Where do Bugs go in the Winter? Part II

Where do bugs go in the winter? Part II

HIBERNATION
Like many other types of animals, some insects will go into one of two types hibernation to avoid cold temperatures. Called diapause, these hibernation-like states of torpor cause the insect to go dormant. This dormant period allows the insect to slow its metabolism and conserve energy and revive when temperatures rise again.

— Freeze Tolerance — A few insects, particularly those with habitats in extreme latitudes, have developed the ability to survive ice formation within their tissues. They survive thanks to a natural anti-freeze they can create. This anti-freeze prevents the formation of damaging ice crystals and allows the insect to survive until they thaw. The famed woolly bear moth caterpillar and their arctic kin are well-known for their survival with the help of anti-freeze.

— Freeze Avoidance — Probably the most popular cold-temperature defense mechanism of the insect world is freeze avoidance, which is a fancy term for “hunkering down for the winter.” These insects will retreat into rotting trees, bury themselves in the soil, hide in a rotting log and sneak into human-built structures to ride out the cold temperatures — a favorite tactic of ladybugs.

COLONY INSECTS
Do bees hibernate in winter
Honey bees vibrate their wings to generate warmth for the whole hive. To further stay warm, they group together in a tight mass, and each bee will move from the outside of this swarm to the inside.
For insects that live in colonies, including bees, termites and ants, fighting off frigid temperature takes on an added scope. Most of these insects only care about one thing when cold weather strikes – protecting their queens.

— Where Do Ants Go in the Winter?They go underground! Most ant colonies will seal the entrances to their nests when cold weather hits and enter a dormant stage, living off their stored energy. Throughout the winter, they remain clustered together in large groups to maintain body heat and keeping the queen warm is always the top priority. Without their queen, most ant colonies would only survive a few months.

— Where Do Bees Go in the Winter? They stay inside their hive! Although these beneficial insects are cold-blooded, they spend their winters generating heat by fluttering their wings. The combined effort of all the bees is enough to keep them from freezing as they cluster together. As they generate this heat, individual bees are constantly moving from the cool outer section of the cluster to the warm inner part. The queen, however, always remains at the center, increasing her changes of survival.

Wasp in window
New queen wasps will sneak inside homes, often in wall voids in your attic to ride out the winter. Warm spells may coax them out, which leaves them vulnerable to starvation and dehydration.
— Where Do Termites Go in the Winter? They keep on going in your house! The termites that typically target the wood in your home barely even bat an eye at cold temperatures. Yes, their activity slows down a bit during winter, but rarely completely ceases. Why do they keep working in such cold temperatures? To keep the queen happy and well-fed, of course!

— Where Do Wasps Go in the Winter? They move inside your house! While most wasps die off in the fall, a few will move into sheltered spots to ride out the winter. These survivors are actually newly-mated queens who will emerge in the spring to start their own nest. Once they’ve made it inside a safe place in your home, including behind baseboards, in the attic and even under carpets, they usually go dormant until the spring.

OTHER INSECTS AND BUGS IN THE WINTER
Now that you understand how bugs survive the winter, you may be wondering about some particular types of insects and bugs and how they survive cold temperatures. Here’s the rundown:

— Where Do Bed Bugs Go in the Winter? They never leave your house! – While Bed bugs go dormant in temperatures below 65 degrees, that’s not a real problem since most houses where they live are warmer than that. That means that bed bugs are active through the winter.

— Where Do Centipedes Go in the Winter? They love your basement! – These arthropods seek out shelter to survive the cold, and there’s often no place better than a damp basement. Moisture is the most important facet for centipede survival, so you can also find them in compost piles, trash heaps, rotting logs and in piles of leaves.

— Where Do Cockroaches Go in the Winter? Anywhere that’s warm! – These adaptable and infuriating insects acclimate to cold temperatures quite well. Inside your home or other structures, cockroaches have no problem at all with the winter. Cockroaches that live outside try to find a safe place to survive the winter. They look for all the basic necessities: Food, warmth and a daytime hiding place.

— Where Do Fleas Go in the Winter? They stick with your pets! – When temperatures fall below freezing, most fleas will die within a few days. However, that’s only the fleas that are completely on their own. Most fleas survive the cold temperatures thanks to the warmth and protection provided by their warm-bodied host animals.

— Where Do Flies Go in the Winter? They get a room all to themselves! – House flies rarely survive the winter unless they are inside and have food sources. Many people confuse cluster flies for the more common house fly. Cluster flies overwinter in a protected location, such as a wall void in your home, and emerge on warm days. They are often slow-moving and lethargic.

— Where Do Ladybugs Go in the Winter? Anywhere to stay toasty warm! – Like many other insects, ladybugs look for shelter to survive the winter. When there aren’t any human structures around, they try to hide under under rocks or in rotting logs. They are attracted to light-colored homes with a good southwestern exposure, and sneak inside through any gaps they can find. They hibernate in groups through the winter.

— Where Do Moths Go in the Winter? Check your closet! – Many moths die off in the winter, having laid eggs that will hatch in the spring. The clothes moth, however, can survive all year long inside your home, eating natural fabrics and destroying your favorite sweaters and rugs in the process. Pantry moths and their larvae will go into a dormant state when temperatures cool, which can make it especially hard to eradicate an infestation as it will flare up when warm weather returns.

If you’re experiencing bug problems contact a wildlife professional. For more information on bugs in the winter see next weeks blog.