Scorpions and Spiders in New Braunfels Homes: How They Get In and How to Keep Them Out

If you live in New Braunfels long enough, you will find a scorpion in the house. Almost every one you see here is a striped bark scorpion, the most common scorpion in Texas, and it gets in the same way spiders do: through gaps around doors, windows and pipes, and through the weep holes in brick and stone. The fix is the same for both. Close the gaps, clear out the places they hide around the house, and keep a treated barrier around the foundation.

What a striped bark scorpion looks like

Adults are about 2½ inches long and yellowish tan, with two broad dark stripes down the back and a dark triangle on the front of the head, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. They hide during the day under rocks, boards and debris, and come out at night. Their flat bodies fit into very small cracks, and they climb walls and trees well, which is why so many end up in attics. In hot weather they move down from the attic into the living space to get away from the heat.

AgriLife says a Texas scorpion sting causes only a moderate reaction in most people, and an ice pack helps with the pain. Keep an eye on anyone who has been stung, and get medical care right away if the pain or swelling does not let up or if they have any trouble breathing, since allergic reactions do happen.

Spiders: the brown recluse and the rest

The spider people worry about most here is the brown recluse: light brown to grayish, with slender legs and a dark violin-shaped mark on its back. AgriLife says it is most common in cluttered closets, garages, crawl spaces and attics, and in dark spots that rarely get disturbed, like stored boxes. Seeing a lot of spiders of any kind usually means there are a lot of insects for them to eat, so cutting down the bugs cuts down the spiders.

What you can do this weekend

• Add weatherstripping to doors and windows that do not close tight, and keep window screens in good repair.
• Seal cracks, and the gaps where pipes and wires enter the house.
• Fill the weep holes in brick or stone with steel wool, copper mesh or screen wire.
• Move rocks, boards, bricks, logs and other debris away from the foundation, and do not stack firewood against the house.
• Trim tree branches and shrubs so they do not touch the roof or walls, and keep the grass next to the house mowed short.
• Shield or cut back outdoor lights, which draw the crickets and other insects that scorpions and spiders feed on.
• Clear clutter in the garage and closets, tape storage boxes shut, and put sticky traps along walls and under furniture to see what you are dealing with.

What a perimeter treatment adds

Sealing up the house is the most important step, but no house is sealed perfectly. AgriLife recommends treating around the foundation and up about a foot on the outside walls, plus doors, windows, eaves and other entry points, so anything trying to get in has to cross a treated surface first.

That is what our Premium Pest Control service does. A licensed technician treats the outside of your home on a regular schedule, and we will treat inside too if you ask. You get a text or email the day before each visit, and if scorpions or spiders show up between visits, we come back and re-treat at no charge. It starts at $199 for the first service, then $57.97 a month. Lemonade Lawn Care is licensed by the Texas Department of Agriculture (TPCL #0917567) and serves New Braunfels, San Marcos, Seguin, Schertz, Cibolo and Marion.

Quick answers

Are scorpions in New Braunfels dangerous? For most people a sting is painful but causes only a moderate reaction. Get medical care right away for any trouble breathing, or for pain and swelling that does not ease.

Do you treat inside the house? Yes, on request. Our regular scheduled visits treat the outside of the home, and we will treat inside whenever you ask.

What if I see a scorpion a week after a treatment? Call us and we will come back out and re-treat between visits at no charge.

Sources: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Scorpions and Control of Brown Recluse Spiders.

Dave Brandt is the owner of Lemonade Lawn Care, a New Braunfels lawn care and pest control company founded in 2017 and voted Best Lawn Care Service in New Braunfels by Herald-Zeitung readers eight years running (2018–2025). Questions about pests at your house? Call (830) 730-8022.