At a glance
- Arizona bark scorpions burn energy slowly and can go months without eating, which lets them wait out heat and drought in cracks and wall voids.
- Scorpions glow blue-green under ultraviolet light because of compounds in their exoskeleton, so pest control technicians in Arizona often inspect for them with blacklights at night.
- Desert subterranean termites live in the soil, where it is cooler and damper, and build mud tubes to stay moist when they travel above ground into Phoenix-area homes.
- Adult bed bugs can live for months without a blood meal, so an empty room or stored furniture can still hold live bugs.
- Harvester ants store seeds in underground chambers and forage during the cooler parts of the day, which carries their colonies through the Arizona summer.
On this page
What the toughest bugs in the Arizona desert have in common
Summer highs in the Valley regularly pass 110 degrees, and bare ground in full sun gets far hotter than the air. Rain is scarce for much of the year. The toughest bugs in the Arizona desert get by with a few habits. They stay out of the sun, lose as little water as possible, and either eat rarely or store food for later.
Houses and yards make the desert easier for them, since irrigated landscaping, block walls and air-conditioned rooms all offer moisture and shade. That is a large part of why the same few species turn up inside so many Valley homes.
How bark scorpions go months without eating
The Arizona bark scorpion burns energy slowly and can go months without eating. It gets much of its water from the insects it catches, and a waxy outer layer on its exoskeleton slows water loss. During the day it rests in tight, shaded spaces such as block wall gaps, landscape rock, tree bark and wall voids, then comes out after dark to hunt.
Fossils show that scorpions have been around for more than 400 million years. Bark scorpions can live several years in the wild, and females give birth to live young, which ride on the mother's back until their first molt. Our article on scorpion control in Arizona homes explains why these traits make treatment an ongoing job.
Why scorpions glow under a blacklight
Under ultraviolet light, a scorpion's body glows blue-green. The glow comes from compounds in the outer layer of the exoskeleton, and a scorpion that has just molted glows only faintly until its new exoskeleton hardens. Researchers have several ideas about what the glow does for the scorpion, including helping it sense light and find shelter, but none has been settled.
For pest control, the glow is practical. At night, a technician with a UV flashlight can spot scorpions on block walls and rock that would be nearly invisible under white light. Counting them is how we judge how heavy the activity is around a house.
How cockroaches get through Phoenix summers
American cockroaches spend the hot months in sewers and storm drains, where temperature and humidity stay steadier than on the surface. They come up through drains and cleanouts at night, and in warm weather they will fly short distances. Turkestan cockroaches, now one of the most common outdoor roaches in the Valley, live in irrigation valve boxes, water meter boxes and cracks in block walls.
German cockroaches live indoors, mostly in kitchens and bathrooms, and they are the fastest breeders of the group. A female carries her egg case until the eggs are nearly ready to hatch, and each case holds roughly 30 to 40 eggs. Most cockroaches can go weeks without food but far less time without water, so they stay close to drains, sinks and damp soil. Our cockroach control page covers how we treat each species.
How subterranean termites stay moist in dry desert soil
Two species do most of the termite damage to Phoenix-area homes, the desert subterranean termite and the arid-land subterranean termite. Their workers are pale and soft-bodied and dry out quickly in open air, so the colony lives in the soil, where it is cooler and damper than the surface. Colonies are large and forage over a wide area, feeding on dead wood, dead plant material and the wood in houses.
To travel above ground, termites build mud tubes out of soil, saliva and droppings. The tubes hold humidity in and keep light out, and they run up foundations, stem walls and slab cracks to reach wood. Winged termites swarm from mature colonies after summer rains, usually in the evening. Mud tubes on a foundation are the most common sign we find, and our termite treatment page describes how we inspect and treat.
How long bed bugs can live without feeding
Bed bugs live indoors with people, in the same air-conditioned rooms we do, so desert heat has little effect on them. An adult bed bug can go several months without a blood meal at normal indoor temperatures, and longer when it is cool. Flat bodies let them hide in mattress seams, furniture joints and wall cracks, and females glue their eggs into those same spots.
That long wait between meals is why a vacant apartment, a stored mattress or a used couch can still hold live bugs. Bed bugs also travel well in luggage, which our article on avoiding bed bugs when traveling covers step by step.
How harvester ants store food and handle the heat
Harvester ants clear a bare circle of ground around the nest entrance, which makes their colonies easy to spot in desert lots and gravel yards. Workers collect seeds and store them in underground chambers, so the colony has food through dry stretches. In summer they forage in the morning and late afternoon and stay underground through the hottest part of the day, in nests that can reach several feet deep and last for many years.
Red harvester ants and Maricopa harvester ants both sting, and the pain can last for hours. Lab tests have ranked Maricopa harvester ant venom among the most toxic of any insect, though each sting delivers only a tiny amount. When a nest sits close to a patio, play area or pool deck, our ant control service can treat it.
Desert tarantulas and why we rarely treat them
The Arizona blond tarantula spends most of its life in a burrow and comes out at night to hunt insects. Females can live 20 years or more. Males take many years to mature, then leave their burrows in late summer and fall to search for females, and they usually die within a few months. Those wandering males are the tarantulas people see crossing roads and driveways.
A tarantula bite is rare and not considered dangerous to people, though the hairs they flick from the abdomen can irritate skin and eyes. We seldom treat for tarantulas, since one that wanders into a garage can be moved outside with a container and a piece of cardboard. Our spider control service focuses on black widows and other species that live around homes.
What desert pest habits mean for pest control at home
These habits explain why some pest problems take more than one visit. Scorpions that eat rarely and hide deep need repeated treatment and sealing, bed bugs that can wait months need follow-up visits, and roaches living in sewers come back up after storms. Our pest control plans set a visit schedule around what each house needs.
If you are not sure what you found, our pest identification page shows the species we see most in the Valley. Platinum Pest Management also offers a free inspection and a free written quote.
Frequently asked questions
Which Arizona desert bug is hardest to control around homes?
Around Valley homes, bark scorpions usually take the longest to bring under control, because they hide in walls and rock, go weeks without eating and keep arriving from the desert. Most homes see steady improvement with regular exterior treatment and sealing, and our scorpion control page explains the approach.
Do scorpions glow under a blacklight?
Yes. Compounds in the outer layer of a scorpion's exoskeleton glow blue-green under ultraviolet light. A scorpion that has just molted glows only faintly until the new exoskeleton hardens. The glow makes a night check with a UV flashlight the easiest way to find scorpions around a house.
How long can bed bugs live without feeding?
Adult bed bugs can live for several months without a blood meal at normal indoor temperatures, and longer in cooler conditions. That is why a vacant apartment, a stored mattress or a used couch can still hold live bugs, and why bed bug treatment includes follow-up visits.
Are desert tarantulas dangerous?
Arizona blond tarantulas are not considered dangerous to people. Bites are rare, and the hairs they flick from the abdomen can irritate skin and eyes, so it is best not to handle them. Most tarantulas seen in late summer are males searching for females, and one in the garage can be moved outside with a container.
Do harvester ants sting?
Yes. Red harvester ants and Maricopa harvester ants both sting, and the pain can last for hours. Anyone with a history of allergic reactions to stings should get medical help right away if they feel faint or have trouble breathing. Nests are easy to spot by the bare circle of ground around the entrance.