Specimen 10 · Centruroides vittatus

Updated October 21, 2026

Kansas pesticide business license #3403

Scorpions in Wichita

Q: How do I know it's a scorpion?

The marks of the striped bark scorpion. Pincers and a curled tail: Crab-like pincers in front, and a narrow tail held curled up over the back, ending in a curved stinger. Pale, up to 2½ inches: Pale yellow to tan, and up to 2½ inches long. Two dark stripes: Two dark brown to blackish stripes run down the body. Dark triangle on the head: A dark triangular mark on the front of the head, behind the eyes.

Q: Is a scorpion sting dangerous?

The sting: Painful, like a wasp's; the venom is low in toxicity to people (MF3291) Usually: The spot swells and burns (MF3291) If it's worse: Some people may have an intense reaction, with agitation, slurred speech, a high temperature or a tight throat. Get medical help right away (MF3291).

Q: Where do scorpions hide?

These are the four places to look. Under rocks, boards and mulch: Outdoors, scorpions spend the day hidden in damp, cool areas such as under rocks, boards and mulch. K-State says indoor problems are most common near outcrops of rock. Cracks, pipes and under doors: Gaps around foundations and beneath doors, and around pipes and windows. Attics and crawl spaces: Texas A&M finds them in attics; Missouri Extension, in crawl spaces and attics. Shoes, clothes and bedding: They hide in shoes. They can't climb smooth walls, but can crawl up drapes, bedding, clothing and other textured surfaces.

Q: What can I do about scorpions myself?

Seal the gaps. Caulk around pipes and conduits, and close cracks around foundations, doors and windows. Sealing inside each room keeps any in the walls out of the living space. Clear hiding places outside. Remove piles of trash, unused lumber and boxes in and around the house. Shake out shoes and clothes. Shake out clothes from closets or storage before you put them on. Wear leather gloves, and take care when you move items near places they may be hiding. Look with a black light. Search at night with an ultraviolet lantern. Scorpions glow in its light. Then: Take care of the rest. Scorpions are part of general pest control. Found one inside? That's where Donnie comes in.

The striped bark scorpion is the only scorpion known to occur in Kansas. It's rare in Wichita houses.

Text Donnie Call Donnie

Opens your messages. Donnie replies the same day, Mon–Fri 8–5.

Indoors

Mid-Aug to Oct

Price

$125–165 a visit

Striped bark scorpion illustration, top view, a pale body with two dark stripes and a curled tail. — **No. 10 · Striped bark scorpion**

Facts from Donnie, K-State Research and Extension and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

How do I know it's a scorpion?

The marks of the striped bark scorpion.

4checks

Pincers · Color · Stripes · Head

Striped bark scorpion illustration with four numbered callouts: crab-like pincers in front and a tail that curls up to a stinger, a pale body up to two and a half inches long, two dark stripes down the back, and a dark triangle on the head. A magnifier shows the head's triangle and the start of the stripes.

Pincers and a curled tail
Crab-like pincers in front, and a narrow tail held curled up over the back, ending in a curved stinger.
Pale, up to 2½ inches
Pale yellow to tan, and up to 2½ inches long.
Two dark stripes
Two dark brown to blackish stripes run down the body.
Dark triangle on the head
A dark triangular mark on the front of the head, behind the eyes.

Not a match? Various species of large scorpions are imported from other continents and sold in pet stores, and K-State says some of those species may have venom that can kill.

Striped bark scorpion

Tail: Curled, with a stinger
Front: Crab-like pincers
Look: Pale yellow to tan, two dark stripes
Indoors: Mid-August to October

Windscorpion

Tail: None, and no stinger
Front: Big jaws and long, leg-like palps, so it appears to have five legs on each side
Look: Pale tan to brown, somewhat hairy; no venom
Indoors: Late June to early August; more common in western Kansas

Sources: K-State Research and Extension, Household Pests of Kansas (MF3291); K-State Research and Extension, Spiders and Scorpions (MF-771).

Is a scorpion sting dangerous?

The sting

Painful, like a wasp's; the venom is low in toxicity to people (MF3291)

Usually

The spot swells and burns (MF3291)

If it's worse

Some people may have an intense reaction, with agitation, slurred speech, a high temperature or a tight throat. Get medical help right away (MF3291).

Sources: K-State Research and Extension, Household Pests of Kansas (MF3291); K-State Research and Extension, Spiders and Scorpions (MF-771).

