Click the play button on the video window to the right to see the story Scorpions can hold their breath for up to three weeks, so the next time your hire an exterminator to rid your home of these pests, it may not serve as the best solution."Scorpions don't have lungs like we do," said Jerry Feldner with the Arizona Herpetological Society.
In fact, scorpions don’t have lungs at all.
"They have what are called spiracles or breathing tubes," said Feldner. "They're coming from the sides of their body into their body. They can close those spiracles and keep them closed for up to three weeks."When their air tubes are closed, scorpions won’t breathe in any of the poison from an exterminator.
"At about that end of time, at three weeks, they can open their spiracles and breathe again, so whatever poison is there won't be effective," added Feldner.Scorpions seek cooler temperatures to escape the summer heat. When your home isn’t sealed properly, cool air will leak through cracks and scorpions will crawl inside your home.The best thing you can do to make sure scorpions won’t get into your home is add weather-stripping. When the door is closed and your weather stripping is in good condition, it goes right up against the door jam and creates a good seal.Something else to be aware of is that if there is a scorpion at the bottom of your pool, don’t use your hands to get it. Instead, use a net to fish it out. The scorpion may just be holding its breath and still be alive.There are 42 different species of scorpions in Arizona. The most dangerous is the bark scorpion, which has the ability to climb walls and get into your home through your roof.
