Scorpions

Personally I think they're great.... especially like their hits, Wind of Change and Won't You Send Me an Angel!!!

Seriously though, always turn your shoes upside down and shake them before putting them on your feet, the little critters love shoes, dark, damp and warm - yikes. Shake out gloves and other clothes before putting them on too.

Mosquito netting covering your bed at night is also a good idea.

Never walk around barefoot, especially at night.

You can also deter scorpions in natural ways:

Fix / plug any holes, cracks and other openings in walls where they might be entering.

Check for clothes dryer vents (should have sceens), places where cables, pipes, ducts enter your building, make sure they're all protected too. Put weather stripping on all loose fitting doors and windows.

Clean up the yard and area around your home, make sure you remove any potential hiding/breeding places such as piles of wood, rocks, debris, old tires. Raise garbage cans off the ground with bricks, etc.

If it will grow where you live, plant Lavender they hate the stuff. It's also a natural deterant for many kinds of creepy crawlers.

Catch and release is also helpful if you've got the courage and a long handled set of kitchen or barbecue tongs. Catch the little beasties, but them into a jar and release them somewhere far from your home.

Eliminate water sources, if you've got decorative ponds, old tires, anything that collects rainwater drain them and keep them drained. You will not only be depriving scorpions of something they love, but it also gets rid of breeding grounds for mosquitos which can be an even bigger health hazard than scorpions. Indoors be careful around sinks, toilets and showers for the same reason.

Hope this helps keep you guys up there in Mexico safe.

  Cheers, 
  William James Woodward – Brazil Animator, Expat-blog Team

Excellent Ideas. One problem I have is there is a pool which of course contains water...so is there a work around that. I did remove and collected palm fronds etc. but can't do much about the pool. I understand they are after bugs, is there a natural repellent?

Actually, if the water is sufficiently clorinated and there is a circulating filter in operation the pool should not be a problem as far as breeding goes, it may however attract scorpions at night especially after a day of use and the surrounding deck areas are wet. You could plant lavender around the perimiter of the pool; if it is entirely paved you could use planter boxes. Another option is also to control the population of insects around the pool, if the scorpions are deprived of any food source the pool area might offer then it will be less attractive to them. You can eliminate the insects with insecticides or using natural methods, whichever you prefer.

  Cheers, 
  William James Woodward – Brazil Animator, Expat-blog Team

Once again, thank you for the information W.J. I will be looking for lavender which is a plant I have always enjoyed. The planter box would be the best option given the deck design. Bee's just love it and we can always use more bee's.