Insects have different ways of wintering

I don’t suppose I am alone in the sense that I despise ticks, chiggers and other biting and stinging insects. In turn, I always welcome the winter months when these pesky critters seem to disappear from the face of the earth.

However, we are all aware that they have not actually disappeared. In fact, they will return with a vengeance beginning in the following spring and will continue to cause misery until cold temperatures finally return.

So where do they go? And why are we not susceptible to their wrath during the coldest months of the year?

Well, I recently embarked upon a little research via the World Wide Web and learned a little bit about insects, their habits and how they survive the coldest months of the year.

I’ll be the first to agree that not all insects are worthy of despise. In fact, I’ll step out on a limb and suggest that few humans dare to openly hate butterflies.

These beautiful winged creatures are a great example of insects that simply relocate to a more conducive environment for them to survive. However not all six-legged critters have the option of migration.

Many insects winter under heavy leaf litter or other such protective environments while in the larval stage. In fact, some even have the capabilities to replace the fluids in their system with glycerol, a chemical used in the production of antifreeze.

Some insects, such as dragonflies, survive the winter months in the nymph stage, and remain active in ponds and streams. they continue to feed during the winter season, and emerge as adults during the early spring.

Some insect species are known to lay eggs that will survive throughout the hard knocks of winter. The eggs will then hatch with the return of spring. Praying Mantises depend upon this particular strategy for the survival of their species.

Then we have the insect species that winter in the pupal stage and emerge as adults with the arrival of spring. In fact, some moth species pupae can be found attached to food plant branches during the winter months.

Some insect species simply find adequate shelter and enter a condition referred to as diapause as adults. They enter a state in which their growth, development and activities are suspended, yet they maintain an adequate metabolic rate to keep them alive until the return of warmer temperatures.

Many wasps seek shelter in eaves and attics, while other insect species nestle in tree holes, leaf litter or under logs and rocks prior to going into their annual winter torpor.

Honey bees, on the other hand, remain in their hives, where they form clusters, and can, interestingly, raise the temperature by vibrating their wing muscles. It is also suggested that a hive of bees might consume as much as 30-pounds of stored honey during the winter months.

So what about those infamous ticks, chiggers and mosquitoes that notoriously cause misery during the spring summer and fall?

Well, according to information posted on the internet by Terminix, “Female mosquito species overwinter in a diapause state as adults.”

In a nutshell, they cease blood feeding and increase fat reserves. They winter in burrows, caves, storm drains or other underground shelters.

As for ticks, they seek shelter in dead leaves and other decaying vegetation debris. They, too, are capable of producing glycerol to protect them from the frigid temperatures.

It is suggested that ticks enter a dormant stage at about 35 degrees. However, it is also suggested that they will become active and search for blood meals following a couple of days in the mid 40s.

Although many ticks are not active during the late fall and winter months, it is warned that Blacklegged ticks, which are carriers of lyme disease, remain active as long as the temperature remains above freezing.

Now, let’s address the critter that has caused more misery to yours truly than any other animal calling Arkansas home. According to the information I gathered, these tiny, yet pesky mites can remain active in temperatures at 60 degrees and above.

Adult chiggers predominantly spend their winters near or slightly below the ground. Female chiggers emerge and become active in the spring, laying up to 15 eggs per day.

That being said, let’s take a quick gander at their life cycle. Chiggers only feed on people during their larval stage. After dropping from their host, they will undergo a transformation into adults, when they will feed on plants while waiting for the mating season.

So there ya go. Hopefully, we all know a little more about those pesky critters that we have all grown to hate during the warmer months of the year.