Pest Library · West Texas
Scorpions in West Texas
Almost every Permian Basin family has a scorpion story. Here is what you are dealing with, how risky it is and what keeps them out.
Quick answer
The scorpion in most West Texas homes is the striped bark scorpion. It is tan with two dark stripes on its back and grows to about 2½ inches. A scorpion sting hurts and swells, but for most healthy adults it is not life threatening. Sealing gaps and clearing hiding spots does more to keep them out than spray alone.
How to Identify Them
Texas A&M AgriLife counts 18 kinds of scorpions in the state. Of all the scorpions in Texas, the striped bark scorpion (Centruroides vittatus) is the only one found statewide, and it is the one you will see most in Odessa, Midland and the towns around them.
Look for:
- A yellowish tan body about 2½ inches long as an adult
- Two dark bands running down the back
- Thin, slender pincers
- A long, thin tail that curls up over the body
Under a blacklight, scorpions glow a bright blue green. That trick makes them easy to find at night along walls and fences.
How They Behave
Scorpions hunt at night and hide in the day. They tuck under rocks, boards, wood piles, loose bark and trash. The striped bark scorpion is a climber, not a digger. It goes up walls, fences and trees, and it can end up in the attic. That is why some people find them on the ceiling or in the bathtub.
They eat crickets, roaches and other small insects. More bugs around your home means more food for scorpions. Lights that pull in crickets at night pull scorpions in behind them.
In hot weather, scorpions look for cooler, damper places. Bathrooms, kitchens and laundry rooms are common. A female carries her young for months, then has a brood of a dozen or more babies, which ride on her back at first. A few adults near the house can turn into many over a year.
How Risky Is a Sting?
A scorpion sting burns, and the spot can swell and stay sore for a while. AgriLife notes that the venom of Texas scorpions has little effect on the nervous system, so most people have a moderate reaction.
Some people do react more. Young children, older adults and people with allergies need closer watching.
If someone is stung:
- Stay calm and clean the area
Wash the spot with soap and water.
- Use a cold pack
A cold pack on the sting can ease pain and swelling.
- Call for advice
Call Texas Poison Control at 1 800 222 1222. They can tell you what to watch for.
- Get help fast for serious signs
Call 911 for trouble breathing, swelling of the face or throat, or if a small child acts very sick.
How to Keep Scorpions Out
You can't make a West Texas yard scorpion free, but you can make your home hard to get into.
- Screen weep holes with covers made for them.
- Add door sweeps and fix worn garage door seals.
- Seal gaps around pipes, wires and vents.
- Move wood piles, rocks and boards away from the house.
- Use yellow bug lights so fewer crickets gather at the door.
- Pull beds away from walls and shake out shoes.
A scorpion control plan pairs those steps with a treatment along the base of the walls. Many homes also keep up routine general pest control to cut the insects scorpions feed on. Wondering why you suddenly see more of them? Read why there are so many scorpions in your house.
Scorpion FAQs
Are striped bark scorpions deadly?
For most healthy people, no. A sting is painful and can swell, but AgriLife notes Texas scorpion venom has little effect on the nervous system. Still, watch small kids, older adults and anyone with allergies closely. Call Poison Control at 1 800 222 1222 for advice after any sting.
Why do scorpions show up in my bathtub?
Scorpions hunt for moisture in hot weather, and bathrooms are damp. They can climb into the tub but struggle to climb back out of the slick sides. Finding them there often means they are getting in through gaps around pipes, vents or the bathroom window.
Do scorpions come out in winter?
They slow down when it is cold and spend more time hiding. On warm winter days you may still see one. Activity picks up again in spring and peaks in the hot months, which is when most West Texas families see them inside.
Does a blacklight really help find them?
Yes. Scorpions glow blue green under ultraviolet light, so a blacklight walk around the house after dark shows where they hide and travel. It is one of the best ways to see how many live near your home before you plan treatment.
Same Day Service Available
Get Help With Scorpions
Finding scorpions inside again? Request a free inspection. Your technician will look for how they get in and lay out a plan to stop them.
Odessa Pest Control connects you with a local pest control technician. Ask for their Texas license number before work starts.
Pest Library
More West Texas pests
German Cockroaches
The small striped roach that lives in kitchens, how fast it breeds and how to stop it.
Termites
How to spot native subterranean termites, mud tubes and spring swarmers.
Bed Bugs
How to identify bed bugs, read the signs on your sheets and stop them spreading.
Fire Ants
How to spot fire ant mounds, what the stings do and why bait beats mound spraying.
House Mice
How to read droppings and gnaw marks, and how a dime size gap lets mice in.
Black Widow Spiders
The red hourglass, where widows hide in Basin yards and what to do after a bite.
Mosquitoes
Why storms bring mosquitoes, West Nile basics and how to cut bites at home.
Sources
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Scorpions fact sheet (E 362): https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/E-362-scorpions.pdf
- Texas Poison Center Network: https://www.poisoncontrol.org/