1. Scorpion Disease
Also known as scorpions, it often occurs from June to August. It is often caused by humid environment, high air humidity, and food mold. The pathogen is mostly Aspergillus fungus. In infected scorpions, small yellow-brown or reddish-brown mold spots appear on the chest and abdomen and the anterior abdomen. They gradually expand into patches. Then the scorpions have reduced appetite and growth stops. In the later stage, they become sluggish in movement and eventually die due to refusal to eat. Dissection shows that the body is filled with green mold mycelium.
Prevention and treatment: prevention is the main focus, and air humidity should be appropriately regulated to eliminate the pathogen. ① Food and water trays should be cleaned regularly to eliminate moldy food; ② Disinfect the breeding area with 1% to 2% formalin or 0.1% potassium permanganate solution; ③ Isolate and treat the infected scorpions, and incinerate the dead scorpions in a timely manner; ④ Mix 18 g of terramycin or 1-1.5 g of long-acting sulfonamide with 1000 g of feed and feed it until recovery.
2. Black Rot Disease
Also known as body rot disease, it can occur throughout the year, with a short course of disease and a high mortality rate. It is mainly caused by feeding spoiled feed, contaminated drinking water, or accidental ingestion of black rot disease scorpions infected with black mold fungus. In the early stage of the disease, the abdomen of the scorpion swells and turns black, and there is little activity, and the appetite is reduced. Then, black rot ulcer lesions appear on the anterior abdomen, and black mucus can flow out when pressed by hand, ultimately leading to death.
Prevention and treatment: ① Keep the feed and water fresh; ② Regularly disinfect the breeding area with 1% to 2% formalin solution; ③ Isolate and treat the infected scorpions, and incinerate the dead scorpions; ④ Mix 1 g of oxytetracycline, 0.5 g of erythromycin, or 2.5 g of baking soda, 0.5 g of sulfonamide tablets, or 2.5 g of rhubarb soda with 500 g of feed, and feed until recovery; ⑤ Use gallnut, with a daily dosage of 0.2-0.5 g per kilogram of body weight, for the treatment of infected scorpions.
3. Semi-paralysis
Also known as tail dragging disease, it often occurs during the humid period at the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. It is caused by long-term feeding of high-fat feed, which leads to excessive accumulation of fat in the scorpion's body. The sick scorpions have a shiny body, enlarged limb joints, difficult and slow movement, and red oily mucus-like secretion in the mouthparts. Death begins 5-10 days after the onset of the disease.
Prevention and treatment: ① Do not feed or feed less high-fat feed; ② Adjust the environmental temperature and humidity appropriately; ③ Treatment can be fasting for 3-5 days or feed 3 g of rhubarb and baking soda tablets, 50 g of bran (fried until fragrant), and 60 g of water, mix thoroughly and feed until recovery.
4. Abdominal distension disease
It often occurs during the continuous rainy period in early spring and autumn, due to low temperature, causing indigestion in scorpions. The sick scorpions have swollen bellies with prominent veins, slow reactions, and loss of appetite. They begin to die 10-15 days after the onset of the disease.
Prevention and treatment: ① Maintain the breeding temperature at 25-39℃; ② Mix 18 tablets of multi-enzyme tablets and gallnut, 0.1 g of sulfonamide tablets, and 100 g of feed thoroughly, and feed until recovery.
5. Ant damage
Ants not only compete for feed with scorpions, but also eat larvae, weak, and diseased scorpions.
Prevention and treatment: ① Crush and fry eggshells and sprinkle them around the breeding area walls; ② Attract ants with bones, sugar, etc., and kill them with boiling water.
1. Building and Facilities
Scorpions are afraid of strong light and prefer darkness. The scorpion farm should be built in a place that is sheltered from the wind, sunny, well-lit, well-drained, clean, and quiet. It should also be avoided in places where highly toxic pesticides may be applied. It is important to avoid keeping scorpions in places where natural enemies such as poultry, birds, geckos, solifugids, frogs, and mice appear. There are many ways to raise scorpions, including small-scale methods such as pot breeding, tank breeding, and box breeding, as well as large-scale methods such as pond breeding, house breeding, and honeycomb breeding. Regardless of the breeding method, the basic principle is to simulate the natural living environment of scorpions and create comfortable living conditions for them.
