Scorpions lay low and don't cause much trouble for Dallas residents. If we wear gloves and are cautious while working in our yards, we can avoid being stung. Most often, it is when someone sticks their hand where a scorpion is hiding that a sting occurs. This might be a hole in the ground, an opening between some rocks, a gap in a pile of wood, a hole in a tree, etc. When stung, there is a considerable amount of localized pain. This can turn into an expanding numbness and hours of misery. But we don't think about this. We go about our busy lives giving little or no thought about scorpions until, seemingly out of nowhere, we get stung. But this isn't how it has to be. You can protect yourself, and everyone living in your home, from the threat of scorpions. Here's what you should know.
DIY Scorpion Prevention
Do you know why scorpions come into your yard? If you do, you can make your yard more resistant. There are three factors to consider: Moisture, harborage, and food sources.
Moisture
Do you have puddles in your yard? If you do, scorpions are sure to take notice. They need moisture to survive. They're also drawn to yards that have damp conditions. Everything you do to keep things dry will have an impact on scorpions.
- Check to make sure your gutters are working the way they're supposed to. When rainwater pours over the side, or through a break in a gutter, it can dampen the perimeter around your home and lure scorpions in close.
- Consider watering your plants in the morning. This gives the sun plenty of time to dry the moisture on the surface of the ground and remove the nighttime dampness that can attract scorpions, which are nocturnal animals.
- Fix leaky spigots on the exterior of your home and check to make sure your hoses aren't leaking.
- Remove unnecessary vegetation to reduce moisture build up.
Harborage
Do you have hiding places in your yard? Scorpions don't like to stay out in the sun for a long time. The sun acts as a desiccant. Instead, scorpions prefer to stay hidden during the day. There are many ways you can remove hiding places.
- Stow or throw away items that don't need to be in your yard. Any objects that block the sun can provide hiding places for scorpions.
- Remove organic debris from your yard.
- Trim tree branches to allow sunlight to dry up locations around your home that tend to stand damp.
Food
Do you have insects in your yard? Scorpions eat insects. When you work to reduce insects around your home, it has an impact on scorpion populations.
- Many insects are attracted to light. If you have exterior lights, especially ground lights, consider keeping them off at night to keep insects from being drawn in.
- Keep your curtains drawn at night to prevent light from leaking out.
- Keep your exterior trash in sealed receptacles and remove it from your property weekly.
- Moisture has an impact on insects as well as scorpions. Double your efforts on this one for the best results.
Extra Help
Routine pest control maintenance on your property can make a difference. If you need extra help with this, remember that All-Safe Pest & Termite is available to assist you. We can give your yard what it needs to resist and eliminate the insects that scorpions feed on and create a barrier around your home that keeps pests out of your Dallas home. If you'd like to learn about the methods and products we use, we'd be happy to talk with you about them. Reach out to us today. We look forward to meeting you.