Arizona is known for being home to a variety of different types of scorpions. Scorpions thrive in the climate that the state provides and tend to be found mostly in the southern parts of Arizona.
However, there’s a lot of misinformation about scorpions. First of all, the venom found in their stingers isn’t always harmful to humans. Their venom is meant for prey, and human beings are a little too large to make for good prey. However, some stings can result in serious symptoms and severe reactions. Do not hesitate to contact a medical professional if you’re worried about a scorpion sting.
If you're seeing Arizona scorpions around your property, our scorpion control experts are here to help. Western Exterminator offers proven pest control services for managing scorpions from the Vaejovis genus, species like Centruroides sculpturatus, and other local species in Arizona.
The following are some of the more common types of scorpions in Arizona, with key information to help with scorpion identification.
Scorpions come in a range of sizes and colors and exhibit different behaviors. While they all fall under the class of arachnids, each species has its own features that help with scorpion identification. Some are more likely to hide in burrows, while others prefer cracks in walls or cool, shaded spots around homes. Their pincers, size, and tails can all offer clues to what kind of scorpion you're looking at.
Many of these species are native to North America and adapted to thrive in hot, dry climates. Below are some of the types of scorpions in Arizona you may come across, including which ones are more likely to come indoors, how to recognize them, and when you should call a pest control company.
The Arizona bark scorpion is one of the more commonly known scorpions in Arizona. They’re easy to tell apart from other types of scorpions due to their long, slender metasomas (the tail that holds the stinger), fingers, and arms, as well as their yellowish-tan color — although in higher elevations they are often striped.
When its metasoma is at rest, it is held coiled to its side. Arizona bark scorpions are commonly found in the rocky desert areas, although they are the type of scorpion that homeowners can also find inside Arizona homes. They can be found in and around tree bark as well, which is where they get their name.
These scorpions are also some of the more venomous scorpions found in the state. Being stung by an Arizona bark scorpion can result in painful swelling, along with breathing difficulties and muscle spasms.
If you’ve been stung by an Arizona bark scorpion, you should seek medical attention right away.
The Arizona stripetail scorpion, also known by its scientific name, Paravaejovis spinigerus, is the most common type of scorpion found in Arizona. It boasts a striped back area and a robust tail that ends with a large venom bulb and stinger.
The Arizona stripetail scorpion is yellowish in color and features dark stripes on its dorsal area. These types of scorpions are considered medium-sized and are typically less than three inches long, although females are usually bigger than males.
Most Arizona stripetail scorpions live beneath rocks, although, like Arizona bark scorpions, they can find themselves inside homes.
The Arizona giant hairy scorpion, also called the desert hairy scorpion or Hadrurus arizonensis, has the distinction of being the largest scorpion in the United States. If their size wasn’t enough to help identify them, the fact that they have hairy metasomas and pedipalps (the appendages with pincers) probably is.
They are the only American scorpions to have such dense hair coverage. Their colors are also a unique trait. While their appendages are yellowish in color, their dorsal areas are usually quite dark.
The Arizona giant hairy scorpion is most commonly found in saguaro forests and feeds on centipedes, insects, spiders, and other scorpions.
The yellow ground scorpion is very similar in appearance to the Arizona bark scorpion and is often misidentified as such. It has slender hands and fingers, just like the bark scorpion, and exhibits a yellowish color with a granular body texture.
The biggest difference in appearance between the yellow ground scorpion and the Arizona bark scorpion is the fact that their first two tail segments are as wide as they are long or even wider. These nocturnal scorpions are more commonly found in southeastern Arizona.
Knowing a little bit more about Arizona scorpions can be helpful in identifying them if you find them in or around your home. But spotting them is just one part of the issue. These arthropods often hide in crevices, under rocks, or even inside shoes and clothing, making them easy to miss. If you're seeing more than one, you could be dealing with an infestation.
Contact Western Exterminator for residential and commercial pest control services. Our technicians can identify the scorpion species that is present and create a tailored scorpion control plan to help protect you and your property.
For long-term peace of mind, we offer pest control services in Arizona that help target the root cause of the issue. Our PestFree3651 plan provides year-round protection against scorpions and 24 other common household pests in Arizona.2
1 Treatments and Covered Pests defined in your Plan. Limitations apply. See Plan for details.
2 Coverage includes: “House” Ants, Bird Mites, Indoor Ticks, Cockroaches, Carpet Beetles, Fabric Moths, Overwintering Insects, Ground Beetles, Centipedes, Crickets, Earwigs, Firebrats, Millipedes, Clover Mites, Pillbugs/Sowbugs, Psocids, Scorpions, Silverfish, Paper Wasps, Springtails, Spiders, Stored Product Beetles, Stored Product Moths, Mice, and Rats.
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