Got Scorpions in the House? Here's What to Know About Extermination

Suddenly encountering a scorpion in your home can be a scary experience — and for good reason!

These creatures can pose a significant risk to you and your family, so you'll want to get rid of them as quickly as possible.

Scorpions can get inside your home through any gap large enough for their bodies. Common entry routes include:

• Under doors
• Open ground-level windows
• Spaces around plumbing and utility lines
• Foundation cracks

However, humans sometimes unwittingly introduce scorpions into their living space by bringing items containing scorpions inside. For example, scorpions often crawl inside boxes, firewood and potted plants.

Seeing the creatures inside your home is the most obvious sign of a scorpion infestation. The most common areas to spot live scorpions are bathtubs and around plumbing pipes or fixtures, while you might see dead ones on the walls or baseboards.

Scorpions have distinctive droppings that appear like tiny piles of sand. You may also notice egg cases, which are white and lozenge-shaped — rather like a Tic Tac mint. Another telltale sign is scorpion tracks. These tend to look like smears or trails of minuscule stones.

Scorpion stings can be extremely dangerous and painful, and the Arizona bark scorpion is deadly. These scorpions are common in Arizona, New Mexico and parts of Utah and Nevada.

It's essential to exercise extreme caution when dealing with scorpions and to tackle the issue immediately, even if you have only seen a single scorpion in your home. Prompt action can prevent the problem from escalating into a full-blown infestation.

You can remove a live scorpion from your home by trapping it in a container. Glass jars are ideal for this purpose because they are too slippery for scorpions to climb. Always use thick, elbow-length gloves or gauntlets and consider using tongs to avoid being stung. Sticky traps can be a safer alternative if you live in an area with deadly scorpions or don't want to risk handling them.

You can purchase pesticide sprays to kill scorpions and other household pests. However, scorpions are relatively resistant to these substances, so simply spraying them around your home won't be enough to get rid of them. You can kill any scorpions you see by spraying them directly with scorpion killer.

Having scorpions inside your home is no laughing matter, so it's usually best to hire a scorpion extermination company to eliminate the critters and make your home safer. Most companies use a combination of insecticides, sticky traps and preventative measures to kill existing scorpions and stop more from entering your home. They'll also inspect your home to assess the extent of the issue and figure out the entry points.

According to Fixr, on average, a single scorpion inspection and treatment costs around $250, with a typical range between $200 and $300. Homes smaller than 2,000 square feet can be cheaper to treat, sometimes costing as little as $100. Meanwhile, you may have to pay around $500 if your home is larger or you need multiple visits.

If you have a relatively minor infestation and want to try getting rid of it yourself, you could consider purchasing sticky traps from a DIY store. Expect to pay around $2 for a pack of two.

Prevention is better than cure when it comes to scorpion infestations, and you can reduce the risk by making your home as uninviting as possible. Scorpions love wet environments with plenty of cover, so start by clearing any debris and standing water from your yard.

You can make your home harder to enter by sealing any cracks around pipes, doors, windows and your home's foundation. Keep food in sealed containers and clear up any spills as quickly as possible.

Scorpions often eat other pests, so treating other infestations can remove their food source and make a scorpion infestation less likely. Keeping your home clutter-free and regularly checking for scorpions can also reduce suitable hiding places and make it easier to notice if you have a scorpion problem.