weekly to deter the crawling in.
    • Look outside too. Check the mesh over the dryer vent and any holes around it. Check everywhere that cables, wires, and pipes enter the house, as well as for any holes in the walls, doors, and windows. Your heating and air-conditioning outlets should also be checked.
    • Install weather-stripping around loose-fitting windows and doors. Be sure that all window and door screens are in good conditions, free of holes or tears.
    • Fix leaky faucets, pipes, and any other dripping sources of water.
  3. Let your friendly spiders live. Allow non-harmful pest-catching spiders to reside in your home. They may well try to kill scorpions that come near them. However, be sure to remove insect sources of food such as crickets, cockroaches, cicadas, and ants.[1]
  4. Plant lavender.[2] You can plant it around the perimeter of the home, buy dried plants, or get lavender essentials oils to use when cleaning and refreshing your home. The fresh plants seem to have a better effect than oils or dried plants though. It's quite easy to grow and maintain, and smells wonderful.
    • Citrus is also considered to be another deterrent. You could grow citrus in pots near your entrance areas and use citrus oil cleaners in bathroom and other wet zones of the house.
  5. Clean Your Yard. Move woodpiles out of, and away from, your home. Another natural method is to get rid of scorpion hiding places. They love piles of firewood, rocks, and lumber, and can also be found in compost heaps. If it is an option, move these scorpion havens further away from your home, you should have less intruders.
    • Keep the Lawn Care mowed at all times, and prune bushes and overhanging branches to keep these away from your house, garage, and shed walls.
    • Rest garbage containers and compost containers on bricks or other items that push them up above ground level. Add mesh to the base of the compost bin; this will also keep out Rodent Control.
  6. See if a pet will fix the situation. Cats have been known to catch and kill scorpions around the home, and some dogs will as well. You may think it as cruel, but it is a very natural method to rid your home of creepy-crawlies. However, not everyone likes this method for fear of harm to the pet, so don't allow this to happen if the scorpion is really venomous and could harm your pet (most scorpions in the USA are not highly dangerous, see "Tips" for dangerous zones); usually it's okay provided the pet is naturally fast and predatory.[1]
    • Never force a pet to catch a scorpion. Only some pets will innately and willingly go for a scorpion, and will have the courage to do what is needed.
    • Set your Breed Exotic Chickens onto eating up the bugs that scorpions consider to be food. Chickens aren't fussy – they'll also munch up a scorpion that crosses their path.[1]
  7. Consider some night hunting and shifting. If you're willing to manually shift scorpions from your yard, this can be done at night. Scorpions fluoresce under ultra-violet light, so use a black light or an ultra-violet light to look for them. Also, wear sturdy boots and use long barbecue tongs to collect the scorpions into a container for removal from your yard. Release them into the local desert, forest, grasslands, or wherever their natural habitat is rather than killing them because they are beneficial to the ecosystem.

Tips

  • It is not safe to leave things on the floor by the door ! If so make sure to shake it or look inside before relocating them to another room.
  • You must always look under old things or things in your shed!
  • Checking objects you wear, sleep in, and carry is always sensible, especially when camping in scorpion-infested areas. Look inside shoes, gloves, bags, sleeping bags, tents, etc., before using or wearing and shake out any scorpions you find.
  • If your kid was stung, take him or her to the hospital right away.
  • Be mindful of the useful nature of having scorpions around. As predators, they will eat other nuisance bugs in your yard, so try to keep the balance by being careful to keep them out of your home but let them do their thing where it's not going to interfere with your home life.
  • Mulch can be a hiding place for scorpions. As a gardener, you will have to make a decision between the method for keeping your plants moist and your scorpion population down. It can be done but you will need to be both vigilant and consistent. It is recommended that you do not place mulch around the house walls and that you aim to keep the soil around your house walls dry; this will act as a deterrent to scorpions. Keep your gardening away from the house area and always wear tough gloves when touching soil and plants.
  • There are organic pest control products available on the market for ridding your home of scorpions. Ask the relevant distributor for more information.
  • Contrary to popular belief, most scorpions are relatively harmless. The sting of most scorpions is usually painful (in the realm of a wasp or hornet sting),[1] but they are rarely fatal. However, you should be aware of the nature of the scorpions you're living around and know how poisonous they are. And even if they're relatively harmless, don't take unnecessary risks, especially with children around.
  • The world's most dangerous scorpions live in North Africa, the Middle East, South America, India, and Mexico.
  • Anti-venom is available for various scorpions, including the Arizona bark scorpion, which has a painful sting.

Warnings

  • Avoid storing firewood inside your home. Wear gloves whenever picking up firewood – not only scorpions make their home in firewood, so this is always a sensible precaution.
  • When handling scorpions, it is important to remember that they carry their young on their back. Be cautious, as grabbing a scorpion that is carrying its babies can leave you exposed to as many as 30 baby scorpions gaining access to you.
  • When fixing your house to prevent the entry of scorpions, be prepared to meet some. That way, being prepared means you can avoid being stung.
  • Scorpions "molt", meaning they shed their exoskeleton when its body becomes too big for it, then grows another one. Once the old exoskeleton is removed, a scorpion may not fluoresce under UV light for days at a time. Luckily, they are fairly inactive when molting, and typically hide. But not always. So always be on the lookout for the stealthy critters!
  • Some scorpion infestations are just too much for natural solutions to clear up.  If you try all of these methods, and you're still experiencing scorpion infestations, try calling in a professional exterminator. However, even here you can request an organic professional pest extermination process to be used, so be sure to ask.

Things You'll Need

  • Plastic container and card or a bug catcher
  • Caulk and other means for blocking holes and other access points
  • Bleach
  • Lavender or citrus plants and products derived from these plants
  • A savvy pet

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 http://www.getridofthings.com/get-rid-of-scorpions.htm
  2. ↑ http://www.doityourself.com/stry/how-to-deter-scorpions-with-household-products
Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Naturally_Deter_Scorpions&oldid=327285"