A worn or missing bottom seal lets scorpions and other pests walk under the door. The University of Arizona advises tight door sweeps and weatherstripping with no light visible around the door, and says scorpions are easily kept out by basic pest-proofing. Check the seal in daylight from inside, replace it if you see light or damage, and keep clutter away from the door.
Why the bottom of the door matters
The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension says scorpions enter houses frequently and are easily excluded using basic pest-proofing. Its guide shows a bark scorpion entering under an exterior door, and its scorpion fact sheet says scorpions can be brought into a home through poorly maintained door sweeps and window screens.
A garage door is the widest opening in the house. Its bottom seal is often the first thing to harden, flatten or tear.
How to check your seal
Extension guidance for entry doors is that no outside light should be visible under the door when you look from the inside at floor level. Try the same check on your garage door during the day with the garage lights off. Light along the bottom, or a seal that is cracked, flattened or missing in one place, means a gap.
- Look along the whole length of the door, including both corners.
- Press the seal. It should spring back and not feel hard.
- Check where the seal meets the floor. Uneven concrete leaves a gap even with a good seal.
- Look at the side and top weatherstripping too.
Which seal to choose
The University of Arizona says the bottom of a garage door can be fitted with a brush or rubber seal, not vinyl, because vinyl performs poorly in cold weather. That matters in northern Arizona, and a brush or rubber seal is a sound choice in the desert too. See bottom seal replacement for how a seal is changed, or ask for it at a service visit.
Other things that bring pests to the door
Pest-proofing the door helps, but the yard matters too. The extension advises moving loose boards, wood piles, rocks and debris away from the house and trimming trees and shrubs so there is at least a 24-inch clearance from the walls.
It also says homes near dry riverbeds and washes or near agricultural fields and orchards may see more scorpions during summer rains and after irrigation, and that scorpions are often found in newly developed areas where construction has disturbed their territory. This is a reason the homes in Oro Valley, Sahuarita and Tucson near open desert deserve a closer look.
Mice and other gaps
The same University of Arizona guide says a gap of a quarter inch, about the diameter of a pencil, lets young mice enter, and a gap of a half inch is large enough for young rats. A seal that looks fine from above can still leave a small gap at the corners.
A gap under the door will not be fixed by pesticide alone. The extension says scorpions cannot be managed with pesticides alone and recommends sealing, caulking and replacing door sweeps when necessary.
If someone is stung
The University of Arizona says the bark scorpion is the only Arizona species of medical importance and that its sting can be life threatening. For a sting, call the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center. If a child, an elderly person or a frail person is stung, treat it as a medical emergency and call emergency services.
Who to call
Emil Garage Doors repairs garage doors, springs, cables and openers and installs new doors in Arizona, including Oro Valley, Sahuarita and Tucson. We can replace a worn seal and check the door while we are there: see garage door repair. Also read the Phoenix Valley guide for heat and dust checks.
Questions people ask
Can scorpions get in under a garage door?
Yes. The University of Arizona says scorpions can come in through poorly maintained door sweeps and that they are easily excluded by basic pest-proofing.
How do I know if my garage door seal has a gap?
Look from inside during the day with the lights off. Light showing along the bottom, or a seal that is cracked, flat or missing, means a gap.
Which seal suits an Arizona garage door?
The University of Arizona suggests a brush or rubber seal rather than vinyl, which performs poorly in cold weather.
Will pest spray stop scorpions coming in?
Not on its own. The extension says scorpions cannot be managed with pesticides alone and recommends sealing gaps and replacing worn door sweeps.
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