(1) Pond Breeding: Ponds can be built indoors or outdoors. The standard size for a regular pond is 0.5 meters high and 1 meter wide, with the length depending on the actual situation. The outer walls of the pond can be sealed with a small amount of mortar to prevent scorpions from escaping through the gaps in the bricks. On the inner side of the pond near the top opening, before the applied mortar dries, smooth materials such as glass or ceramics can be embedded to prevent scorpions from escaping through the top opening. In the center of the pond, about 15 centimeters away from the four sides, bricks, stones, or other materials can be piled up to create a multi-layered stack with gaps of about 1.5 centimeters, providing a place for scorpions to nest.
(2) Box Breeding: Boxes can be made of wood or directly use old wooden boxes or plastic boxes. Plastic film or glass strips can be placed around the box opening to prevent scorpions from escaping. A 2-centimeter layer of sand should be spread on the bottom of the box, and some bricks or coal residue should be placed on top of the sand for the scorpions to move and nest.
2. Selection of Breeding Stock
Strong, large, and active scorpions should be selected as breeding stock. The recommended stocking density is 3000 scorpions of 2-3 instar, 1500 scorpions of 4-5 instar, 800 scorpions of 6 instar, and 600 breeding scorpions per square meter. Brick debris should be placed in the scorpion nest to provide nesting sites for the scorpions.
3. Feeding
Cultivated earthworms are the main source of food for scorpions. A pit should be dug and filled with livestock manure, small animal carcasses, and fertile soil. Earthworms should be introduced for breeding, and the pit should be kept moist by regular watering. When the earthworm population reaches a certain number, they should be regularly dug out, scalded and chopped into pieces, and then fed to the scorpions on a food tray. The feeding amount should not be excessive to avoid rotting and deterioration of leftover food. You can also feed yellow mealworms and soil elephants. Scorpions can be fed every 3 days during their growth period. Although scorpions can go without food for several days after a meal, they do not experience hunger on the same day. It is best to feed them daily. The feeding amount should be moderate, and it is advisable to have some leftovers on the second day.
4. Breeding
Artificially reared scorpions generally reach sexual maturity in 10-12 months. The recommended male to female ratio is 1:3. Scorpions are viviparous animals, and fertilized eggs complete embryonic development inside the mother's body in about 40 days before giving birth to offspring. Since scorpions are poikilothermic animals and cannot maintain their body temperature, they need to be heated during artificial rearing. Female scorpions give birth all at once, with an average litter size of 30 individuals per litter.
Introduction Techniques
The introduction of scorpions in temperate regions should be arranged in late spring, early summer, or autumn. Late spring and early summer are the best times for introduction because scorpions that have gone into hibernation have emerged from their dormant state and mature female scorpions are in pregnancy, allowing them to give birth in the same year. Introduction can bring benefits in the same year.
Sources of Breeding Stock
One option is to capture wild scorpions or purchase them for breeding. Another option is to buy from artificial scorpion breeding units or individuals. For beginners, it is not advisable to use wild scorpions as breeding stock.
Selection of Breeding Stock
When introducing breeding stock, young scorpions, adult scorpions, or pregnant scorpions should be selected according to needs. Male scorpions should be selected based on their strong physique, shiny body color, vigorous activity, and strong sexual desire. Female scorpions should be selected based on their large size, body length of over 4.8 centimeters, no limb defects, strength, agility, curled abdomen when at rest, enlarged anterior abdomen, and shiny skin. In general, in spring, as long as the anterior abdomen is large and full, with a light gray color and a body length of about 5 centimeters, the litter size is relatively high and the birthing period is early. Female scorpions with a short body length, even if they have a large abdomen and normal coloration, should not be easily selected as breeding stock because their reproductive period is often late and cannot meet the requirements for breeding.
Matching of Males and Females
Some breeders only choose female scorpions and do not include male scorpions in order to produce more offspring. This is incorrect. According to the mating habits of scorpions, the male to female ratio should be approximately 2-3:1.
