Scorpions are among nature's most unpleasant of small animal species due to their menacing appearance and venomous sting. Unfortunately, scorpions often find their way into homes in certain areas of the country, including the desert in the Southwest and other regions. This can lead to encounters resulting in painful stings to both people and pets and leave residents living in fear inside their own homes. The good news is that you can effectively minimize the likelihood of scorpions entering your home by taking a few simple steps. 

What you will need

• Caulk gun

• Clear-drying silicone caulk

• Small wire brush

• Expanding foam

• Weatherstripping

• Stepladder

• Chalk

Step-by-step procedure

1. Begin on the outside of your property. If your home and property are surrounded by a block wall, as is common in the Southwest, then you have an advantage in the fight against scorpions, provided the wall is impenetrable. Scorpions make their way across the landscape at night, and if they encounter your property wall, they will seek a way around or through it. Unmortared joints where the blocks meet can provide a "shortcut" for the scorpions as they journey, and this will lead them into your property.

Sealing the joints is the first step, and this can be done using a caulk gun and clear-drying silicone caulk. Carefully examine the wall for all cracks and crevices that have not been sealed and use a piece of chalk to mark these locations with an "X." Keep in mind that scorpions are capable of passing through cracks as narrow as a business card, so don't discount areas that may not appear vulnerable at first glance.

After marking the cracks, brush away loose debris from the identified cracks and crevices with a wire brush. This will help remove any particles that might interfere with the silicone forming a strong bond with the blocks. Next, apply a line of silicone caulk one-eighth of an inch wide into the crevices, being careful to fill all spaces with silicone. Use your fingertip to push the silicone into the cracks and leave a neat, clean appearance.

2. Move to the exterior of your home. Once you have completed sealing the block wall, or if you don't have a wall, you will need to seal the exterior of your home. Scorpions are able to access your home through several areas you may not have considered:

• Around gas and water lines entering your home

• Soffit vents and gaps between the fascia and home

• Weep spaces between the bottom of stucco walls and the foundation

• Doors and windows, including frames

All of these areas will require the application of silicone caulk in the same manner as you sealed the joints in the masonry wall. For larger joints, apply expanding foam to more-efficiently fill the space; however, be careful not to insert too much foam to avoid damaging your home. In addition, avoid sealing drain holes in the weep space, or you may cause harmful moisture accumulation inside the wall.

3. Finish by sealing interior spaces. The last line of defense in your home is to seal common entry points for scorpions inside your rooms and closets. Any gap is a vulnerable spot, but scorpions often find their way into homes through light fixtures and the space around air conditioning ducts. To seal these areas, remove the fixture globes and vent louvres and use silicone to seal the gaps between the drywall and interior of the fixture or vent. Be sure not to get silicone into the electrical contacts.

If you have any further trouble with scorpions, consider getting in touch with a pest control company like Cavanaugh's Professional Termite & Pest Services for help.