If you've ever taken a UV flashlight into your backyard at night and spotted a scorpion glowing neon green, you know it's a sight that sticks with you. But what's really going on when scorpions light up like that? And more importantly, how can we use that glow to detect them before they become a problem?
Why Scorpions Glow Under UV Light
Scorpions glow under ultraviolet (UV) light because of substances found in their exoskeleton. Specifically, a layer in the cuticle called the hyaline layer fluoresces when exposed to UV rays. Scientists still debate the exact purpose of this phenomenon, but some theories suggest it may help scorpions detect UV light, signal each other, or even confuse prey.
The glow is visible to the human eye when UV light hits the scorpion's body, usually appearing as a vivid green or blue color. This is not something you see in normal lighting conditions, which makes UV exposure a unique and powerful way to identify scorpions at night.
How Our Detectors Use the Glow to Spot Scorpions
At Scorpion Alert, we’ve designed our Scorpion Detectors specifically to take advantage of this glowing behavior. Each Detector contains UV LEDs and an ESP32-CAM that points down toward the baseboards—exactly where scorpions prefer to travel after dark.
Here's how it works:
- When the room gets dark enough, the Detector automatically turns on its UV lights.
- It then takes a photo every second, looking for clusters of green pixels.
- If it detects something that looks like a glowing scorpion, it sends the image to our image recognition system on AWS.
- If confirmed, the system instantly sends a push notification to your phone.
By predicting where scorpions move (along the dark, quiet perimeter of a room) and scanning those areas with UV light, our Detectors can catch them in action without you having to do a thing.
How to Use a UV Flashlight After an Alert
Once you get a notification, you might want to confirm the scorpion's exact location yourself—especially if it has moved since the Detector snapped the image. This is where a handheld UV flashlight becomes your best friend.
Because scorpions glow so distinctly, even a basic UV flashlight can help you track one down. Sweep it slowly across the floors, baseboards, and behind furniture. The glow makes them stand out clearly against most backgrounds, making it far easier to spot and safely remove them.
This combination—automated detection from our Detectors and manual follow-up with a UV flashlight—gives you the best chance of catching scorpions before they disappear into cracks or crawl into your shoes.
Take Back Control From These Glow-in-the-Dark Intruders
Scorpions are sneaky, but their glow gives them away. By understanding why they fluoresce and using that to your advantage, you can keep your home safer and your family more at ease.
Scorpion Alert Detectors do the hard work of watching the walls at night so you don’t have to. But a little UV flashlight backup never hurts when it comes time to act.
