If you’ve lived in Arizona, you know scorpions are a deadly foe. These insects can show up nearly anywhere in the desert, within or outside the city limits. Scorpions can be found in cupboards and closets, hanging clothing, bedding, carpet, around hot tubs and pools, and more.

Though we are here to solve the problem, sometimes situations arise where you may find yourself wondering what you can do at home. Here are five scorpion control tips that may just come in handy as you prepare your house for summer scorpions.

Clear the House Perimeter
You know those stray leaves, pieces of wood, sticks, and weeds hanging out around the sides of your house? They need to go. Rake them away from your house until the perimeter is completely clear of anything in which a scorpion would love to hide.

Indoor Scorpion Spray
Keep pets clear, but begin treating the inside of your home with scorpion spray for indoor use. It will be especially helpful if you apply this spray to your baseboards, doors, and windows. Not only will it repel them, the aim is to kill them.

Outdoor Scorpion Spray
As with the indoor spray, now is the time to treat the exterior of your home. For this, be sure to invest in a heavy-duty scorpion killer and be sure pets are kept safely away. Again, you’ll want to spray the door and window frames, but also the garage eves and door frame, and if you have sidewalks or a patio. For an additional precaution, feel free to spray the base of the walls, up to two feet high.

Grab the Caulk
Cracks and gaps are a great way for scorpions to gain entrance to your home. You’ll need to search your walls, foundation, ceiling, doors, and windows for cracks that need filling. Caulk the gaps for the doors and windows, and patch the cracks everywhere else. This will help provide even less opportunity for a nasty critter to find its way inside your home.

Keep Your Food Sealed
While leaving your food out doesn’t necessarily attract scorpions themselves, it does attract other bugs such as spiders, crickets, and centipedes–the scorpion’s prey. If spiders are being attracted into your home, odds are that scorpions will be following them in as well. Keep the pests away by sealing your food in airtight containers, storing the trash outside in locked cans, the dishes washed, and the pet food stored away as well.

Ready to Go
With these tips, your home should be well-prepared for the summer months here in the Valley. Additionally, always check your clothing, shoes, and bedding before putting it on or climbing into bed. Though you might not keep all the scorpions out, these tips will help reduce the number that finds their way into your home. And when they do, we are here to do the rest.