I've lived in a very scorpion-prone area outside town for the last 14 years
and during that time I've tried pretty much everything, including several
different approaches to poisoning. The best solution I've found, by far, was
to plug up all the weep holes in the exterior walls of my house and garage
with copper wool (like steel wool, but copper and hence does not rust; also
has lasted 7 - 8 years at this point), and caulk the heck out of the entire
exterior. The idea is to seal everything extremely thoroughly so they cannot
get in via two of their major routes (weep holes and any other external
openings on your house).

Early on, I poisoned them. In fact, the first night I spent in my house, 14
years ago, I was awakened by a LARGE scorpion crawling on my bare arm as I
slept in my bed. I totally freaked out and started calling pest control
companies at daybreak. I poisoned them for years before I gave up.

Now, with the house sealed as I describe, I still get one now and then -
maybe 4 - 5 over the course of the entire summer. I've declared peace with
them, telling them that I won't kill them unless they sting me, in which
case they are dead meat. When I find one in the house, I pick it up using a
paper towel and take it outside. So far the truce seems to working - I
haven't been stung in years.

And btw, getting stung by one of our local scorpions is really not that bad.
It's not even remotely in the same league as being stung by a wasp (I've
been stung by both). I'm not suggesting that you walk around barefoot in
your house (I NEVER do this, and I always tell houseguests to bring house
shoes so they don't either), but rather letting you know that a scorpion
sting is nothing to be terrified of. It hurts mildly to moderately for 45
minutes or so and that's it. You can lessen the "sting" reaction by quickly
taking an antihistamine (like Benadryl) and/or putting either ice or a
tobacco poultice on the sting for 5 - 10 minutes.

The net: you probably will not be able to eradicate scorpions with poison.
Your best bet is to seal up your house as best you can. Put your child's bed
in the center of the room but away from any air conditioning ducts or vents
(I have seen them literally dropping out of these).

The good news: scorpions are insectivores. If you have scorpions, you will
not have roaches. All in all, I have actually been pretty happy with this
trade-off, especially now that I don't have to contend with them inside my
house on more than an occasional basis.

good luck,
alternate


"Ruth Shear" wrote in message
news
G'day

I'm generally of the school of live and let live, but when I rolled my
19 month old over on the bed yesterday and saw a tiny (1/2 inch)
scorpion scuttle out of a fold of the bedsheet, I found my limit!

My first inclination was to call a pest control company (well chemfree
who I've heard are a bit more careful about what they spray around), but
does any one have any other suggestions that are less extreme?

DrRuth