Sunday, May 8, 2011

What happens to insects in the winter?

Many have laid eggs by then and died. In the spring, the eggs hatch and newborns emerge. Others hide or hibernate in attics, cellars, barns, leaf piles, holes in trees, under bark, in caves, or in underground tunnels. While hibernating, the insects breathe more slowly and don’t eat. When warm weather returns, they become active again. Honeybees form big balls inside the hive. The bees on the inside shake and shiver to raise their body temperatures. The heat spreads out and warms all the bees. Some insects migrate for the winter. Monarch butterflies fly south about 2,000 miles (3,200 km). At the beginning of spring, they head north.

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