  We present an error correcting protocol that enhances the lifetime of
stabilizer code based qubits which are susceptible to the creation of pairs of
localized defects (due to string-like error operators) at finite temperature,
such as the toric code. The primary tool employed is dynamic application of a
local, unitary operator which exchanges defects and thereby translates
localized excitations. Crucially, the protocol does not require any
measurements of stabilizer operators, and therefore can be used to enhance the
lifetime of a qubit in the absence of such experimental resources.
