Wood Scorpion · Mildly Venomous · Garden Treatment

Scorpion Control Brisbane

Brisbane scorpions are wood scorpions (Lychas spp.), mildly venomous with a sting comparable to a bee sting. Found in gardens, wood piles, rock features, and occasionally indoors. Garden spray, debris management, and exclusion. From $220.

At a Glance
Treatment costfrom $220
Venom severityMild (bee-sting equivalent)
Primary habitatGarden, wood piles, rocks
Indoors?Occasional. Entry via gaps.
Brisbane Scorpion Identification

Brisbane Wood Scorpion: Identification and Sting Risk

All scorpions found in Brisbane are wood scorpions in the genus Lychas. There are no medically dangerous scorpion species in Southeast Queensland. The sting risk is real but limited in severity.

Appearance

30-70mm including tail. Yellow-brown to dark brown body with lighter banding on the abdomen. Characteristic curved tail with a dark stinger tip. Slender pincers. Nocturnal. Fluoresce bright green-blue under UV light, which is a useful detection tool.

Behaviour

Solitary and nocturnal. Shelters under bark, rocks, wood piles, and garden debris during the day. Becomes active at night to hunt insects. Defensive, not aggressive. Stings when accidentally handled, stepped on, or when disturbed under a piece of garden material or footwear.

Why they come indoors

Scorpions enter buildings in warm weather when hunting insects near light sources. They enter through any ground-level gap, including under doors, weep holes, and plumbing penetrations. Indoor encounters most often happen in garages, sheds, laundry rooms, and shoe storage areas.

Scorpion Sting First Aid
Wash the sting site with soap and water
Apply a cold pack for pain and swelling
Take an antihistamine and paracetamol for pain
Symptoms typically resolve within 2-4 hours
Seek medical attention for young children, known allergy, or severe pain
Call 000 for anaphylaxis: difficulty breathing, throat swelling, rapid pulse
Where Scorpions Are Found in Brisbane

Scorpion Hotspots in Brisbane Gardens and Homes

Scorpions are garden animals primarily. Indoor encounters are uncommon and almost always result from a scorpion following insect prey near a light source. These are the locations where scorpions are most reliably found.

Wood piles and timber

Stacked firewood, timber offcuts, and construction materials left against fences or walls. Primary daytime shelter.

Rock gardens

Under rocks, retaining wall caps, and stepping stones. The undersides of rocks provide ideal moist, dark shelter.

Bark mulch and leaf litter

Thick bark mulch in garden beds adjacent to the building. Active scorpions found foraging in mulch at night.

Garage and shed floors

Scorpions sheltering in stored items and boxes at ground level. Most indoor sting incidents in Brisbane occur in garages.

Shoes and garden gloves

Scorpions shelter in footwear and gloves left outside or in garages. Shake out and check before use, particularly at night.

Bark on trees and fences

Under loose bark on trees adjacent to the house and behind weatherboards on fence panels.

Treatment

Scorpion Treatment Process

Scorpion control combines chemical treatment with habitat reduction. Spray alone without reducing the shelter conditions provides limited long-term results.

1

Garden inspection and UV detection sweep

Garden inspected at dusk using UV (ultraviolet) light, which causes scorpions to fluoresce bright green-blue. This identifies active scorpion zones and concentrations, allowing targeted spray application rather than blanket treatment.

2

Residual garden and perimeter spray

Residual insecticide applied to garden beds, wood pile areas, rock garden surfaces, fence lines, and the building perimeter. Treatment timed for late afternoon or evening when scorpions are beginning to move and contact with treated surfaces is highest.

3

Habitat reduction advice

All shelter sites adjacent to the building identified: wood piles within 2 metres, rock features, thick mulch beds, and garden clutter. Recommendations for removal or relocation of the primary shelter sites. Reducing habitat provides longer-term reduction than spray alone.

4

Entry-point exclusion

Ground-level building gaps identified. Door sweep installation to external doors. Weep hole cover installation where accessible. Sealing plumbing penetrations at ground level. These measures prevent the occasional indoor scorpion entry, particularly in garages and laundries.

Pricing

Scorpion Treatment Cost Brisbane

All prices include inspection, UV detection sweep, garden and perimeter spray, habitat reduction advice, and entry-point exclusion assessment.

Standard Treatment
from $220
UV detection, garden and perimeter spray, exclusion advice. Standard suburban property.
Combined with Spider Control
from $280
Scorpion and spider treatment in one visit. See our spider control page.
FAQ

Scorpion FAQ

Are Brisbane scorpions dangerous?
Brisbane scorpions are wood scorpions (Lychas spp.) and are mildly venomous. Their sting is comparable to a bee sting: sharp pain, localised swelling, and redness resolving within a few hours. There are no medically dangerous scorpion species in Southeast Queensland. Anyone with a known insect venom allergy should seek medical attention after any scorpion sting.
What do I do if a scorpion stings me?
Clean the site, apply a cold pack, and take an antihistamine and paracetamol. Symptoms typically resolve within 2-4 hours. Seek medical attention for young children, known allergy, or if pain is severe. Call 000 for signs of anaphylaxis: difficulty breathing, throat swelling, rapid pulse, or dizziness.
Where do scorpions hide in Brisbane homes?
Primarily in gardens: under wood piles, rocks, bark mulch, and garden debris. Indoor encounters are uncommon. When found indoors, they are usually in garages, sheds, laundry rooms, or shoes left near ground-level entry points. Shake out footwear and garden gloves before use. UV torches detect scorpions in garden areas at night, where they fluoresce bright green-blue.
How much does scorpion treatment cost in Brisbane?
From $220 for a standard suburban property, including UV detection sweep, garden and perimeter spray, and exclusion advice. Combined with spider treatment from $280 in one visit.

Scorpion Control. UV Detection. Garden Treatment. Brisbane-Wide.

Wood Scorpion · Garden Spray · from $220