What is the Best Scorpion Repellent? How to Keep Scorpions Away

On the hunt for a good, strong scorpion repellent? Of course, you are. Most of us are avoiders lovers who don’t want to fight, we just want to know how to keep scorpions away.

Sure, some folk are born with bloodlust in their soul and the required arachnid courage to go forth and wage war against anything that crawls on eight legs and has a sting with the power of a pneumatic drill.

But most people, like you and me, would prefer to never face a creepy crawly scorpion head on, especially in the comfort of their home. These people opt, instead, for the prevention method.

And the first step to understanding how to repel scorpions is to look at the flip side: why are scorpions attracted to your house in the first place?

What are Scorpions Attracted to?

Scorpions are incredibly hardy creatures who tend to make their homes in very extreme climates and environments. Think: desert planes or countries and states with very hot, arid weather.

But even scorpions have needs, namely:

• Safety. Scorpions have plenty of natural predators like lizards, owls, bats, tarantulas and even large centipedes. Your home can provide a safe refuge.
• Moisture. Even scorpions need water to live. And in the desert, especially during drought, human homes provide plenty for a scorpion to have its fill.
• Food. Scorpions are predatory carnivores and their diet consists of insects like ants, beetles, roaches, and other creepy crawlies. The more you have in your home, the more attractive it is to hungry scorpions.
• Light (or a lack thereof). As nocturnal creatures who are only active at night, scorpions like to have a dark, quiet place to rest and hide during the day.

Unfortunately for us, most modern homes can offer all four in abundance. The average human house has lots of shady, sheltered and dark corners for scorpions to bed down and hide from the light. And most homes also have food (insects), at least during certain months of the year.

With so much to offer a scorpion, how do you ever keep them away? Let’s dive in.

How to Keep Scorpions Away

We’re going to be honest with you: keeping scorpions away from your home and yard takes a bit of effort. It requires more than spritzing some scorpion spray and hoping these venomous creature go away.

In fact, it is going to need a multi-pronged strategy that looks like this:

• Remove what attracts scorpions
• Put physical scorpion deterrents in place
• Use the best scorpion repellents to discourage them from your property

Here’s your action plan to keep scorpions away for good.

Remove what attracts scorpions

The first step to repelling scorpions is to remove what attracts them in the first place. Here are your best action steps.

Keep your yard clean and clear. Make your yard as uninviting to scorpions as possible and you’re halfway there. Scorpions like to hide. Clear away any yard clutter that might provide nice, shaded shelter like old wooden logs or boards.

Make sure your yard doesn’t get too overgrown or filled with mulchy, rotting vegetation – this sort of stuff is an absolute gold mine of bugs and insects of all kinds, not just scorpions. Which leads us to…

Eliminate the scorpions’ food source. Even though scorpions can go as long as a year without eating a meal, they still tend to hunt and eat on a regular basis and if they can’t find any food in their immediate vicinity, they’ll move on to pastures new…or disgusting.

Which is why one of the best ways to keep scorpions away is to do your utmost to keep insects, flies and bugs out of your house. This means cleaning regularly, not leaving food exposed to the elements, perhaps investing in some bug sprays and insecticides. Anything to keep the numbers down.

Check the water supply. Especially during times of drought, scorpions may be sneaking in for a drink of water. So try to reduce any leakage in water pipes or build-up of moisture around your house.

This works double by limiting a source of water for both the scorpion itself and any other smaller bugs or insects which might make an appetizing snack for them.

Physical scorpion deterrents are key

Scorpions are incredibly dextrous. Thanks to their shell-like exoskeleton and lack of vertebrae, scorpions are able to squeeze into the tiniest gaps. In fact, it’s been reported that the average scorpion can fit through a space no wider than 1/16th of an inch!

So the first thing to do before you order a single scorpion repellent is to get busy blocking up the entryways into your home, like

Get a door sweeper. The first port of call is to prevent scorpions from literally walking through your door. A sturdy door sweeper accomplishes this and is easy to install.

Check the weather-stripping. Replace any bare spots in your weather stripping or even replace the whole thing with thicker, more durable insulation tape.

Place screens over your windows. If you live in a place that has scorpions, the chances are the weather is beautiful and you like to keep your windows open. Not only are unscreened windows an open invitation for scorpions, but it also allows plenty of insects to enter, making your home even more inviting for scorpions.

