Living in Belize comes with many natural wonders, from lush rainforests to beautiful beaches. However, it also means sharing your space with a range of local wildlife, including scorpions. While they’re generally not aggressive, scorpions can pose a concern when they venture into your home, especially at night. This blog post will guide on how to “scorpion-proof” your house, keeping these eight-legged intruders at bay so you can enjoy Belize’s beauty with peace of mind. From sealing gaps to managing lighting and clutter, we’ve got tips to help you maintain a scorpion-free sanctuary.
Mother scorpions with babies
I remember my first visit to the jungles of Belize in 1997. My accommodation would be a large prospecting tent. The tent was large enough to fit a regular-sized bed. Keeping in mind that I love arachnids (tarantulas and scorpions), I slept in the position of a pin without moving an inch at night – arms straight down my sides, legs straight, and on my back. I strongly believed that I would roll over onto a scorpion during the night, but I never did, of course
Would you believe that after yearly visits to Belize since 1997 and only after I had lived here for over two and half years (I am coming up on officially living in Belize for three years in Nov 2024) I was stung by my very first scorpion only the other month? I suspect that my daily average in the last three years is that I cross paths with at least one scorpion a day.
I understand the fear of being stung by a scorpion. It hurts, I sure as hell don’t want to be stung again. But if you are going to live in the jungles of Belize, or anywhere in Belize, that’s just the deal. Eventually, it will happen, and unless you have some kind of allergic reaction you will be just fine. The sting I received was pretty hot for the first few minutes. If I recall, after ten minutes there was no pain at all. It was like a strong wasp sting. Some reports of bad reactions are feeling the venom run up the arm to the armpit or your tongue may swell.
Scorpion Species
Apparently, there are four known species of scorpions in Belize, except other than the Florida Bark or Slender Brown scorpion there really is no helpful information on the others. Diligently following various Belize Facebook groups, I have never noticed anything on the other species posted.
Scorpions everywhere
Central American or Florida Bark Scorpion – Centruroides gracilis
- Appearance: Typically blackish with slender pincers and a long tail.
- Habitat: Prefers humid environments, often found in forests and in or near houses.
- Venom: Mildly venomous; sting is painful but generally not dangerous to humans unless there’s an allergic reaction.
First, you need to realize that 100% scorpion-proofing your house is virtually impossible in the jungle. I have done a pretty good job but even I come across a scorpion inside my house an average of once a month or two. The best you can do is do your best by following a few key suggestions.
How to scorpion-proof your house
Scorpion-proofing your house involves a combination of preventive measures and habitat modification. Keeping in mind these strategies also helps keep the cockroach population down. Here are some effective strategies:
Seal Entry Points to Scorpion-proof Your House
- Doors and Windows: Use door sweeps and window screens to block gaps. Ensure all windows and doors close tightly.
- Cracks and Crevices: Seal cracks in walls, foundations, and around pipes with caulk or expanding foam to prevent scorpions from entering.
Most scorpions come in through the front door
Reduce Clutter to Scorpion-proof Your House
- Indoor Clutter: Keep the interior of your home tidy. Store items in plastic bins rather than cardboard boxes, which scorpions can hide in.
- Outdoor Clutter: Remove piles of rocks, wood, or debris near your home where scorpions may seek shelter.
Expanding on reducing clutter – I keep my home in super clean shape and eliminate clutter religiously. Adding to reducing clutter, I position much of my furniture away from walls. That way, I do my best to maintain a clean view of the interior walls along the floor. Don’t throw dirty clothes on the floor. I don’t give places for scorpions to hide behind.
Notice that in the left photo, all living room furniture is placed away from the interior walls. And in the photo on the right, there is no furniture against the wall for scorpions to hide behind
Left photo – a bookshelf is mounted off the ground to the wall
Right photo – only the bed headboard end of the bed is against the wall. The bed is not pushed into the corner to block the visibility of the walls
Kitchen shelves mounted under the counter. Underneath the counter is accessible and very visible
Always wear gloves when cleaning up any kind of outdoor debris or moving stored lumber.
Sealing entry points is pretty self-explanatory and if you do it correctly, sealing entry points solves 95-98% of the problem of scorpion-proofing your house. Keeping a clean, uncluttered home reduces your chance of getting stung equally by 95-98%, except most people have difficulty with that one. Create the habit of cleanliness and dramatically reduce your chance of getting stung.
If you do your best to do these two things you will eliminate scorpions from your home as best you can hope for and your chances of being stung. In comparing my notes with other blog posts there were other suggestions. I noticed those suggestions were just filler suggestions to make the post longer and not very applicable to jungle living.
