Scorpions

Visual Description:  Striped Bark Scorpion (Most common in Texas) is sandy to yellow in color with 2 brown stripes down the middle of its back.  Striped Bark can get up to 3 inches in length. Scorpions are hunters and rely upon their color to blend in with their environment.  Scorpions are best known for their long tail with their stinger at the end. Two claws or pedipalps are used for holding prey to eat or sting.  Scorpions also have two eyes on the top of their head with 8 legs.

Habitat:  Scorpions can be found in piles of rocks, wood, leaves, mulch, etc.  In addition you can find them under stones, lawn decorations, cracks and crevices and on various landscaping walls.  They can even rest on vertical surfaces such as walls and trees.

Size:  Up to 2 ¾ - 3 inches

Food:  Scorpions require live food which they hunt and capture.  They can eat everything from centipedes, spiders, flies, etc.

Life Cycle:  Scorpions usually live between 3-8 year and can live up to 25 years.  They mate in the fall, spring or early summer. Their gestation period can be up to 8 months.  Younglings will be between 13-47 and ride on their mothers back until their first molt.

How did they get into my house?:  Their bodies are naturally skinny which allows them to prey under rocks, in crevices and narrow locations.  If you have small gaps in your weather stripping then scorpions will find a way through. Look for gaps in doors, pipes, foundations, walls or attics.