Every year around this time friends and neighbors typically give well-intended advice on scorpions. As a rule their sage advice includes the merits of discontinuing pest control maintenance services until spring. This is based on their assumption that scorpions are dormant during the winter months and don't pose a threat. I'm sure this kind gesture is done in good faith and to pass on a tip to save money.

Scorpion Activity During Winter: Your ole bug guy is the first one to tell you that scorpion activity does in fact decrease during the winter months because of the weather. However, the weather also causes these critters to seek warmth and the ambient heat generated from a home is their most accessible source. Scorpions are very industrious and finding entry points in the exterior of a home does not pose a deterrent for them, particularly since they can squeeze through the tiniest of openings.

Saving Money: There's no doubt that you can save a few bucks by suspending maintenance service during the winter months. Before doing this, however, I recommend that you consider the following:

• Monthly maintenance includes reinforcing the barrier we've built around your  home's perimeter to impede scorpions from entering the premises
• Discontinuing service will cause the barrier to erode and all deterrents to scorpions will be eliminated
• In spring the protective barrier will have to be rebuilt from scratch which will require some time before it's fully effective
• Continuing maintenance will ensure the integrity of the protective barrier around your home and minimize its exposure to scorpions

I know this sounds self-serving, but continuing monthly maintenance during the winter months will provide your family with a cycle of uninterrupted protection from scorpions all year. And keeping your family safe all year is our goal.

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