In the Marvel comic world, beloved hero Spiderman finds himself at odds with nemesis Scorpion. Despite their differences, they’ve got a lot in common. Both are humans with arachnid-based powers. Spiderman can shoot webs like many of our real-life spiders, while Scorpion can attack with venom. Their rivalry stems from real life: spiders are common prey for scorpions, and often we have scorpions in buildings because they are there to consume other arthropods (like spiders). Though they battle it out together in the Marvel universe, humans in our universe tend to unite with a common dislike of both spiders and scorpions. They often come into our shelters unwelcomed, lurking in dark shadows and potentially putting us at risk with their venom. As such, humans are eager to prevent these arachnids from entering where we dwell.
They say, “not all superheroes wear capes,” and indeed neither Spiderman nor Scorpion wear a snazzy cape. Most pest professionals are also cape-less and fortunately, we do not need capes or superpowers to protect from spiders and scorpions. Typically landscape/clutter management along with a thorough perimeter treatment will do the trick. When applying along the exterior perimeter, be sure to protect the areas where these pests will typically enter: doors, windows, eaves, foundation, cracks, etc. Ensure that the arachnids are coming into contact with where we are spraying. For the interior perimeter, focus on dark, cool, dry areas that they may hide in. Garages, closets, and crawl spaces all make great places for not-so-super pest lairs. Spiders and scorpions consume other arthropods, so anything we can do to reduce those populations will remove the food source from the spiders and scorpions, as well.
Cyzmic CS is an excellent choice for these perimeter sprays. Pyrethroids, but particularly the active ingredient lambda-cyhalothrin, have long been the go-to for scorpion control. ProFlex has that same active ingredient micro-encapsulated for long-lasting residual plus insect growth regulators to target juvenile stages. While we have not seen significant resistance amongst scorpions to it yet, it is always good to rotate our solutions. Fuse can be a great tool in a rotation strategy because it utilizes fipronil and imidacloprid (non-pyrethroids) and can be very effective against cellar spiders and the insects that spiders and scorpions feed on.