By Harry, Owner of Ozone Pest Control
If you’ve ever seen a scorpion covered in tiny, pale passengers, you weren’t imagining it. Scorpions really do carry their young on their backs. The photo below, taken under a UV light, shows a mother doing exactly that.
Watch the video: a mother scorpion carrying her young.
Why scorpions carry their young
Unlike insects, scorpions don’t lay eggs. Arizona bark scorpions give birth to live young, and the babies climb up their mother’s legs to her back and ride there until their first molt, usually within 7 to 21 days. A single litter can range from 13 to 47 young. Riding on her back keeps the babies off the ground and out of harm’s way until they’re ready to go on their own.
Why scorpions glow
Scorpions glow blue-green under UV light, the kind you get from a black light. That glow is how pest professionals, and curious homeowners, find scorpions at night. It’s also why the photo above looks the way it does.
What it means if you see one at home
A mother carrying young means scorpions are living close by. Bark scorpions, unlike most scorpion species, can live in groups, so one sighting is often a sign that there are others out of view.
What to know about stings
All scorpions can sting, but their natural tendency is to escape and hide. Young children, the elderly, and people with high blood pressure are the most affected by bark scorpion venom. If you suspect a bark scorpion sting, call 911 if a child is involved, or call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. This is general information, not medical advice.
What you can do
- Leave the mother alone. Don’t try to handle a scorpion carrying young, and keep children and pets away.
- Seal gaps around doors, windows, and pipes.
- Clear the clutter. Move wood piles, rocks, and debris away from your house, and trim plants touching the walls.
- Control other pests. Scorpions hunt insects, so fewer bugs means less to eat around your home.
How Ozone Pest Control handles scorpions
Scorpions are part of life in the Arizona desert, and they’re active all year in the East Valley, with more sightings in the summer heat. Our exterior service is built around the places they travel. We spray the full outside of your home, dust exterior thresholds and the joints of block walls, put granular in your bushes, and knock down spider webs. If you need it, we treat the inside too. Our bi-monthly service is backed by a 60-day guarantee, and we never require a contract.
We serve Gilbert, Queen Creek, San Tan Valley, and communities across the East Valley, and same-day service is often available. Call (480) 677-8961, text 480-682-8004, or request a free quote. Learn more about our scorpion control service, or read our earlier post on how to keep scorpions out of your home.
Sources: the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum’s Arizona bark scorpion fact sheet and the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension’s “Living with and Managing Scorpions.”
Want to See a Scorpion Up Close?
If you’d rather watch than read, we’ve got a short video walking through how to eliminate scorpions from your home, real footage, real techniques, no gimmicks. Watch it here, or check it out directly on our Scorpion Control page.