Seal up cracks and crevices. Again, scorpions don’t need much to find their way in. The smallest gaps that you might never even consider can be a red carpet for any wandering arachnids. So grab caulk and a caulking gun and start with these common entryways for scorpions:

• Gaps and cracks around ground-level windows
• Holes and gaps around plumbing pipes and utility lines
• Cracked walls and baseboards
• Cracks and gaps in the foundation on the house

Implementing these scorpion deterrents serves two important purposes: One it prevents scorpions from getting into your home. And two, it also prevents other insects from calling your house a home. By removing the scorpion’s food source, you automatically make your home less appealing for house-hunting scorpions.

Use the best scorpion repellents

Once you’ve secured your fortress, now it’s time to go on the hunt for the best scorpion repellent to drive any invaders away.

How to Choose the Best Scorpion Repellent

There are a lot of products that claim to repel scorpions. But all of those scorpion repellents fall into two broad categories:

• Scents, sights, and sounds that scorpions hate. These can be essential oils, lighting, and even certain sounds.

• Things that trap or kill scorpions. These are scorpion sprays, powders, and traps that effectively act as repellents by trapping or killing scorpions.

The first category of scorpion repellents use things that scorpions hate to drive them away. These scorpion repellents have the advantage of being natural and non-toxic. But where they fall short is that they are not 100% guaranteed to work across the board. For example, one scorpion may avoid a certain scent but another may not mind it.

There are environmental factors that play into this as well. Even if all the scorpions in your house cannot stand a certain smell or sound, the weather conditions outside may be bad enough that they simply choose to tolerate it and stay put.

The second category goes further than simply repelling – these either physically restrain or kill scorpions so that they cannot survive once they enter your premises. These scorpion repellents have the advantage of being much more reliable in the sense that they have the exact same effect on every scorpion that comes into contact with them.

For example, diatomaceous earth will dehydrate and kill any scorpion that comes into contact with it. It doesn’t matter if it’s big, small, deadly, or mostly harmless – these types of scorpion repellents work across the board.

So which should you use? Honestly, scorpion repellents are not mutually exclusive. You can and should employ a combination of the best ones to keep scorpions away for good.

What Scent Do Scorpions Hate?

Scorpions have a lot of eyes – six to twelve of them, in fact. But even with all those eyes, they still can’t see very well. To compensate for this lack of sight, scorpions are blessed with an incredibly keen sense of smell, which is uses to find food.

It’s even been revealed that a scorpion’s sense of smell is so good that they are able to smell the presence of predators.

So how do we use this super-powered sense of smell against them? We pick scents that scorpions hate to use as natural repellents.

Here are your best bets.

Lavender Scorpion Repellent

It’s a question that gets asked a lot: does lavender repel scorpions? Although nobody is quite certain why – yes, lavender and scorpions do have a fraught relationship and thus, the powerful aroma of lavender seems to be a natural deterrent for scorpions.

This is quite a handy little weapon in the war against the arachnids, though – seeing as you can easily plant some lavender in your yard to act as scorpion repellent plants. Or simply use a lavender oil spray to spray around pipes and other problem areas.

Here’s a quick and easy DIY lavender scorpion repellent spray you can whip up: Add one cup of water to ten drops of lavender essential oil and mix well in a bottle. This makes the perfect human and pet safe scorpion repellent you can use anywhere, even your bed.

Cedarwood Oil for Scorpions

Continuing this trend of more natural and tamer deterrents, cedar oil is also a highly effective sensory knock-back for the average scorpion. Something about the scent of the heavy cedar wood is enough to turn the arachnids around and send them back to the icky crack from whence they came.

So how do you use it? Get yourself some Cedarcide Scorpion Shield spray. They also have a slightly less concentrated formula that you can find in easy-to-use spray bottles as well as gallon jugs.

Another smart option is to use cedar storage supplies that you can tuck into the very nooks and crannies that scorpions like to hide out in. ​

The best thing about these aromatic solutions is that they are non-invasive treatments for your home – you won’t need to walk on eggshells around glue traps, nor worry about replenishing diatomaceous earth. Plus, it’s a pet safe scorpion repellent.

Neem oil

This underrated natural scorpion repellent is one of the most effective ways to keep scorpions away.

Like cedar oil, neem oil is a naturally occurring product that comes from a tree. In this case, the neem tree – who would have guessed? And like cedar oil, scorpions hate it.

The hatred is justified because not only does neem oil have repellent properties, it’s been shown to actually kill scorpions that come into contact with it.

Personally, I can’t stand the smell of my cat’s litter box, but it’s not literally going to kill me. Scorpions aren’t so lucky.

Other Essential Oils to Repel Scorpions

Lavender and cedar oil are popular scorpion repellents. But they are by no means the only essential oils that repel scorpions. Another very effective scent that scorpions hate is the scent of citrus. In one study, the fresh leaves of citrus maxima (aka: pomelo) was shown to have the most repellent effect for scorpions.

