Scorpions are the creepy crawlies of the night.  They are predatory arachnids with eight legs, a set of pedipalps, and a narrow, curved tail with a very sharp stinger.  Not only do scorpions look very scary but some can be very dangerous to humans and animals.

Scorpions are hunters, they usually grab their prey with the front pinchers and inject their prey with their venom.  The venom is usually a neurotoxin that immobilizes its prey.  They are opportunistic hunters, they will wait for their prey to come close to them, then attack and devour.

What Do Scorpions Eat?

Scorpions are nocturnal meaning that they hunt at night.  Most of their food will also be active at night.  They aren’t picky eaters.  Anything that they can manage to hold onto and paralyze are fair game.  Here is a quick look at some of the most common foods scorpions eat;

Insects

Insects are active at night, making them the perfect prey for scorpions.  Grasshoppers, crickets, locusts, and centipedes, and many other small insects are great food sources.  If the insect is delicate enough and the scorpion is large enough, it will crunch the prey and start pulling it apart.

Reptiles

The larger species of the scorpion will also take on lizards, small snakes, and frogs.  Scorpions that hunt reptiles, usually have a stronger venom that paralyzes their prey faster than most of the other scorpions.

Small Mammals

Mice are popular prey with scorpions.  Mice are also very active at night and they wander a lot, many times close to a scorpion which will then attack.  Mice are only food for larger scorpion species.

Other scorpions

Scorpions are also cannibalized.  Larger scorpions will attack smaller scorpions if food is scarce.  Even a female scorpion will eat her young if there isn’t enough food available in her region.

Water

Water is very important for scorpions. Desert scorpions get their fluids from the prey that they catch.  They will also drink water from puddles or wherever it is possible.  Scorpions can also absorb moisture from early morning dew on the grass.

What Do You Feed A Pet Scorpion?

A pet scorpion requires some special care and great caution because they are so dangerous.  The environment needs to be as close as possible to its natural habitat.  Scorpions are nocturnal which means they hunt at night.  When feeding your scorpion, do it a night so their behavioral pattern stays about the same.

You can feed a large scorpion about two to three crickets per week.  You can also feed them mealworms, centipedes, snails, cockroaches, moths, and termites.

Larger scorpions can be fed on small rodents or lizards if you are able to get some.

You also need to make sure that they have a water supply or you can mist them once or twice every day.

If your terrarium is not preferable, you will notice that the scorpion will not be eating all of its food.  This is usually a clear sign that something is off.

It is best to offer your scorpion a variety of food types so it will receive all the nutrition it needs.

What Do Scorpions Hate?

Scorpions are frequent intruders in homes.  They are attracted to homes because the light source in your home attracts insects that scorpions want to eat.  Scorpions do not particularly like strong scents.  Here is a quick look at some of the items that might repel them from your home.

Essential Oils

Want a safe way to keep scorpions from your garden or home? Prefer a non-chemical treatment?  Essential oils are a good start.  Lavender, peppermint, cedar, citrus, and cinnamon essential oil are said to be great options to keep scorpions away and out of your home.

You can dilute these essential oils with a carrier oil and spray it in the areas where you are having trouble with scorpions. Good places to spray include window sills, doorways, baseboards, and all-around your home.  You can repeat this process every couple of weeks to make sure that they stay away.

Diatomaceous Earth

It is a non-toxic powder to humans.  Scorpions and spiders don’t like this powder at all. As soon as the scorpion comes in contact with the powder it will start to dehydrate the scorpion.   You need to reapply this powder regularly to keep scorpions away from your home.

Cats

Cats are very keen hunters and very curious, so anything that moves will definitely be investigated.  Yes, there is a danger of your cat getting stung, but they are terrific for seeking these dangerous insects out.  Should they encounter a scorpion, they are most likely going to kill it and get away unscathed.

Do Scorpions Eat Ants?

Yes, some scorpions do eat ants.  The pseudoscorpion, better known as the false- or book scorpion loves to eat ants as well as other insects like the clothes moth larvae, booklice, mites, carpet beetle larvae, and even small flies.  These scorpions are very small and many people mistake them for small spiders or ticks.

This is definitely the type of scorpion that you would prefer having in and around your home.  And they are not dangerous to humans or pets at all.

How do Scorpions Eat?

Firstly the scorpion will need to catch its prey and, very often, inject it with a neurotoxic venom to paralyze it.  This makes it much easier for the scorpion to eat its prey.  Sometimes venom isn’t even needed if the scorpion is big and the prey small enough. It will then simply crush its prey.

On their mouth, they have small claw-like structures that are called chelicerae.  These chelicerae are very sharp and the scorpion used them to pull small amounts of food from the prey.  It also aids in the disposing of solid matter, scorpions can only digest liquids.

Final Thoughts

Scorpions are definitely very interesting creatures and they make fascinating pets.  They come in all  different shapes and sizes.  Some are poisonous and others are not.  There are about 1750 species recorded and about 30 of these species are poisonous enough to be fatal.

Scorpions are mostly found in desert areas or some can even be found in the Amazon forests.  They are all over the world, you will find them on every continent except for Antarctica.

If you are planning on getting a scorpion as a pet, do enough research and never try to handle them by hand. They could sting you at any given time.  It is better to get a scorpion species that is not venomous.

If you create a natural habitat for your pet scorpion and offer it the right foods, it should be very happy and healthy in captivity.