When we think of insects in Oklahoma, there are only a few that strike dread in peoples hearts the way the scorpion does. In Oklahoma we do have a few different varieties of scorpions, but the Bark Scorpion is the most commonly seen. We understand the fear because they are painful, and can be dangerous especially for children.
While there is nothing we can do to guarantee you will never see another scorpion again, we can give you some advice to help decrease your chances. What it comes down to is creating the kind of atmosphere that won’t make scorpions feel at home. A rolling up of the welcome mat so to speak.
So that being said, what makes scorpions feel at home? Well for one thing, they must have water. Even in the most arid of climates scorpions can not live without water, so they naturally will seek out a water source. First step in creating a scorpion – unfriendly environment is to be sure there are no areas of water leakage, say, under your fridge, under the sinks, etc. Next step is to make your home look and feel a little less like their natural habitat. Scorpions love to hide out in piles of wood, under rocks, and in piles of debris and clutter. In other words dark, cluttered, easy to hide in places. Removing piles of debris and clutter is always a good place to start. If you have a fireplace, or heat with wood, make sure wood piles are stacked out of doors and away from the structure of your home. Keeping clutter to a minimum makes your house look less like home for scorpions.
Sealing cracks and crevices to your home is a must. It’s important to look higher than ground level when sealing your home for scorpions as scorpions can easily climb walls and even ceilings. They have a natural tendency to be in an upside down position making it necessary to look up when sealing cracks and crevices. Scorpions can squeeze through areas the size of a credit card, keep this in mind when deciding what to seal.
Scorpions are carnivorous, they feed on other bugs like crickets and roaches. Keeping your home free of their natural food will go a long way in deterring them from taking up residence in your home. Regular pest control programs can help you keep your home free from common pests, so scorpions don’t head to your home for their favorite meal.
So you may be thinking, if scorpions love dark secluded places, how will I know if I have them? For our regular customers, we routinely set out glue boards in discreet places so we can monitor pest activities, even in the middle of the night when you may be sleeping. If you have a scorpion problem it is quickly and easily spotted. A more fun, but less convenient way of checking for scorpion activity is getting a black light and using it to scan your home in the middle of the night. Scorpions will glow a blue/green color when exposed to UV light.
Bark Scorpions are notoriously hardy bugs. They are known to survive at ground zero of nuclear testing sites, so it does take a little effort to kill. At Flatline Pest Control, we have been born and raised in Oklahoma and are a second generation pest control family. We know what it takes to get rid of common pests that are native to our area and scorpions are no exception. If you think you may have a scorpion problem, give us a call, we have effective treatments that will quickly and easily eradicate your scorpion problems.