Guide for Protecting Your Home From Scorpions
Scorpions send chills down the spines of homeowners across Texas. With a menacing appearance, these arachnids are more than just a nuisance. Their ability to sting and bite is hazardous to humans and can cause allergic reactions, swelling, and more. This is why scorpion control is essential in protecting your home, your family, and yourself.
Implementing better pest prevention practices and turning to professional help for proper identification and removal services are the ideal solutions you can turn to for dealing with scorpions. Let our team at Brooks Pest Control guide you through the common Texas scorpions, the threats they pose, and how you can best protect your home against them.
What Do Scorpions Look Like?
Before you learn how to handle scorpion removal, it’s helpful to know what they are and what they look like. Scorpions are a common stinging insect found throughout several states, including Texas, and often hide during the day and are active at night. This behavior helps them manage their temperature and water balance, which is paramount to survival in dry climates. They mainly eat small insects such as centipedes, earthworms, and spiders.
Although different species of scorpions can vary in appearance and behavior, there are general similarities between all scorpions. According to Texas A&M University, some commonly shared characteristics of scorpions include a long and slender body with a five-segmented tail, four pairs of legs with two pincers in front, and a comb-like structure, called pecten, located between the last pair of legs that’s used to identify surface textures and detect prey.
Scorpions in Texas
Scorpions are a common pest found throughout Texas, but not every species is native to the region. Knowing which scorpion species you’ll most likely find in your home is important, as properly identifying the problem leads to better solutions. Let us take a look at some of the most common species of scorpions found in Texas.
The Striped Bark Scorpion
Striped bark scorpions are among the most common scorpion species found across Texas. A key difference in its appearance compared to other scorpions is its light tan body with two dark lines running down its back. The threat striped bark scorpions pose to humans is their ability to sting. If stung, you’ll likely experience pain, swelling, and itching in the attacked area for several days.
The Lesser Stripetail Scorpion
Typically smaller in size compared to most scorpions, the lesser stripetail scorpion can be identified by its abnormally large tail and pincers compared to the rest of its body. It also has a noticeable stripe along its back. Although its sting is not poisonous to humans, it can still be painful and prove to be more than a simple nuisance in your Texas home.
The Texas Cave Scorpion
Compared to the previous two, Texas cave scorpions have purplish-black bodies and are primarily located in central Texas and rocky limestone areas. They can also be differentiated from other scorpions with their thicker pincers. Their stings can produce an allergic reaction similar to the sting of a bee or fire ant.
How Did Scorpions Get in My Home?
Now that you know the types of scorpions you might find in your Texas home, it’s time to understand why they might come into your home at all. Scorpions usually become a problem inside your home when they choose to leave their outdoor habitat. This is commonly due to the presence of a promising food source or excess water.
They often come inside through cracks and gaps under doors, ground-level windows, surrounding pipes, and foundations. They’re also known to hitchhike on various items such as boxes, potted plants, and firewood.
How To Get Rid of Scorpions in My House
Whether you have a heavy suspicion or a confirmed problem in your home, there are methods you can use to best keep scorpions out. Here are some of the best home practices to steer away a scorpion infestation:
- Seal cracks and reinforce screens
- Clear out brush and yard waste
- Remove any open food or water sources
- Maintain a healthy and clean lawn
- Limit outdoor hiding spaces
What Is the Best Way To Get Rid of Scorpions?
Even with these preventive measures, you still run the risk of attracting scorpions. This is especially true if you forget to clean or simply miss a certain area in your home. When you need the best results in scorpion removal and prevention, your best bet is to turn to a professional pest control service.
Pest Control for Scorpions
By going to professional pest control for help, you won’t have to worry about taking care of an infestation of potentially dangerous scorpions alone. Instead, you get a team of top-notch and experienced pest control technicians with up-to-date equipment and family and pet-friendly treatments to best remove and prevent scorpions and various stinging insects from invading your Texas home.
Get the Best Scorpion Pest Control in Texas With Brooks
For the best scorpion control services for your Texas home, go with Brooks Pest Control. Whether you have a small pest problem or a full-blown infestation, we’ll strive to not only remove the problem but utilize preventive measures to help protect your home from future issues. Ready to get started? Find your nearest service branch or contact us online to request our Texas scorpion control services today!