Where Do Scorpions Live? Places To Check in Your Home

Are you worried your home has a scorpion infestation? Well, scorpions are a common unwelcome guest in arid and semiarid areas. These tiny insects love hiding in the nooks and crannies of your home, making them exceptionally difficult to find. 

Even after finding them, you may lack the proper expertise to completely eradicate and prevent them from breeding and returning in the future. Here is a guide to help you understand where scorpions live, how dangerous they are, and who can help you get rid of them. 

How Dangerous Are Scorpions?

Scorpions typically use their stingers to capture and incapacitate prey. They’re also quite aggressive and won’t hesitate to retaliate when provoked.

Scorpions are responsible for up to 3,250 human fatalities each year. Their terrifying appearance — those sharp pincers always poised for an attack — is enough to give anyone the jitters.

But scorpion venom is perhaps their worst feature. All scorpion species have venom glands, but some are worse than others. In fact, of the 1500 known species of scorpion, only 20% to 25% are considered dangerous. Some people even keep harmless other species as pets.

Scorpion Sting Side Effects

The majority of scorpion stings are painful but mostly harmless to humans. A typical scorpion sting may cause redness, swelling, and excruciating pain.

Stings from more dangerous scorpions may be life-threatening. Scorpions like the U.S. bark scorpion, which lives in Arizona and Nevada, have highly potent venom that can kill an infant or elderly adult. Their symptoms are also more pronounced. Some of the most common scorpion sting side effects include:

• Burning sensation
• Difficulty breathing
• Excessive drooling
• Slurred speech
• Muscle twitching
• Abdominal pain

Where Do Scorpions Live?

There are almost 2000 species of scorpion in the world, including bark scorpions, desert scorpions, and emperor scorpions, to name a few species. About 90 species live here in the U.S. They prefer desert and semidesert areas, so you’ll mostly find them in the West in places like Nevada, California, Arizona, and New Mexico. Scorpion populations also thrive in tropical and subtropical areas, rainforests, savannas, grasslands, and highland regions like the Alps and the Himalayas. 

Like many arachnids, including burrowing spiders, most scorpions live in burrows up to a meter deep (though some, like the bark scorpion, live in trees). They typically form the burrows by digging into the ground until they reach a suitable temperature and moist conditions. You can also find that scorpions hide under stones, tree bark, logs, concrete expansion joints, and rock and concrete crevices. Some scorpions glow under ultraviolet light, which can help you find these primarily nocturnal creatures.

Where Do Scorpions Live in Your House?

Scorpions can enter your home through numerous small openings, from the loose fittings in your doors and windows to your pipeline. If there’s an opening to the outside, you can be sure they’ll find a way to squeeze into your cozy home.

Once inside your house, the dangerous species will generally look for areas that provide coverage, like furniture, cabinets, potted plants, and crawl spaces. They also like spaces that don’t get a lot of sunlight, like the attic and any unused rooms where you store old furniture or boxes.

Outside, scorpions usually hide under foliage, rocks, and holes. Your garden is also an ideal place for scorpions. They use the plant cover to move around quickly and can get into your house if you have overhanging trees or climbing plants adjacent to your home. Unfortunately, they’re mostly active at night, so you may have difficulty finding them.

How Do I Get Rid of Scorpions?

Scorpions are some of the hardest arachnids to track down. That said, you can reduce infestation with prevention measures. You should seal any gaps in your doors, windows, floors, and roofing to eliminate all entry points.

You can also trim your garden and remove any clutter and debris around your house that can provide them with a safe breeding ground and residence for young scorpions. Unfortunately, these solutions only work to minimize a scorpion infestation, not eliminate one. 

For that, you’ll need to contact a professional like Budget Brothers. We use specially formulated pest control products to eradicate them for good, so you and your family can sleep soundly and safely.

Call the Expert Scorpion Exterminators Today

Cleaning your home and sealing all entry points can only do so much to keep your home scorpion-free. Budget Brothers is well-equipped to help free your home from scorpion infestation. 

Contact us today to schedule a free home sealing and termite eradication estimate. We’ll inspect all possible entry points, assess your situation, and take measures to eliminate scorpions properly in and around your home.