Some insects, like moths, tend to be common throughout the warm months; while others, like the May and June Beetles, or some of the butterflies are found for only a few weeks in the spring. The weather plays a large role either in controlling insect numbers or having the opposite effect and allowing their numbers to explode. Many insects will survive a warm winter, but be killed in a very cold one. Summer rains that soften the hard ground and make it easier to dig tunnels often cause the ant colonies to swarm and thousands of winged queens and drones take to the air to start new colonies.