Transportation of Breeding Stock
The recommended tools for transportation are cardboard boxes and non-toxic woven bags, with a suitable density of 500 scorpions per bag. During transportation, clean and undamaged woven bags should be used to hold the breeding stock, which should then be placed in a cardboard box with sponge, cardboard, or paper balls at the bottom. Wet sponge blocks should also be placed inside the box to regulate the humidity. In addition, several ventilation holes should be made around the top of the box to allow for air circulation. During transportation, excessive shaking should be avoided. In summer, attention should be paid to preventing high temperatures, while in winter, measures should be taken to prevent cold temperatures.
Temperate Breeding
Lighting: Scorpion sheds should be built in a place with a high foundation and abundant sunlight. In places with sunlight, scorpions are less prone to diseases, and mites cannot survive.
Humidity: The moisture content in a scorpion's body is about 40% of its body weight, and under normal circumstances, physiological abnormalities due to water shortage do not occur. During prolonged rainy or dry seasons, water can be added to the water storage pool above the scorpion mound to keep the soil moist. On rainy days, the shed should be covered with plastic sheeting to prevent water from accumulating and damaging the scorpion mound. Remember: Scorpions supplement their water intake by absorbing moisture and should not drink water directly. The activity area for scorpions should be slightly humid, and the relative humidity of the air should be around 80%. The humidity in the nesting burrows should not be too high, and measures should be taken to prevent frost damage during hibernation. The ideal humidity during hibernation is 10-12%. The moisture content in the soil in the burrow directly affects the survival of scorpions.
Temperature: The optimum temperature for scorpion growth and activity is 28-38℃. Below 28℃, growth is slow, activity stops below 7℃, and there is a possibility of freezing to death at -5℃. The temperature range of 20-39℃ is when scorpions have the strongest appetite, fastest growth, smooth molting, and optimal conditions for mating and reproduction. Natural scorpion farming should be supplemented with plastic sheeting in late spring and late autumn to shorten the hibernation period. When the temperature is below 10℃, scorpions stop growing and enter hibernation. When the temperature is between 8-15℃, scorpions may be neither asleep nor awake, and their activity varies. In spring, after emerging from dormancy, most scorpions have dry bodies and trailing tails, move slowly, lack appetite, and have a high mortality rate. The optimal temperature for hibernation is 3-6℃.
Feeding: Scorpions prefer to eat active insects that are high in protein, low in fat, and have soft bodies and high moisture content. They do not like to eat insects that are rotten, have a special odor, are dead, or are sluggish. Yellow mealworms reproduce quickly, have a short growth cycle, have low requirements for breeding equipment conditions, and are easy to breed. They are rich in nutrients and are the best feed for scorpions. Soil elephants and rodent females can only be used as supplementary feed.
Growth and Development: As long as the temperature and humidity are appropriate, with sufficient sunlight and palatable food, scorpions will reproduce and grow in large numbers. To be successful in scorpion farming, attention should also be paid to the ecological environment of the scorpion shed, the quality of the scorpion breed, the management of offspring, molting density, disease prevention and control, prevention of escape, and defense against natural enemies. All these factors should not be neglected.
Practical experience has shown that the scorpion farming cycle takes two years to achieve significant benefits. For beginners who want to save daily expenses, feeding scorpions during leisure time is sufficient. Some advertisements claim that scorpions can reproduce 3-5 litters per year, with each litter producing more than 50 individuals. They promise guaranteed success and high profits within six months. These claims are exaggerated. Regardless of the breeding method used, it is necessary to follow the scorpion's survival characteristics and living habits. Only by diligently studying farming techniques, constantly innovating, striving for excellence, persevering, and being patient can significant rewards be obtained.
Species Suitable for Group Breeding
Asian forest scorpion (Heterometrus petersii), Mongolian scorpion (Euscorpius flavicaudis), Ryukyu scorpion (Lychas tricarinatus), Brazilian golden scorpion (Tityus serrulatus), Florida bark scorpion (Centruroides gracilis), Texas striped bark scorpion (Centruroides vittatus), Hainan double-tail scorpion (Heterometrus spinifer), Chinese no-name bark scorpion (Lychas mucronatus), Chinese wolf scorpion (Lycosa singoriensis), Vietnamese flat rock scorpion (Heterometrus laoticus), Tibetan rock scorpion (Scorpio yangi), etc. In addition, if there is enough space and abundant food, the deathstalker scorpion (Leiurus quinquestriatus) and the emperor scorpion (Pandinus imperator) also have a certain probability of being raised in groups.
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