Hi Starlia, you make a good point about needing to let the weep holes do
their intended job. But an advantage of using copper wool (instead of
something like aluminum foil, which I think some people have tried) is that
the copper wool is porous, so moisture can continue to escape even if you
stuff the holes completely. Bugs, on the other hand, are kept out by the
abrasiveness of the fibers. My $.02...

btw, plugging up my weep holes helped, but I really think what made the
biggest difference was the 40+ tubes of caulk my handyman used when he
caulked and painted my house a couple of years ago. I had a lot of gaps
where materials of different types came together (like bricks, roofing, wood
siding, windows, and doors). The person who posted about clearing away any
vegetation that touches the house made a good point too. I have also heard
this advice from pest control professionals. In addition to keeping out
scorpions and spiders, they say this keeps out ants and termites too, so it
seems like a really good idea.

We live in Texas, and figuring out how to live with insects is just part of
the deal. I applaud anyone who rejects insecticides. They are tempting
because they provide a quick fix, but since I quit using them I have noticed
an enormous increase in the number of lizards and toads I see on my
property. I don't think this is a coincidence.

cheers,
alternate


"starlia" wrote in message
...
I have only one point to mention on sealing up the weep holes mentioned in
this post. I work for a city entity in the area and we recently hired out
some great contractors to take care of some bat problems we were having.
I
spoke with the contractors at great length about all the problems we have
with insects and the like. The contractor mentioned the sealing of the
weep
holes work only if you don't seal the entire weep hole. Please leave a
small amount open at the bottom so they can work properly. The weep holes
are in your homes to do a job. Sealing them up may cause problems down
the
road. Just a thought.

I think sealing in some copper wool is outstanding! Great idea and I
might
try it next time we have a problem like this.


"Alternate Personality" wrote in message
.. .
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