Getting rid of scorpions at home may not be as easy as spritzing a bug spray on them. Some scorpion species are harmful and remarkably difficult to kill, most especially the Arizona bark scorpion. We haven’t considered the Indian red scorpion; the truth is: specific arachnids are very dangerous. And due to their relatively small sizes, they can easily move into the unoccupied holes in your walls or the vacant room in your home. They enjoy living rent-free too, so it’d be in your best interest to slam high rents on your available spaces.
10 Methods For Getting Rid Of Scorpions At Home
Scorpions may not be the most harmful animals around, but neither are the most beneficial. Truly, not every species is deadly, but unless you major in the study of arachnids, I doubt you’d be able to make the distinctions. Your only option would be to let them sting you to determine their deadliness, but will you do so?
You probably won’t, but they won’t give you the option to choose once they are inside your home. Let’s see the ten best methods to send these stingers far and away below.
Get Rid of Excess Moisture
Typically, scorpions are driven by their thirst for water. Else, they wouldn’t visit you for any reason. Having known this, it is best to keep crawl spaces, floors, closets, and corners dry & free of leaks. Avoid allowing water to gather in containers or puddles close to your home as well. That’s an open invitation. If you keep to this, a scorpion already living with you will have no choice but to relocate after a while.
Eliminate Other Insects In Your Home
Scorpions are natural predators to crickets, ants, beetles & roaches. Should these bugs be a regular presence in your home, it’ll only be a matter of time before a scorpion seeks them out. The sensible move is to evict these insects from your home right now, returning yet-to-be used rent. Let’s see effective ways to keep the insects away:
- Wash dishes & clean up crumbs on time to deprive bugs of foods to eat.
- Sprinkle borax & other insecticides under the sinks and around the baseboards in your home.
- Discourage the insects by gathering around your home by getting rid of dirt regularly. This is especially important, as scorpions prefer to live outdoors anyway.
Destroy Scorpion Shelters
You don’t keep your underground shelter open and accessible during a hailstorm and still cry about people coming in. The same applies here. Scorpions appreciate dark spots, particularly during the day. Break their hearts by removing all such structures in & around your home, as they are their most convenient places.
Here are measures to keep to when removing potential scorpion shelters:
- Keep cardboard boxes on shelves rather than the floor.
- Avoid keeping clutters under the beds or around and about your home.
- Scorpions fancy the darkness afforded by shoes & cloth piles, so keep the bedrooms and closets organized at all times.
- Trim down foliage & bushes where scorpions may seek refuge in.
- Remove piles of rocks, wood, or yard clippings.
- Cut down in vines & other likely hiding spots.
Keep Your Home Shut
Scorpions can squeeze themselves through a hole as small as the size of an ID card. You have to keep your home sealed to avoid an invasion. When sealing your home, ensure you do so properly by keeping to the following:
- Fill cracks and holes in baseboards, walls, and home foundation with caulk.
- Ensure that windows are tightly sealed, and the screens shut to prevent scorpions from climbing in.
- Use door seals that will prevent scorpions from slipping in beneath the doors.
Hunting Them Down — Demands Utmost Carefulness
The most effective method to eliminate scorpions from your home very quickly is to hunt them down at dusk, which, unfortunately, is when they are most agile. This is not for the fainthearted or careless person and can be highly dangerous. But it is a great and fast way to get rid of scorpions in your home.
Scorpions glow in the dark; thus, you’ll need a black ultraviolet light to hunt them out. A headlight or flashlight powering a black light bulb is recommended before settling for a weapon you know will do the killing perfectly.
In Arizona, some parts of the city use long-handled tweezers to beat the scorpions down. This is highly effective, considering that the tool easily crushes the tough exoskeleton of the scorpion. Alternatively, a pair of sturdy, heavy-duty boots or a long knife will do the job adequately. If you’re hunting them outside, the right places to look are under foliage & bushes, bases of walls & fences, and on cracks in walls. Do not forget to look under rocks and in crevices nearby.
You can spare some minutes to check out the attic, baseboards, and sinks too.
Lavender Plants or Oil/Cedar Oil
Lavender plants repel scorpions, and planting one in a pot by the door or around your home’s perimeter can be of great help. Alternatively, you can spray a mixture of 10–25 drops of lavender oil mixed with ACV or some water around your windows, doors & inside your home.
Cedar oil works fine too, as its oil fragrance repulses scorpions as well. To use, mix 15–20 drops of cedar essential oil with ACV or some water and spritz around the perimeters of your doors and windows, as well as inside the home.
A common alternative is to plant flower beds around your home and introduce cedar chips to the beds. Placing a cedar product, be it a flower box or pot, near the windows and doors, is also suggested.
Concluding The Ways of Getting Rid of Scorpions At Home
Getting rid of scorpions at home requires you to be meticulous. You don’t eliminate scorpions by doing annual, short-time cleanings. Rather, check your house thoroughly at least once every month to make sure you remain safe from scorpions. Other ways to eliminate scorpions is by using diatomaceous earth, cinnamon, citrus oils, and introducing predators like spiders and birds.