Scorpions in West Lake Hills aren’t a sign that anything’s wrong with your house. The neighborhood sits on a limestone shelf with a million microhabitats, and striped bark scorpions live in every one of them. The question isn’t how to eliminate them — it’s how to keep them out of the parts of your house you actually use.
We’ve spent the last six months reviewing licensed pest control companies operating in the 78746 zip code. Below is what we learned about the pest, the treatment options that actually work, and the one company we’d call if a scorpion turned up in our own kitchen.
Why this neighborhood
The Edwards Plateau limestone is fractured, porous, and full of cool dark crevices — exactly what Centruroides vittatus prefers. According to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, the striped bark scorpion is the most common scorpion in Texas and is found across virtually every county in the state. Add the dry summers, the rock landscaping favored by most homes here, and the proximity to undeveloped Hill Country, and you have ideal conditions. This isn’t going to change. What can change is how easily they get into your living spaces.
What actually works
The over-the-counter approach — perimeter sprays from Home Depot, ultrasonic plug-ins, the “scorpion zapper” lights you see on Amazon — is mostly theater. Scorpions have a shell that resists consumer-grade pyrethrins. What works is exterior treatment with stronger residuals, exclusion work on foundations and weep holes, and habitat modification. That’s three jobs. Most pest companies do one.
Real scorpion treatment, step by step
Exterior residual treatment. A professional-grade product (typically a combination of a pyrethroid plus a non-repellent like fipronil or chlorantraniliprole) applied to the foundation perimeter, the rock landscaping immediately adjacent to the house, and the entry points around weep holes, AC line sets, and slab transitions. This is not the same product the OTC market gets. It works for 30–60 days.
Interior targeting where appropriate. For homes with active scorpion intrusion, interior application targets the garage threshold, the plumbing penetrations under sinks and behind toilets, and any wall-base areas where scorpions have been found. Done well, this is a few small treatments — not a whole-house spray.
Exclusion work. The high-leverage step most companies skip. Sealing weep holes (with stainless steel mesh, not foam), gaps where utility lines enter the house, and the slab-edge transition. This is labor; it’s also the work that delivers permanent reduction rather than recurring treatment dependence.
Habitat modification. Pulling rock landscaping back from the foundation by 18–24 inches. Removing wood piles from against the house. Trimming foundation plantings to allow air circulation. Each of these reduces the harborage immediately adjacent to the structure.
What to expect on cost
Scorpion-focused service in West Lake Hills runs $130–$180 per quarterly visit for a standard property, with an initial treatment of $250–$400. Properties with significant rock landscaping or larger footprints pay more. Programs that include exclusion work as a one-time add-on (in addition to the recurring service) run $400–$900 for typical exclusion scope. Skip the $79/month “monthly perimeter” offers — they’re not equipped for the pressure here.
What separates good from bad
The companies that actually solve scorpion problems in West Lake Hills share three traits: (1) an ACE-certified entomologist or equivalent technical depth on staff, (2) a treatment protocol that includes exclusion as part of the work, not an upcharge, and (3) a guarantee that includes free re-service when scorpions return between visits. The companies that don’t solve them are the ones quoting the same quarterly perimeter they quote for an apartment in Pflugerville.