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Regular cleaning, sealing, and crack inspections help prolong the surface’s life and maintain safety.

Scorpions have difficulty climbing smooth, non-porous surfaces like clean glass or polished metal because their pincers and feet cannot grip the surface effectively. While they are excellent climbers on rough or textured materials such as wood, stucco, or brick, slick surfaces prevent them from gaining traction or anchoring themselves. If you're trying to scorpion-proof parts of your home, using smooth materials for barriers or containers can be an effective deterrent strategy.

A concrete porch costs about $2 to $10 per square foot upfront, while a wood porch costs about $4 to $30 per square foot, making concrete less expensive upfront. However, wood requires much more maintenance than concrete, so you’ll need to consider the costs of staining, painting, and resealing the porch every few years, which makes wood more expensive in the long run.

Alternative landscaping materials similar to pea gravel include wood chips, decomposed granite, crushed stone, and pebbles. You can also invest in specialty landscape rocks such as quartz, river rock, lava rock, and Mexican beach pebble. While many of these stones will cost more than pea gravel, some are more ideal for designing an attractive garden bed or managing drainage.