Scorpions are nocturnal predators that hunt insects and spiders; plants are not a food source. Their presence in a yard is primarily due to habitat provision, as plants offer shelter, stable temperatures, moisture, and a reliable food supply. Understanding the specific environmental conditions scorpions seek is the first step in managing their presence around a home.
Plants That Provide Ideal Shelter and Moisture
Scorpions require dense, cool, and dark spaces to survive the heat of the day. Plants that create thick, tangled structures close to the ground are particularly attractive for daytime refuge. Examples include dense ground covers like ivy and thick, low-growing junipers, which form an extensive mat of shade and seclusion.
Plants with heavy leaf accumulation or complex, layered structures also offer excellent hiding spots. Palm trees are a common culprit, as the layered bark and accumulated dead fronds create many moisture-trapping crevices for shelter. Similarly, thick, bushy plants like bougainvillea and lantana provide dense, tangled branches and foliage where scorpions can hide beneath the leaves or within the canopy.
Certain moisture-retaining plants found in xeriscaping, such as agave and aloe, can inadvertently attract scorpions. These plants create a damp environment at their base, which conserves water and attracts the arachnids. These sheltered areas offer stable, cooler temperatures and greater humidity than the surrounding exposed soil, fulfilling the need for a microclimate.
Plants That Indirectly Attract Scorpions By Drawing Prey
Scorpions are drawn to an area not just by shelter, but also by the presence of their primary food sources, such as small insects and spiders. Certain plants, particularly those that are heavy nectar producers or provide excellent insect habitat, can increase the local prey population. The resulting concentration of prey creates an attractive hunting ground for scorpions.
Flowering plants, such as oleander and jasmine, draw a high volume of insects, which scorpions follow for an easy meal. Plants like yarrow, dill, and sweet alyssum also attract beneficial insects like parasitic wasps and ladybugs, which scorpions will readily consume.
Spiders, another staple in the scorpion diet, are also attracted to specific plant characteristics. Tall, stalk-like plants, such as sunflowers and corn, provide strong anchor points for web-spinning spiders to catch flying insects. Dense foliage plants like bromeliads also attract spiders because their complex leaf structure offers protected hiding spots for ambush predators.
Landscaping Practices That Deter Scorpions
Managing the environment around your home is the most effective way to make the yard unappealing to scorpions, regardless of the plant species present. Minimize the use of heavy materials that create hiding spots near the foundation. For instance, excessive river rock or large decorative stones provide numerous dark, humid crevices for scorpions to use as daytime shelter.
Replacing dense mulch near the home’s perimeter with less hospitable materials, such as a thin layer of gravel or concrete edging, can significantly reduce hiding spots. All plant material should be kept trimmed away from the house walls to prevent scorpions and other pests from using branches as bridges to climb indoors.
Homeowners should remove all potential debris, including fallen logs and woodpiles. Accumulated dead plant material like palm fronds are also prime scorpion habitats and must be cleared.
Managing moisture is another important step, as scorpions are attracted to water sources. Overwatering the lawn or garden should be avoided, and any leaky irrigation systems or faucets must be repaired to eliminate damp zones that attract both scorpions and their prey.