Are Scorpions Insects? A Detailed Guide to Breeding Methods

Mentioning scorpions may make some people a bit afraid, and they may even not dare to go near them. Actually, they are not that terrifying. Although they are venomous, they have a wide range of uses, and in recent years market demand has been large. So, are scorpions insects? What are the breeding methods?

1. Are scorpions insects?

Scorpions do not belong to the insects. Scorpions belong to the phylum Arthropoda, class Arachnida, and their typical features are a slender body, pincers, and a curved, segmented tail with a venomous stinger. At present, there are about 1,400 or more species of scorpions. The body of an insect is divided into three parts: head, thorax, and abdomen. Adults usually have 2 pairs of wings and 6 legs, with the wings and legs both located on the thorax. The body is made up of a series of body segments, further grouped into 3 body regions (head, thorax, and abdomen). A pair of antennae grows on the head, and the skeleton is on the outside of the body; their form changes greatly throughout life, and they are spread all over the world as a thriving family. They are the most species-rich group among arthropods.

Scorpions do not fit the above characteristics of insects, but like insects they all belong to the large family of invertebrate arthropods, and in taxonomy they and insects belong to neighboring groups within that large family.

2. What are the breeding methods for scorpions?

1. Construction of the breeding site

Generally, an uninhabited empty house or a shed is chosen to build breeding pools. The scorpion pools are built with red bricks and cement, and about 6 cm of sandy soil is spread on the bottom of the pool and packed firm. Plastic film or glass is attached around the inside of the pool to create smooth walls and prevent the scorpions from escaping.

2. Feed and feeding

Scorpions are typical carnivores and like soft, juicy insects such as mosquitoes, flies, mantises, spiders, and crickets, while a very few species will take in a small amount of plant-based feed. Therefore, scorpions should be fed mainly with meat-based food. Animal feed for scorpions can be obtained by trapping: leave a hole about 25 cm in diameter in the roof, hang a lamp above the hole, and set a funnel under the light. Turn on the light near dusk to lure mosquitoes, spiders, and others to fall into the scorpion pool. Crickets, maggots, and other insects can also be raised and bred as feed.

For scorpion drinking water, sponge, cotton, or other highly absorbent cloth can be soaked with clean water and placed in the scorpion pool. Every 3 to 5 days, an antibiotic drug (such as oxytetracycline or sulfonamide) can be added to the scorpion drinking water, with each tablet mixed into about 4 kg of cooled boiled water, stirred evenly, absorbed onto the sponge, and placed in the scorpion pool.

3. Constant temperature management

When the temperature reaches 10°C or higher, scorpions begin to resume normal growth. When the temperature is below 10°C, they begin to hibernate. Practice has shown that scorpions grow and reproduce fastest at 28-38°C, and also have the longest activity time and the highest food intake. Therefore, when the temperature is too low, heating equipment should be installed in the breeding site to keep the temperature between 28-38°C, with the relative air humidity kept between 60%-80%, and water supply the same as in summer.

4. Humidity management

The optimal air humidity in the breeding site should be 45%-50%. The moisture content of the sandy soil should be between 15%-20%, so that the sandy soil is neither dry nor wet and people do not feel stifled in the scorpion room. Special attention should be paid to the fact that the sandy soil should not be too damp, otherwise the scorpions will develop acariasis from mold mites and die.

Judging from market demand in recent years, the prospects for scorpion farming are relatively broad, and scorpions reproduce quickly, so farming them is not difficult. Friends who want to farm scorpions can learn more about the market conditions.