Found one?
Text Donnie a photo.

It tells him whether it's something to jump on or not a concern at all. Take a clear photo from a safe distance. Put a coin beside it only if the scorpion is dead or contained.

Text Donnie a photo Call Donnie

Opens your messages. Donnie replies the same day, Mon–Fri 8–5.

Where do scorpions hide?

These are the four places to look.

01
Under rocks, boards and mulch
Outdoors, scorpions spend the day hidden in damp, cool areas such as under rocks, boards and mulch. K-State says indoor problems are most common near outcrops of rock.
02
Cracks, pipes and under doors
Gaps around foundations and beneath doors, and around pipes and windows.
03
Attics and crawl spaces
Texas A&M finds them in attics; Missouri Extension, in crawl spaces and attics.
04
Shoes, clothes and bedding
They hide in shoes. They can't climb smooth walls, but can crawl up drapes, bedding, clothing and other textured surfaces.

Their year in Kansas

Fall mating
They mate in fall; the young ride on the mother's back the following spring.
How common they are
K-State calls scorpions very common in many areas of Kansas, and says many people don't realize they're around until fall. In Wichita, though, Donnie has never seen one himself, and one business near 21st and Arkansas sees maybe two a year.

Sources: Donnie Aaron; K-State Research and Extension, Household Pests of Kansas (MF3291); K-State Research and Extension, Spiders and Scorpions (MF-771); K-State, Kansas Insect Newsletter (October 2024); Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Scorpions; University of Missouri Extension, Scorpions (G7364).

What can I do about scorpions myself?

What K-State suggests.

5steps

Tick the ones you're already doing.

Takes an afternoonSeal the gapsCaulk around pipes and conduits, and close cracks around foundations, doors and windows. Sealing inside each room keeps any in the walls out of the living space.
Takes an afternoonClear hiding places outsideRemove piles of trash, unused lumber and boxes in and around the house.
EasyShake out shoes and clothesShake out clothes from closets or storage before you put them on. Wear leather gloves, and take care when you move items near places they may be hiding.
EasyLook with a black lightSearch at night with an ultraviolet lantern. Scorpions glow in its light.
Donnie's visit

Take care of the rest.

Scorpions are part of general pest control.

Found one inside? That's where Donnie comes in.

Text Donnie Call Donnie

Sources: K-State Research and Extension, Spiders and Scorpions (MF-771); K-State Research and Extension, Household Pests of Kansas (MF3291).

What doesn't work

Sticky traps. K-State notes a scorpion caught on one is usually stuck by its pincers and front legs, with the stinger still free and often still capable of stinging. Insecticides alone. Texas A&M says scorpions are difficult to control with insecticides alone.

Worth knowing

Scorpions are arachnids, so K-State says a 6 to 12 foot insecticide band around the outside of a building often affects them too.

Stung? An ice pack eases the pain (Texas A&M). If you're worried, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222, and get medical help right away for trouble breathing, slurred speech or a tight throat.

Who do I call about scorpions, and what does a visit cost?

Price · general pest control

$125–165

a one-time visit. No contract.

Quarterly · $140 a visit*

Monthly · $120 a visit*

*For a home that's $165 one-time.

Donnie works alone, so it's him at the door on every visit. Most visits are booked within a week.

A scorpion call costs the same as any visit.

See every price

Arrival · A window of about an hour; he texts when he's on the way

Paying · After the visit: card, Venmo, cash or check

If pests come back · Text Donnie. He talks it through and tells you before he comes whether a return visit costs anything.

No contract

You pay for each visit.

Same-day reply

Mon–Fri 8–5

Licensed in Kansas

In Wichita since 1992

Text or call Donnie

(316) 681-2255

Text Donnie Call Donnie

Opens your messages. Donnie replies the same day, Mon–Fri 8–5.

Scorpions in Wichita

How do I know it's a scorpion?

Pincers and a curled tail

Pale, up to 2½ inches

Two dark stripes

Dark triangle on the head

Striped bark scorpion

Windscorpion

Is a scorpion sting dangerous?

Found one? Text Donnie a photo.

Where do scorpions hide?

Under rocks, boards and mulch

Cracks, pipes and under doors

Attics and crawl spaces

Shoes, clothes and bedding

Fall mating

How common they are

What can I do about scorpions myself?

Take care of the rest.

What doesn't work

Who do I call about scorpions, and what does a visit cost?

Text or call Donnie

Found one?
Text Donnie a photo.