The Arizona bark scorpion (scientific name: centruroides sculputatus) is native to the Sonoran Desert and can be found in areas ranging from the Mexican state of Sonora up to Las Vegas.

Colonies of scorpions have even started to show up in Albuquerque! However, as the name implies, it has made a name for itself here in Arizona, specifically in Phoenix.

Throw out that picture of the large, imposing, dark scorpion seen in old Hollywood horror movies.

The Arizona bark scorpion is small: about the size of a dollar coin. It’s also tan or light brown in color. When at rest, the tail and stinger are often flat against the body of the scorpion.

The Arizona bark scorpion is a predator.

It uses its potent venom to disable prey such as:

• Crickets
• Roaches
• And other insects

Scorpions often make their way into Mesa homes looking for three things:

• Food
• Water
• And shelter

If you have other pests, you’re at risk of scorpions following the buffet line into your home.

The Arizona bark scorpion, like all other scorpions, has a unique quirk to its biochemistry. Thanks to the presence of certain chemicals, they glow bright when exposed to UV light (also known as “blacklight”).

Get a UV flashlight from your local hardware store and shine it at night against a dark wall. If scorpions are active around your home, they should glow bright against the otherwise dark exterior.

Of course, the best way to know whether or not your home has scorpions is to call our team for a free Arizona bark scorpion inspection in Mesa. One of our techs will come to your home and do a comprehensive check for this pest.

Bark scorpions are most active in the summer (as if you needed another reason to hate summers here in Phoenix!). Warming temperatures take them out of hibernation and into their hunting and mating season.

It’s not impossible to see a scorpion in the winter, but it is less likely. This species is also nocturnal, resting during the summer heat of the day and then going on the hunt at night. Most homeowners report seeing scorpions on the move at night, not during the day.

That depends on how you define “dangerous.” The Arizona bark scorpion has a potent, venomous sting. In fact, it’s the most venomous scorpion on the continent.

The venom causes great pain in the area, with:

• Numbness
• Tingling
• And other side-effects

However, bark scorpions are very (very) rarely lethal. Since statistics began being tracked in the 1960s, only two fatalities have ever been reported from scorpion stings here in Arizona. That’s out of the thousands of people who are stung annually.

Bark scorpions are not inherently aggressive. They’ll seek to avoid humans and pets if possible. Most stings occur when homeowners accidentally brush up against or step on a scorpion.

Other stings occur when scorpions fall from the ceiling onto a bed or couch, leading to a sting.

The hint is actually in their name: bark scorpions evolved to climb trees. Doing so required the ability not only to climb, but also to hang and squeeze in tight places for shelter.

Those tree adaptations translate to invading your home: they can climb exterior and interior walls and squeeze between cracks no wider than a credit card. Denying them access is difficult and will likely require professional home sealing service.

At night, bark scorpions hunt. Their eyesight is poor, so they tend to avoid open spaces in favor of baseboards along walls.

Can Arizona bark scorpions climb walls?

Here’s what makes the Arizona bark scorpion unique: their same ability to climb and hang from tree limbs translates to walls and ceilings. Bark scorpions are the only type of scorpion able to climb walls, and, in fact, crawl across ceilings of rooms.

Bark scorpions have some favorite spots. They need to stay out of the sun and heat during the day, so they often will settle in piled wood, bricks, or rocks around your home. If possible, they can also hide in your home’s exterior walls, or your block wall fence.