The downside is that pomelo essential oil can be challenging to find. Opt for the closest relative – grapefruit essential oil and make yourself a DIY scorpion repellent spray. Or opt for a ready-made potent citrus spray like OrangeGuard.

Note: Always opt for citric essences rather than the fruits themselves. This might seem like common sense, but you’d be surprised. Any fresh grapefruit, lemon or limes, for example, left exposed will only attract other insects, which in turn may bring scorpions and other unwelcome beasties in for a quick snack.

Are Scorpion Repellent Essential Oils Enough?

Essential oils that repel scorpions can play an important role in getting rid of a scorpion infestation. But here’s the unfortunate truth: essential oils alone aren’t enough to drive scorpions away. Especially if they are already established in your home.

That’s because a human home can offer a lot of benefits for a scorpion, like plenty of places to hide and ample insects to feast on. But in times of drought or extreme heat or cold, a human home is more than a comfortable place to stay. It becomes the only way to survive.

When a scorpion needs your home to stay cool or warm or have access to water, the inconvenience of something smelly is just that – an inconvenience.

Think of it like driving for hours on a cold, snowy night and finally finding a motel available. Even if the only room available smelled like rotten eggs, you’d most likely endure the smell and choose to stay because the alternative is worse.

This doesn’t mean that scorpion repellent essential oils are useless – they can definitely be a part of your overall strategy to keep scorpions away. It’s just that they should not be the only thing you do.

In our opinion, the best time to use essential oils to repel scorpions is after:

• You’ve already sealed off your home so that new scorpions can’t get in
• You’ve taken action to reduce any insect population living in your house
• You’ve cleared scorpion hiding spots in your immediate outdoors

And the best way to use scorpion repellent essential oils is alongside stronger (read: lethal) scorpion repellents that protect the perimeter of your home. Which brings us to the next point.

What is the Best Scorpion Repellent Spray?

There are a lot of scorpion repellent sprays advertised as easy, effective ways to keep stinging critters away. You simply spritz the dark, damp spaces of your home and no more scorpions. If only it were that simple.

As you know by now, essential oil-based sprays are most effective when used as add-ons to a greater scorpion repellent strategy. When used alone, a simple spritz of citric, cedar or lavender tincture will likely not be enough to truly keep scorpions at bay.

As such, it’s not a good idea to rely only on natural scorpion repellent sprays to make a significant dent to a scorpion infestation.

So what does work? Go for scorpion repellent sprays that you can use to set a perimeter around your home. Once it’s sprayed and allowed to dry, these sprays provide a long-term residual effect that goes on killing any scorpions that come into contact with it.

They are the most effective scorpion repellent sprays for exactly this reason. No scorpion can cross it without meeting its doom. Result? A complete expulsion of scorpions from your property.

Here are the best ones we recommend.

Cy-Kick CS

If you have a serious scorpion infestation that you want to nip in the bud ASAP, this professional-grade scorpion insecticide is the only repellent you’ll need.

So what does it do? It effectively repels scorpions from your property by killing them before they can get to your home.

The most effective way to use this scorpion spray is to apply it so scorpions will have no choice but to cross it. The best places to spray are:

• At least a 3-foot perimeter around the entire house
• The base of the house outside
• At least 3 feet up all external walls
• Around all the windows, window sashes and doors
• Any cracks and crevices where scorpions can enter
• In places outside where you find scorpions hiding

Once the product is dried, any scorpions that make contact with it are doomed.

Harris Scorpion Killer

If the thought of measuring and mixing a professioanl-grade scorpion pesticide is a bit intimating, go for the Harris Scorpion Killer spray.

This spray is very user-friendly while having the effectiveness of a professional-grade scorpion pesticide. It’s easy to use and the perfect choice for most homeowners.

So what does it do? Let’s start with what it doesn’t – it’s not a contact spray. Which means this isn’t the kind of spray you use to kill the random scorpion that’s wandered into your bedroom.

Instead, it’s best used to provide an overall repellent effect as a perimeter spray. Here’s how it works, in a nutshell:

• Can be used indoors and outdoors
• Comes with a trigger sprayer so you can treat scorpion hiding places, like gravel areas, around plumbing pipes, and underneath sinks, as well as access points to your house like around the windows and doors
• Once the spray dries, it kills any scorpions that come into contact with it

By eliminating any scorpions that cross its path, this spray makes a powerful scorpion repellent.

What is a Natural Scorpion Repellent?

