There are hardly any insects outside during the winter. Where do they all go when it gets cold?
Each species of insect has developed some way of surviving cold weather. Some insects migrate, like monarch butterflies and milkweed bugs, while some insects stay put all year-round, like lady bugs, cluster flies, elm leaf beetles and box elder bugs. They find shelter in places like hollow logs, under rocks, or even in people’s homes. Some insects spend winter in an immature stage as eggs, larvae or pupae, like bag worms, cicadas, June beetles and large silkworm moths. Young, immature insects are smaller and thus have much less water in their bodies. Less water means a higher tolerance for lower temperatures. Some insects seek protective spots and become dormant (a bit like hibernation), like yellow-jackets and mosquitoes. Some insects, like the darkling beetle, have body fluids that act like antifreeze. These solvents, called cryoprotectants, prevent fatal ice crystals from forming inside the insects’ bodies. Some aquatic insects remain active year-round and spend winter as immature y
