Bark Scorpions thrive in Arizona—but did you know they are selective with where they live and breed?
Are Bark Scorpions Looming in Your Vegetation?
Thousands of people throughout the Southwest get stung by scorpions each year. Fatal stings are most likely to affect young children and small pets. Scorpions are fugitive creatures, attracted to damp areas furnished with plants and bushes. Chances are if you live in an area brimming with insects, Scorpions are looming in the vegetation.
Bark Scorpion are the most common venomous arachnid in Arizona, however they are hard to detect since they blend into drab brown places.
Bark scorpions are adept survivalists and can even withstand nuclear blasts. Like most pest that thrive in the valley of the sun, Bark Scorpions can endure harsh conditions. Thousands of years of living in the sun-pounded desert has inclined Bark Scorpions to patience. Bark Scorpions can survive several months without eating and liable to track prey and moisture. As urban developments expand into once rural areas of the valley, Bark Scorpions swarm in—occasionally thousands per acre. Listed are clues to weed-out these tiny brown rogues!
Close insect-friendly crevices in your house
Making your house insect-proof is not a guaranteed way to prevent infestation, but nevertheless effective. Using weather-stripping to close gaps may prevent Bark Scorpions from migrating inside once the summer temperatures drop. Most home owners that experience Bark Scorpion invasion unknowingly attract the pests. Like most arachnids, Scorpions prefer tepid conditions—in the ballpark of 75 to 95 degrees.
Know your enemy
Desert insects and arachnids have evolved to thrive on a parasitic relationship with humans. Once housing developments settle on desert land, relatively low populations of Bark Scorpions tend to multiply and flourish. Having a backyard cluttered with wood piles, boxes, or plants is likely to be prime scorpion territory. Further, certain types of trees and vegetation are liable to lure in scorpions.
Care for your trees
Southwestern landscape is a fusion of desert and urban sprawl. There is no proven formula to calculate if your backyard is a bark scorpion sanctuary. Arizona deserts are ecologically vast and backyards with irrigation-draining trees tend to draw in thirst-seeking pests. Giant palm trees are a non-native species to Arizona and vulnerable to bug invasions. Backyard palm trees are usually situated around pools and suck up lots of water. Proper care of palm trees is key to disrupting Bark Scorpion habitats. Dousing shrubbery and trees with pesticides will not fend off Bark Scorpions—since they can starve for months. Keeping a well-maintained backyard with routine palm tree service is the prime way to deter venomous pests.
Think like an insect
Like most desert-dwelling creatures, Scorpions thrive at night. If you suspect a scorpion invasion, scope-out palm tree trunks and crevices with a black light then call an exterminator. An active eye on scorpion-friendly domains is the only sure-fire way to avert infestations. Keep in mind, if your backyard is crawling with Bark Scorpions there is a chance some may survive after pesticides are sprayed. Your best bet to fend off these rogue arachnids is to call your Pest Control experts at Pest’R Us!