Scorpions in Texas homes are almost always striped bark scorpions, and they hide in tight, dark spaces: attics, wall voids, closets, shoes, and the rock and wood piles just outside. Keeping them out comes down to sealing the gaps they crawl through, clearing shelter away from your foundation, and cutting back the insects they hunt.
Texas has roughly 18 scorpion species, most of them in the dry western part of the state, but the striped bark scorpion is the only one found statewide and the one most likely to wander inside. Here's what Pest Renewal wants every Texas homeowner to know about finding and excluding them.
What Kind of Scorpion Is in My Texas Home?
If you're finding scorpions indoors in Texas, it's almost certainly a striped bark scorpion. It's yellowish-tan with two dark stripes running down its back and grows to about two and a half inches long. Texas A&M AgriLife identifies it as the most common scorpion in the state and the only species found throughout Texas.
They're nocturnal, wedging into cracks by day and hunting after dark. Their flat bodies slip into remarkably thin gaps, including the space under a door.
Where Do Scorpions Hide in Texas Homes?
Scorpions hide wherever it's dark, tight, and undisturbed. Indoors, that means attics, wall voids, closets, the backs of cabinets, and clothes or shoes left on the floor. Outdoors, they shelter under landscaping rock, paving stones, logs, and firewood, then move toward the house at night while they hunt.
Inside the house
- Attics, where scorpions arrive from the roofline and can move down into rooms when attic heat builds
- Closets and storage, including boxes, folded clothing, and shoes left on the floor
- Bathrooms and kitchens, where they look for moisture under sinks and around tubs
- Garages, with gaps under the door and clutter stacked along the walls
Around the yard
- Decorative rock beds and stone borders pushed up against the slab
- Firewood stacks, scrap lumber, and stored pavers
- Dense shrubs, ground cover, and leaf litter along the foundation
- Tree limbs touching the roof, which give climbers a bridge to the attic
Why Do Scorpions End Up in the Attic?
Striped bark scorpions are capable climbers. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension's scorpion publication says they frequently climb trees and walls, and "they often are found in the attics of homes." They slip through gaps at eaves and vents, and during hot weather may move from a sweltering attic down into living areas through wall voids.
How Do You Find Scorpions With a Blacklight?
Scorpions fluoresce under ultraviolet light, glowing a bright blue-green that's easy to spot in the dark. After sunset, walk the foundation, rock beds, fence lines, and garage with a handheld blacklight, then check baseboards, closet floors, and bathtubs inside. Finding several in one area tells you where they're sheltering and getting in.
Do a blacklight check safely
Wear closed-toe shoes and leather gloves, move rocks with a tool instead of bare hands, and note where you find scorpions so you can tell your technician.
8 Ways to Keep Scorpions Out of Your Home
Texas A&M AgriLife notes that scorpions are difficult to control with insecticides alone, so changing the habitat around your house and sealing the way in come first.
- Replace worn weatherstripping and door sweeps so no light shows under or around exterior doors, including the one into the garage.
- Seal cracks and utility openings where pipes, cables, and AC lines pass through exterior walls.
- Cover weep holes in brick or stone with mesh or screen wire rather than sealing them shut, so the wall can still drain.
- Keep window screens tight in their frames and repair any tears.
- Move firewood, lumber, and debris away from the house and store it off the ground.
- Pull rock and mulch back from the slab instead of piling stone against the foundation.
- Trim branches and shrubs that touch the siding or hang over the roof.
- Cut back their food supply. Scorpions feed on crickets, roaches, spiders, and other insects, so a house with fewer insects attracts fewer scorpions. Yellow outdoor bulbs draw fewer insects to doorways than bright white ones.
A quarterly pest control plan supports that last step by keeping the insect population around your foundation low between visits.
Why Are Scorpions Such a Problem in Midland and West Texas?
Most of Texas's scorpion species live in the arid western part of the state, and hot, dry weather pushes scorpions to search for water and better shelter, which often leads them indoors. In Midland, long dry stretches and summer heat make homes, garages, and irrigated beds especially appealing to scorpions looking for cooler, damper spots.
If your yard relies on decorative rock or gravel instead of turf, those beds deserve extra attention, because they offer daytime cover right next to the slab. Local details are on our Midland pest control page.
What Should You Do If a Scorpion Stings You?
For most people, a striped bark scorpion sting causes sharp pain and localized swelling that eases with time. Texas A&M AgriLife advises watching the person closely for several hours afterward. Seek medical care immediately if breathing becomes difficult, hives appear, or the reaction seems severe, and don't wait it out.
When sightings become a weekly event, spider and scorpion control pairs an inspection for entry points with targeted treatment where scorpions hide. Homeowners in Denton and Waco can call the same number.
Finding scorpions in the tub or on the walls? Call Pest Renewal and tell us where you've been seeing them. A specialist will explain your options and schedule a licensed technician to inspect and treat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Texas scorpions deadly?
The striped bark scorpion, the species Texans run into most, has a painful sting but isn't considered deadly. Reactions vary, though, and anyone who has trouble breathing, breaks out in hives, or reacts severely after a sting should get medical care right away.
Does one scorpion inside mean there are more?
Often, yes. A scorpion indoors usually means the yard and foundation are offering shelter and food, so others are likely nearby. A blacklight check around the foundation after dark will show you how many are active outside and where they're concentrated.
When are scorpions in Texas homes most active?
Activity picks up as spring warms and stays high through summer, when hot, dry spells push scorpions indoors looking for moisture and cooler hiding spots. They slow down in cold weather but can still turn up inside heated homes.