Winter Habits of El Paso Scorpions: What They’re Doing Right Now

Posted by Mosquito Squad

February 16, 2026

Winter Habits of El Paso Scorpions: What They’re Doing Right Now

Here’s what El Paso scorpions are doing right now, and why their winter habits should matter to us all.

Those familiar with the El Paso TX region are probably at least casually acquainted with scorpions. During the cooler months here, scorpions might be seldom seen – but that doesn’t mean they’re altogether gone. They’re still here, quietly hidden, and waiting for just the right conditions to make their return.

El Paso Scorpions Can Still Be a Problem in Winter

Even though we still have very chilly nights, winter days here in El Paso can be sunny and pleasant. However, like winter everywhere, we can experience severe temperature swings. Those changes are important because scorpions are cold-blooded – meaning their body temperatures are largely dependent on the exterior environment. Unlike mammals that hibernate, scorpions enter a diminished state of activity, called diapause.

Though we agree that scorpions are better unseen, it’s where they are hiding out that really matters in the winter. Their retreat into hiding spaces, where conditions are more stable, could mean that you have scorpions tucked in for the season very close to your home.

Where Are El Paso Scorpions Hiding?

Hard-to-see scorpion hideouts will offer refuge, providing shelter, warmth, and protection from wind and cold conditions. Some of the spaces you won’t see them are inside foundation cracks, inside block walls and gaps around masonry, garages and storage rooms, attics and crawls spaces, areas near plumbing and water lines.

Their ability to hide out so well makes their appearance feel random once they do appear. You might go weeks or months between scorpion sightings, until you move a box in the garage or grab something off a shelf that hasn’t been disturbed in a while.

How Do El Paso Scorpions Just Hide Out for Months?

It’s difficult for us to imagine an animal surviving for months without food and water, but scorpions can. During winter, they significantly reduce their activity by moving and hunting less, and by remaining obscured for long periods of time. This severe reduction in activity allows scorpions to ride out El Paso winters on only stored energy. The absence of scorpion food (insects) in winter doesn’t automatically equate to the absence of scorpions.

What Does Winter Scorpion Control in El Paso Look Like?

Late winter in El Paso can be a smart time to take action against scorpions. When they’re hidden and much less active prevention methods shift from treating them to blocking access and correcting conditions that attract them. Here are a few ways to take corrective actions against El Paso scorpions in late winter.