![]() ![]() However, they may be curious about what it is and will usually retreat when they realize its source.Īnother reason why you might find scorpions around your palm trees is that any of the falling leaves provide even more shelter for these bugs. In some cases, you may find that a scorpion seems initially attracted to fire. Their hard exterior provides some protection from hot temperatures but they will usually avoid direct flame. If you enjoy reading this article, why not check out our articles on Which Pests Can Peppermint Repel? and Which Bugs Live the Shortest? Are Scorpions Attracted to Fire?Īlthough scorpions tend to do better in warmer temperatures, they are afraid of fire and will avoid it at all costs. They can often be found in bathrooms or kitchens where they have been looking for a water source. However, in a home, they will often find their way through a pipe drain and into the plumbing system. Since they don’t have the same high water needs as other insects, they don’t need a large body of water and usually can get by with an area or source of moisture. Keep in mind that while they may not seek out large bodies of water, they’re usually on the hunt for steady water supply. Watch the video below to hear more details and see the neon creatures in action.This is why scorpions are often found in homes during the hottest months of the year. It’s possible that, once a scorpion realizes it’s a bright night, it may decide to seek shelter for fear of being seen too easily by some predator. The light didn’t affect the nonfluorescent specimens’ behavior, whereas the glowing ones spent more time in the covered half of the container. He conducted an experiment to test this, too, which entailed putting fluorescent and nonfluorescent scorpions in half-covered containers and then exposing them to UV light. Kloock believes the most likely explanation is that scorpions use their fluorescence to detect light. ![]() Under a full moon, when the scorpions’ fluorescence was at maximum capacity, the glowing ones attracted fewer flies, suggesting that the glow may actually hurt their ability to ensnare a snack. To test this, Kloock devised an experiment in which he blocked fluorescence in some scorpions and compared the number of flies they attracted at night to that of glowing scorpions. It’s also been suggested that it functions as a natural sunscreen, which would’ve been especially critical back before the Earth’s ozone layer existed.Īnother idea is that fluorescence helps scorpions entice prey. One, as Nerdist reports, is simply that it’s a “relic trait”-some holdover from earlier on in scorpion evolution that no longer serves any purpose. Over the course of his research, Kloock has come up with several hypotheses to explain the phenomenon. And in the following YouTube video, Veritasium host Derek Muller explores some of them with Carl Kloock, a biology professor at California State University Bakersfield who’s devoted more than 10 years to solving the mystery. Like certain other glowing animals, it’s not exactly clear why scorpions have this talent, but scientists have theories. Most scorpion species are fluorescent, meaning they glow-in this case, a dazzling bluish green-when exposed to ultraviolet ( UV) light. ![]() Next time you go hunting for scorpions under cover of darkness, here’s a handy hack: Bring a black light. ![]()
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