Do Texas Scorpions Hibernate?

Posted by Mosquito Squad

November 1, 2024

Texas scorpions do seek overwintering spots close to or even inside homes or other buildings.

But do they hibernate? Well, not exactly. Scorpions, like many other pests, including mosquitoes and ticks, go into a state of arrested development that is called diapause. Pests that overwinter in a diapause state do not continue development into their next phase of life and will not continue until their springtime emergence. When scorpions are heading to your home, garage, or outbuildings, they are seeking shelter in which to enter diapause for the next few months.

When Do Texas Scorpions Enter Diapause?

Scorpions in Texas become less active after early autumn in the Fort Worth area. Unlike their mosquito counterparts, which enter diapause when temperatures reach 50°F, scorpions seek shelter to enter diapause when the temperature is in the high-60’s. Once temperatures rise to a sustained 73°F, scorpions will emerge.

Why Area Scorpions More Sensitive to Temperature?

When the weather is hot, scorpions seek cool, moist areas so they do not dehydrate. When the weather is still a pleasant 68°F, they will halt activity and development altogether and begin their diapause period.

What makes scorpions sensitive to temperature? Scorpions are a ectotherms, more commonly labeled cold-blooded. Being cold-blooded is not exactly like it sounds. Ectotherms do not have cooled blood running through their bodies, but rather their blood is regulated by the temperature of the surrounding environment. That is why you might find cold-blooded creatures warming themselves on a rock or other sunny spot; or conversely why you might find a scorpion in a shady area during the heat of the day.

Can a Scorpion Freeze to Death?

Yes, scorpions will die in protracted periods of being frozen. In the off chance a scorpion gets frozen, it will die if it remains in such a state for an extended period of time. One study reported that after 24 hours of being frozen at 21°F, more than half of the scorpions perished.

Scorpions are additionally likely to die in extremely high temperatures if not well-hydrated. But if hydrated, the highest temperature they are said to survive is just over 120°F.

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