Either these two scorpions are about to mate or about to combat
If you found this article helpful, please consider
Where you are likely to find scorpions in the house
- the sink – fortunately the big ones usually can’t climb out
- crawling on the floor along the walls
- under clothes left on the floor
- in boxes – use sealed plastic bins to store belongings
- sometimes crawling on the wall
- behind furniture
- when you do find one inside the house, often it’s in the evening. Scorpions are nocturnal
Scorpion in the kitchen sink
Scorpions end up the strangest places
How to remove scorpions from the house
- dustpan and brush and then release outside away from the house
- Fish spray – kills scorpions dead pretty quickly
Thoughts on killing scorpions
I’m not advocating for killing scorpions, but sometimes it becomes necessary. If a scorpion is in my house, and there’s a high chance it might escape before I can catch and relocate it, a spray of Fish Spray ensures it won’t end up in an unwelcome place—like my bed (not that I’ve ever found one there). For an insect/animal the size of these scorpions they are probably the most numerous creatures in Belize (except for cockroaches). I suggest disposing of any sprayed scorpions in the garbage so other creatures don’t ingest something covered in the spray. If a scorpion is killed by the heal of your shoe, than don’t waste it – feed her to your chickens.
Keep in mind if you can safely release a scorpion outside she will continue to consume cockroaches outside. Personally, I prefer scorpions over cockroaches any day. (But I am weird.) Another idea, better than killing a scorpion is to get your partner to videotape you catching the scorpion and post it to social media. Your friends back home will think you are badass. The natural way to kill scorpions outside is to have lots of chickens. My chickens love scorpions.
Spray will get the job done quickly
How NOT to Scorpion-proof Your House
Please do not use sticky traps. They will kill a lot more harmless animals than catching an occasional scorpion. Sticky traps also catch harmless snakes and beautiful banded geckos. It’s not a pleasant death for those animals and you would end up peeling their skin off if you tried to save them.
Please don’t use sticky traps
Education
Educate your family and any visiting family (from abroad) about scorpions. Communicate the importance of shaking out your boots in the morning and always look first before you reach or pick up something. I don’t wear flip-flops, and I always advise guests not to wear flip-flops outside or around the house, mainly because of venomous snakes.
Sometimes I find creatures other than scorpions in my boots
A few more notes
A house raised above ground tends to have fewer scorpions than a house built on the ground. That being said, the areas underneath the house will likely have a few, to lots of scorpions. My house is raised and as mentioned scorpions are pretty rare inside my house. Underneath my house and in my tool rooms is a completely different story. I can bring you down there at any given time and likely find you a scorpion in less than a minute. So, you can only imagine how many I can find if I spent more time looking. Personally, I don’t bother or attempt to eradicate the ones under the house. I don’t kill them or spray them, I am just careful where I put my hands. What’s the point? There is a 97% chance that they can’t get in the house and for every one you remove another one takes its place.
Tool rooms are virtually impossible to de-clutter and scorpions don’t bother me enough to seal in my tool rooms. Besides the scorpions underneath the house are eating cockroaches. I prefer the scorpions to cockroaches any day.
Exterior lights attract bugs in the evening and night, bugs attract scorpions. Do your best to keep exterior lights off or purchase those yellow bug lights.
Did you know scorpions love eating other scorpions?
Conclusion
In conclusion, scorpions are a part of life in the jungle along with a few million other types of bugs. There are worse things than scorpions. But nobody wants scorpions inside the house. Follow my simple suggestions and you will be pretty successful at keeping them out.
If you found this article helpful, please consider
Bonus Section – Belize’s Other Arachnids
Personally, I wish Belize had way more species of arachnids (tarantulas, scorpions, whip scorpions) but that’s just me and we have what we have.
Tarantulas – dangerous or not dangerous?
Tarantulas are basically harmless. Yes, they can bite, but rarely do. In fact, there is NO documented death ever recorded by a tarantula bite anywhere in the world. If tarantulas are known for anything, it’d their ability to throw their hairs.
Many New World tarantulas (those from the Americas) possess an interesting defense mechanism where they can release or “throw” tiny barbed hairs, called urticating hairs, from their abdomen when threatened. These hairs are not thrown in the traditional sense but rather dislodged by the tarantula using its hind legs to brush or flick them into the air.