The above scorpion repellent sprays are highly effective in keeping the venomous creatures away from you and your property. But what if you don’t want to spray any pesticides around your home and family?

Well, your natural scorpion repellent options don’t end with essential oils. There are several other all-natural ways to drive scorpions away. Here are the best ones.

Scorpion repellent lighting

Here’s something that one doesn’t expect when discussing home remedies for scorpions: lighting.

But it matters. Do you have a lot of outdoor lights? If so, you might want to consider turning them off. Lights attract crickets, and crickets are a scorpion’s favorite food.

Lighting doesn’t just discourage insects that scorpions like to eat. Scorpions themselves are also attracted to light, specifically white light. So if you can’t bear to part with your exterior lights, try changing the bulbs from white to yellow bug-proof lights.

Yellow light is much less attractive to scorpions. This simple change can go a long way toward keeping scorpions and their food source away from your property.

Scorpion sticky traps

Along the same lines; there’s no quicker way to let local scorpions know that your house is not a drop-in centre than by laying glue traps around in abundance. These little devices are perfect for stopping pests in their tracks at your home’s entry points, meaning nothing ever makes it into your living areas or other intimate spaces (providing you have those areas protected already).

However, glue traps will not kill the scorpions; they will merely hold them in place until you return to dispose of them. So be very careful when approaching a successful glue trap, as the risk of a sting is still very high.

Again, after some time of repeatedly guarding the most likely areas of the house, you should start to see a dwindling in the scorpion population.

Scorpion repellent powder

Diatomaceous earth is an old favorite when it comes to keeping pests out of the home and it works especially well on creatures like scorpions and spiders. This powder is non-toxic to humans, but it is an indirect deterrent for beasties, taking time to work its magic.

In essence, the powder clings on to the exterior of the scorpion as it passes through your cunningly laid traps and then begins to slowly dehydrate them.

In terms of using diatomaceous earth as a scorpion deterrent, it’s important that you regularly reapply the powder to your chosen areas. After some time, the message will begin to sink in with your scorpion neighbors and they’ll find a less deadly place to set up shop.

Is There a Pet Safe Scorpion Repellent?

The good news is that all of the above scorpion repellents are safe for use around pets – as long as you follow the necessary precautions. Here is what you should know.

Scorpion Repellent Essential Oils. Lavender, cedar oil, and neem oil are deemed perfectly safe for dogs and cats. But be careful with citrus oils as it can be toxic for pets, especially if ingested.

Scorpion Pesticide Sprays. Despite their pesticidal nature, the sprays we recommend above are safe for humans and pets. But take the necessary precaution of removing your furry friend while spraying and until the product is completely dried.

Scorpion Sticky Traps. These are non-toxic and a completely pet safe scorpion repellent. The worst that can happen is your cat or dog getting it stuck to themselves. In that case, a little vegetable oil helps a lot.

Diatomaceous Earth. This all-natural powder is safe for pets even when ingested. That being said, the fine powder can be irritating if inhaled so only apply in strategic places where your cat or dog is unlikely to go sniffing around.

What About an Ultrasonic Pest Repeller for Scorpions?

Ultrasonic pest repellers seem like the perfect option to passively drive away scorpions. You plug it in and it gets busy repelling scorpions while you sit back and relax. Easy peasy, right?

The only problem is that using an ultrasonic pest repeller for scorpion is not proven to work at all. In fact, studies show that ultrasonic repellers have very little effect for most pests. Even anecdotally, the evidence is not positive.

That doesn’t mean sound isn’t an effective pest repellent. Sounds can have a significant repellent effect but only when it makes use of biologically relevant sounds like alarm calls and other biosonic sounds, rather than generic computer-generated tones.

In the case of scorpions, think sounds from a natural predator like owls. Devices that mimic realistic owl noises may be a better choice than ultrasonic pest repellers. But even then, it may simply cause scorpions to do what they’re great at: hide. Rather than leave your premises altogether.

Overall, we recommend saving your money. There are far better scorpion repellents, like the ones listed above.

The Final Word on Repelling Scorpions

Truthfully, the most useful tool at your disposal is to be constantly alert and aware of the threat of these creepy crawlies making their way into your home. If you keep up a regular regime of applying some of the above measures, and keeping an eye out for any that might still make their way in – you will slowly begin to win the never ending war.

Just remember to reward yourself with a stiff drink every so often, because war is hell.

That’s really all there is to it. Although it might feel like a hopeless situation – especially if you’re arachnophobic – there are plenty of measures you can take to repel and deter scorpions from the sanctity of your home.