Scorpion Proofing in Tempe, AZ

Sealing is the slow, unglamorous end of scorpion control for Tempe homes, and it does more than any spray. University of Arizona Extension says pest-proofing is by far the most effective way to reduce contact with scorpions. This page explains what that means on a typical slab-built Valley house, and what a sealing visit looks at.

Sealing is an offer Kai confirms property by property. Some jobs are straightforward and some belong with a handyman or stucco contractor, and he will say which.

Signs your house needs scorpion sealing

• Scorpions show up in the same room, at the same door or along the same baseboard.
• Daylight shows under an exterior door or at a garage door corner.
• Door sweeps or weather-stripping are worn, torn or missing.
• Pipes and wires enter walls through oversized, unsealed holes.
• Window screens fit loosely or have tears.
• Bathroom sightings keep happening near plumbing.

How scorpions get into Tempe's slab homes

Most Valley homes sit on a concrete slab, so there is no crawl space to manage. The weak points are the joints: where wall meets slab, where door meets floor, where a pipe leaves the house. Extension lists openings under exterior walls, window vents and weep holes among known entry points. Once a scorpion is inside a wall void, it can reach the room through gaps around outlets and pipe collars.

Not every route starts at ground level. Bark scorpions climb, so a vent, a loose screen or a limb resting on the roof can serve as well as a door, and a crack of about 2 mm is enough.

Block walls add to the pressure. A perimeter wall full of scorpions close to the house means a steady supply testing every gap, which is why work on the yard and block wall often runs in parallel.

How Kai checks a house for gaps

He walks the outside of the house at ground level first, then door by door, then under sinks and at any plumbing wall. Roof eaves and overhanging branches come next, since a limb resting on the house works like a bridge. You see each gap as he finds it and hear which ones matter most. Priorities come first: a door gap in a child's room beats a hairline crack behind a shed.

Scorpion proofing in Tempe, AZ: what gets sealed, and with what

Each spot calls for a different fix. These follow University of Arizona Extension guidance.

Sealing has limits. No home gets fully sealed, materials wear out, and some fixes are more cost-effective than others. That is why Kai will rank the list instead of quoting every crack.

The cheapest test costs nothing. On a bright afternoon, darken a room with an exterior door and look at the bottom edge. Extension's guide says no outside light should show there. Do the same at the garage door, and run a hand along window screens to feel for gaps. Write down what you find before you call, because it speeds up the inspection and tells you which doors matter most.

Who can legally do the bigger fixes

Fitting a door sweep is one thing. Capping a block wall or patching stucco is construction, and Arizona treats it that way. Under A.R.S. 32-1121, the handyman exemption from contractor licensing covers only casual or minor work under $1,000 in total, labor and materials included, and it does not apply when a local building permit is needed. Larger jobs belong with a contractor licensed through the Arizona Registrar of Contractors.

Renters have a different step. A.R.S. 33-1324 makes the landlord responsible for keeping a rental fit and habitable, though it does not name pests, so ask before altering doors or walls. An HOA may have a say on anything visible. This is general information, not legal advice.

The sealing visit, step by step

1. You call and describe where you see scorpions. Kai says whether this looks like work he takes on.
2. He inspects the house and shows you the gaps.
3. You agree on which ones get done and which you or a contractor will handle.
4. He seals the agreed points with materials suited to each spot.
5. He walks you through what was done and what to keep an eye on.

What a sealing visit covers

Scope gets settled first, because sealing is an offer Kai confirms house by house. When he takes a job on, it centers on the low, reachable gaps that do the most good.

• Exterior doors: sweeps, thresholds and weather-stripping.
• Garage doors: corners and bottom seals.
• Weep openings: coarse steel mesh, never a plug.
• Pipes, wires and hose bibs where they pass through a wall.
• Window screens and vents that no longer fit.

Roof-level work, stucco repair and block wall capping usually sit outside it, and he will say so. Materials vary by spot, since Extension's guide says silicone outlasts latex and a Valley summer is hard on rubber. Expect to finish with a ranked list: what was closed, what you can handle with a caulk gun on a Saturday, and what needs another trade. Treatment is a separate decision and does not have to happen on the same trip.

How long does proofing last, and what comes after?

The result is immediate for each gap closed, but sightings fall gradually, because scorpions already inside still need finding. Sweeps and caulk wear, so check doors and screens every year, and again after the monsoon. Sun-baked exterior seals age faster here than in milder places.

Ongoing monthly scorpion treatment covers what sealing cannot, such as prey insects and scorpions moving along the outside of the house.

What sets the cost of scorpion sealing?

• Number of exterior doors and the condition of their sweeps.
• Linear feet of weep screed that needs screening.
• Number and type of penetrations.
• Reach: ground level or eaves.
• Whether treatment is booked on the same trip.

Ask on the phone, since no two houses take the same materials or time.

Sealing runs on labor and materials, so the list of gaps drives the figure more than the size of the house. A 1980s Tempe home with original sweeps and several plumbing walls may have more to close than a larger, newer one. Sliders, double doors and converted garages take more fitting than a single entry door. Weep screed runs the whole perimeter, so choosing which stretches to screen matters, and the walls nearest your sightings usually come first. A longer-lasting sealant costs a little more and may pay for itself on a sun-facing wall. The simplest way to lower the figure is the daylight test above, because the visit then starts with a short list instead of a search.

Why Kekoa for scorpion sealing

• Kai tells you up front if a job is outside what he takes on, in keeping with his no-sales-gimmick approach.
• Customers report he explains how to prevent issues, so you keep the checklist after he leaves.
• One owner does the whole job, so what you agree on is what gets done.

Nobody else will ever check a gap behind a water heater, so sealing depends on trust. Reviewers on Google and Yelp mention on-time arrival and a reminder the day before, and ratings stand at 5.0 from 54 Google reviews and 5.0 from 8 Yelp reviews as of November 2026. Family owned and owner operated since 2022, Kekoa has one reputation to look after.

Kekoa is based in Tempe and covers Chandler, Mesa and Sun Lakes, among other East Valley communities.