How Do Insects Survive The Winter?
January 4, 2017
We are currently dead in the middle of winter, and temperatures are at their lowest. The one good thing about the freezing cold temperatures is that we don't have to tolerate spiders and insects, especially mosquitoes. Thank god insects and spiders are cold blooded. Obviously a cold-blooded animal will migrate south to more accommodating climates. However, not all insects migrate south, as you probably know, but which ones stay? During the winter the insects that remain in cold weather will enter a state of arrested development
We are currently dead in the middle of winter, and temperatures are at their lowest. The one good thing about the freezing cold temperatures is that we don't have to tolerate spiders and insects, especially mosquitoes. Thank god insects and spiders are cold blooded. Obviously a cold-blooded animal will migrate south to more accommodating climates. However, not all insects migrate south, as you probably know, but which ones stay?
During the winter the insects that remain in cold weather will enter a state of arrested development called "diapause". While in diapause, an insect's metabolism drops by one tenth or less so that it can be stored in the body fat in order to allow the insects to remain alive despite the extreme cold surrounding them. Not only do insects possess this unique gift, but many of them will also produce alcohol during the winter month, which acts as a sort of antifreeze. With the antifreeze blood, insects are able to bypass their cold-blooded natures.
Have you ever spotted an insect, outdoors or indoors, during the month of January?
