Be Inspired Blog - Arizona
How To Prevent Scorpions In Your Arizona Garden
Scorpions occupy all kinds of landscape spaces, and your beautiful garden and home are no place for them. While scorpion species found in Arizona vary in their toxicity, only the bark scorpion is regarded as life-threatening. It’s no secret that scorpions aren’t shy about using their stingers when threatened, so you will want to follow these best scorpion repellent practices to protect your home from scorpions in Arizona!
Use Dried Lavender in Window Sills as Scorpion Repellent
To humans, the scent of lavender is light and refreshing. To scorpions and many other Arizona arachnids, it’s the worst smell on earth. That’s why a thin scattering Lavender flowers on your window sills, along the baseboards, under the sinks, and any other dark place around the house is a best practice for repelling scorpions outside your home.
You can also use lavender, cedar, peppermint, and other essential oils as a repellent for these desert devils. Try mixing 20 drops of your favorite lavender or cedar essential oil with water, and spray the mixture around window casings, door frames, and the foundations of your home. These natural remedies are actually some of the best scorpion repellent tactics! However, if you have pets, please refer to the ASPCA’s recommendations when it comes to using essential oils around pets as exposure can be dangerous in some cases.
Seal Up Cracks In & Around Your Home
Living in Arizona, it’s best to seal up any cracks in and around your home, especially those close to the ground; only half a centimeter of space is needed for a scorpion to fit inside. Two methods you can implement within your landscape to create a natural barrier from scorpions around your home are applying diatomaceous earth and sticky trap repellents, which are both child and pet friendly. Spraying molasses and orange oil-infused compost tea around the garden (just as you would with lavender oil inside and around your home) can also provide protection for a more organic and natural scorpion repellent method than other traditional scorpion repellents.
Rid Your Landscape Design of Rocks, Logs, and Standing Water
You will want to remove any large rocks, logs, or dark areas in your backyard that scorpions may be able to hide under in your landscaping. These creepy desert critters love to cool off in the shaded areas of your garden, as they are nocturnal and need to conserve water throughout the day.
You’ll also want to eliminate any standing water, as scorpions and other arachnids prey on insects found in standing water and also come into homes looking for water to cool off. Scorpions are able to survive months without food as long as a water source is available, so you will want to replace old leaky sprinkler systems and set timers conservatively to rid your landscape of moisture sources that may bring in scorpions and other pests in your garden. Be sure to keep floors, corners, closets, and crawl spaces dry and leak-free. Do not let water accumulate in puddles or containers near the exterior of your home, and don’t overwater your plants.
Keep Your Landscape Area Clean
To prevent scorpions from having access to hiding spots around your home, keep all sides of your home free of debris, leaves, woodpiles, rock piles, and garbage. Prune back your bushes, vines, trees, and other vegetation that scorpions can hide under, remembering to spray around your backyard with repellent. Remove mulch or wood chips from around building foundations. And remember, it’s always best to allow the sunshine in so that scorpions have to find shade somewhere else!
For more gardening tips, visit your local SummerWinds Nursery!
