Three Things You Need To Know About Bark Scorpions
There are many types of scorpions in the deserts of the southwestern United States, including bark scorpions. Here are three things you need to know about bark scorpions.
What do bark scorpions look like?
Bark scorpions are yellowish-brown, and this light color helps them blend into desert environments. They can get as large as three inches long; this measurement includes their long tails. Their bodies are flat, and they hold themselves low to the ground.
Why are bark scorpions a concern?
No type of scorpion is a welcome visitor to a home, but bark scorpions are worse than others. They're the most venomous scorpions in the United States, so you definitely don't want to be bitten by one. Stings can lead to great pain, and parts of your body may feel numb. Muscle twitching and respiratory distress can also occur.
They like to hide in areas that make it easy for you to be accidentally stung, like inside your shoes. About 60% of bark scorpion victims are stung on their hand or foot, so it's important to shake out your shoes before putting them on.
Unlike other scorpions, they're very good at climbing up walls, so it's easy for them to get inside your home. They prefer to be upside down when they're resting, so you may even see them clinging to your ceilings, which can be a distressing sight. They may even fall from the ceiling and onto surfaces below, like your bed.
How can you control them?
Fortunately, there are many ways you can control these dangerous scorpions. Glue boards are one of the easiest things you can do. Glue boards are traps that are covered with nontoxic glue; when the scorpions walk across the boards, they get stuck in the glue. Place these boards in areas where you've seen bark scorpions, like along your baseboards or on your window sills.
Bark scorpions feed on other household pests—like ants and roaches—so getting rid of your other bugs can help repel scorpions. Keeping your kitchen clean and getting rid of clutter can help you control the bugs that bark scorpions enter your home to eat. A pest control company can also help you address the bugs that are attracting bark scorpions using pesticide treatments or other methods.
Bark scorpions are frequent visitors to southwestern homes, but you can control them with the help of a pest control company like Cascade Exterminating Service LLC.