Left photo – Redrump tarantula crawling up my exterior house wall
Right photo – a Redrump tarantula burrow. Redrumps live underground
Uritcating Hairs
Function and Effects
The urticating hairs are barbed and extremely irritating to the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes of humans and potential predators. When they contact the skin, they can cause itching, redness, and discomfort, similar to fiberglass. If inhaled or if they come into contact with sensitive tissues (like the eyes), they can cause more intense reactions, leading to irritation or, in rare cases, more serious inflammation.
Purpose
This defense helps tarantulas avoid direct confrontation with predators, giving them time to escape. Urticating hairs are unique to New World tarantulas; Old World tarantulas (those from Africa, Asia, and Europe) generally rely on other defensive tactics, such as biting or rearing up.
Redrump tarantulas are famous for throwing their hairs. I used to catch and hold Redrumps regularly but have since discontinued the activity because my arms would be extremely itchy from the reaction to the urticating hairs.
I can’t do this anymore because Redrumps seem to be quick to release their hairs which causes me irritation of my skin
Tarantula Species in Belize
Mexican Redrump Tarantula – Brachypelma vagans – the most common species of tarantula in Belize. A beautiful species, one of my favorites. Redrump tarantulas are extremely common, especially around homes. And they are a good-sized species at 5-6 inches long.
I regularly find these tarantulas wandering around the farm and also often hiding under my house. To date, I have not found one inside, but I am sure I will eventually. Unfortunately, my chickens enjoy eating them.
Redrump Tarantula with white egg sack
This is super cool and extremely unusual tarantula behavior
The Mexican Redrump Tarantula has a unique behavior where they often form concentrations, or colonies, in specific areas under favorable conditions. This behavior is relatively unusual for tarantulas, which are typically solitary and is thought to occur because of certain environmental and social factors.
Studies on the tarantula provide some insights into their population density in Belize. Observations at the Las Cuevas Research Station showed that the burrows of these tarantulas tend to be somewhat clustered. In one study, tarantula burrows were spaced about 3.2–3.8 metres apart on average. The numbers of burrows found over two consecutive years were consistent (107 and 108 burrows), though the specific locations and clusters varied yearly due to factors like seasonal flooding. This variability suggests that Redrump Tarantulas may migrate within an area when conditions change, leading to a stable but shifting population distribution.
While these findings indicate a certain density pattern for the tarantulas in natural settings, exact numbers per square kilometre are harder to determine due to the species’ mobility and environmental adaptability. The clustering behavior might relate to optimal resource use and protection from predators, but the population density can fluctuate with the habitat’s stability and available shelter, particularly in flood-prone zones – source American Arachnological Society
This means if see Redrump tarantulas around your house you likely have tons of them around your house.
It’s very common to see Redrump tarantulas wandering during the day
Cinnamon Tarantula – Crassicrus lamanai – I have never found one before and every once in a while, I see a photo posted to the Creatures of Belize Facebook page.
Psalmopoeus maya – the only other species that supposedly is found in Belize.
***If anyone can help me add more information or species of tarantulas in Belize please message me. Years ago, I had the Tarantulas of Belize book but somehow it became lost.
A Redrump tarantula showing off her fangs
Tailless Whip Scorpions
Tailless whip scorpions are completely harmless even though they look super dangerous. They are beneficial around your house as they eat insects. I have never found them in my house but they are very common in my tool rooms and I usually see one every time I enter my tool room. They are one of my favorite creatures.
Supposedly Belize has a few species of Tailless whip scorpions but Phrynus marginemaculatus, is the most commonly sighted whip scorpion with a large Central American distribution. Whip scorpions are primarily non-venomous and are known for their unique, elongated pedipalps and whip-like front legs used for sensory exploration. Despite their fearsome appearance, they pose no threat to humans. Belize’s tropical caves and forests provide an ideal habitat for these arachnids, contributing to the diversity of amblypygid species in the region.
A Tailless Whip Scorpion – such a cool animal
A female Tailles Whip scorpion with babies. Whether scorpion or whip scorpion if the babies are white that means she just had them and the baby exoskeletons are still hardening
Notice the colour of the baby scorpions on their mother’s back
Other than the Mexican Redrump Tarantulas and the common Tailless Whip Scorpion there is next to no reliable information on the internet to resource for any other species of arachnid. If anyone can fill in any gaps, please reach out.
Bonus Photo
A huge, docile Emperor scorpion from Africa
Back when I was much younger I used to do educational reptile shows for kids. Emperor scorpions were great for that because they are big, docile, and virtually harmless to humans.
If you found this article helpful, please consider
Living in the jungles of Belize? You defiantly want to check out – A Comprehensive Guide to Living in the Jungles of Belize
