Tips and Community Wisdom
Moving to Ahwatukee comes with the excitement of new beginnings and the unique challenge of dealing with scorpions, especially if you live near the mountain preserve. Our community has shared their experiences and advice to help keep your family safe and your new home comfortable.
Should You Seal Your House?
Several community members weighed in on whether sealing your home is necessary:
- Michael Woods: “It’s not necessary to spray chemicals in your home. If you spray peppermint oil around the perimeter, the bugs will stay away. And never kill the lizards—they eat all of those bugs.”
- Leslie Johnson: “We back up to the preserve and haven’t had our house sealed. We get the yard treated quarterly. When we first moved in, we hunted scorpions in the yard with a black light almost nightly. Seven years later, we only find one every few weeks. We’ve only ever seen four or five inside the house.”
- Andrew Bouley: “Spraying helps. Cats help. Going around with a blacklight and squashing them helps. But you can do all that and still see them inside if your home isn’t sealed. Definitely worth the cost/effort.”
- Ellie Simon Crystal: “We live against South Mountain and used to find around 10 scorpions a year inside. We sealed our house 16 years ago. At most now, we find one a year. It’s really been a game changer for us and was worth every penny.”
Practical Tips and Solutions
For those considering other methods, here’s what our neighbors suggest:
- Geri Koeppel: “Sealing & monthly spraying is worth it. After we sealed & started monthly spraying, we only saw a few each year. We use Arizona Pest Prevention. If you’re motivated, you can buy the equipment and do it yourself.”
- Christie Ellis: “Most contractors will tell you never to seal a house because the houses in Arizona are made in a particular way that water has to run through them. I’ve seen one or two scorpions in the past three years with regular pest control.”
- Jason Kveton: “The key is to have a bug company that comes every month, and eventually, they will be less. You have to get rid of the crickets. This will eventually get rid of the scorpions.”
Community Recommendations
- Charles Johnson: “Highly recommend Magic Pest! We have used them for over 20 years. Best customer service and price!”
- Bitsie Crittenden Fort: “Regular pest control typically prevents scorpions because you are eliminating their food source. This has always worked for us.”
- Brad Moore: “Being close to the mountain preserve may make your home more prone to scorpions. Ask your neighbors who also back up to the preserve if they have done so and what their experience has been.”
Final Thoughts
Living in Ahwatukee means embracing the desert lifestyle, which includes dealing with scorpions. Regular pest control, considering house sealing, and staying proactive with community-tested methods can help you keep your home safe and comfortable. Whether you choose to seal your house or not, taking these steps will give you peace of mind and help protect your family.
Have more tips or experiences to share? Drop them in the comments below!
