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Scorpion-proofing your home

The sealing checklist that does the most good

Last reviewed 2026-07-20 Sources 4 Read 5 min
Two hands pressing weatherstripping into the gap around a white door to seal it.
Sealing the gap around a door with weatherstripping. Exclusion like this is the single highest-value step against scorpions.
The short version

This is the highest-value work you can do. Fit tight door sweeps, weather-strip doors and windows, screen or plug weep holes, and seal cracks and pipe penetrations. Scorpions exploit gaps as small as an eighth of an inch.12

The exclusion checklist

  1. Door sweeps and thresholds. Install tight-fitting door sweeps and thresholds on all exterior doors, and replace any that are worn with a visible gap.24
  2. Weather-stripping. Weather-strip loose-fitting doors and windows.14
  3. Weep holes. Plug weep holes in brick or stone veneer with steel wool, copper mesh, or small squares of screen.1
  4. Cracks and penetrations. Seal around roof eaves, pipes, and other cracks into the structure with a quality sealant.1
  5. Small gaps count. Seal gaps an eighth of an inch or larger, for example along roof lines, and replace loose mortar in brick or stone.2
  6. Window screens. Keep screens in good repair and well-fitted in the frame.1
  7. Interior wall voids. Caulk around interior electrical faceplates and pipe escutcheon plates to block entry from wall voids, and plug wall-void holes with steel wool.43

Why sealing beats spraying

Exclusion targets exactly how scorpions behave. They seek out dark places they can squeeze into, under bark, rocks, and debris outdoors, and through the same kinds of narrow gaps in a wall.3 Close those gaps and you address the root of the problem, which is why extension programs rank pest-proofing above chemical treatment.4

Sources

  1. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. “Scorpions: Identification, Habitat and Control in Texas.” mytexas.ag.tamu.edu. Accessed 2026-07-20.Backs: weather-stripping, weep-hole plugging with steel wool or mesh, sealing eaves and pipes, keeping window screens in good repair.
  2. Texas A&M AgriLife School IPM. “IPM Action Plan for Bark Scorpions.” schoolipm.tamu.edu. Accessed 2026-07-20.Backs: tight door sweeps and thresholds, sealing gaps an eighth of an inch or larger, replacing loose mortar.
  3. University of Arizona Community IPM. “Living with and Managing Scorpions” (Aug 18, 2022). acis.cals.arizona.edu. Accessed 2026-07-20.Backs: plug wall-void holes with steel wool; scorpions seek dark places they can squeeze into.
  4. University of Arizona Community IPM. “Scorpion Season is Here!” (May 16, 2025). acis.cals.arizona.edu. Accessed 2026-07-20.Backs: replace worn door sweeps; caulk interior faceplates and escutcheon plates; pest-proofing ranked above chemicals.
Every factual claim on this page is cited in the Sources above. This is a non-commercial reference.  ·  Last reviewed 2026-07-20.

The Scorpiologist is an independent, non-commercial reference. No products, no lead-gen, no fear-mongering.  ·  Every claim is cited on the page.  ·  Last reviewed 2026-07-20.