Where Did All Those Bees Go?
Do you ever wonder how insects keep from freezing in the winter. Insects have different methods for surviving cold weather. Some insects lay their eggs in cases and then die, leaving their eggs to hatch in the spring. Some insects remain active and some become dormant for the winter. Some dormant insects produce glycol, the same compound found in antifreeze in your car. Other insects “supercool” the water in their cells and blood by remaining absolutely motionless. This supercooling process allows their fluids to drop far below the freezing point without forming ice crystals. Among all insects, only honey bees manage to maintain an elevated body temperature all winter long. As soon as the nest temperature drops below 64 degrees, the bees pack together to form a compact ball. The outer part of the ball consists of several layers of bees tightly packed with their heads inward. The bees inside the cluster are loosely packed and can move around, feed on honey and even raise their young while being kept warm by the outer layer of bees. Groups of bees in the cluster’s center from time to time vibrate their powerful flight muscles to generate heat.
Viewer Tip: Many insect egg cases are easy to spot once winter winds have stripped foliage from plants and trees. Egg cases can be found on limbs, tree trunks, under loose bark, and on stone walls, among other places. They are carefully constructed to keep out cold and rain. If you see a strange-looking round or oblong growth on a limb during the winter, don’t disturb the nursery.
This tip was provided by the Georgia Wildlife Federation. For more information, visit www.gwf.org.
Season: Winter
(Sources: Hollows, Peepers and Highlanders: An Appalachian Mountain Ecology; George Constantz, The Naturalist’s Year; Scott Camazine, Winter Survival Strategies of Insects; Bonnie Ennis, Colorado State University Cooperative Extension Agent, horticulture: www.colostate.edu/Dept/CoopExt/4DMG/Pests/winter.htm.)
