The suburban citizen., 1902-01-25
THE INSECTS IN WINTER
HOW THEY PREPARE FOR 1T ONLY
RECENTLY UNDERSTOOD.

Creatures-CaterpllI Arc Very sem
sitive and Tonder.
The myrlads Of insects which creep
and crawl around in the summer time,
greatly to the discomfort Of vacation
lists at seashore and mountain. dlsap-
pear in the autumn of the year, when
the leaves of the trees begin to take on
the brilliant colors which make the
glory of our American autumns. The
mystery Of their sudden exit from
the scenes which they have conspicu-
ously occupied during the warm
months has only in recent years been
thoroughly understood, even by scien-
lists. Few of these creatures migrate
with the birds to warmer climates.
They either pass through another stage
Of their peculiar metamorphosis or
crawl into the ground or under stones
and trees to hibernate.
The woods and fields are tenanted
in winter time with millions of crea-
lures which few know anything about.
They are sleeping away the cold
months, snugly slowed away in warm
places. Others, having laid their eggs
for future generations, retire to some
quiet nook and give up their lives.
The mosquito fingers in small num-
bers until the last of October's warm
weather, and then dies, having depos-
tied thousands of eggs along the banks
OF streams and sluggish ponds, where
they will be hatched out by the early
spring weather. The house flies creep
into cracks and crevices, and come
forth occasionally, even in the middle
of winter, to flutter around; but it is
only the female fly that is thus seen.
The male dies with the coming of cold
weather, and the female hides away
in some safe place to hibernate. She
sleeps all through the winter, except
on few warm days, when she comes
forth to exercise her wings, and when
the days Of a new summer return she
brings forth her brood by the thou
sands.
Likewise the wasps, bees, hornets,
and similar insects Of the fields and
woods have practically died with the
coming of winter; but if one goes forth
in the middle OF January on exception
ally warm days he may occasionally
see bees or wasps fiuttering around
These are usually the queens, which
Go not die from the effect of cold
weather. If they did their whole race
would be eXterminated. In them is
wrapped UP the hopes and prospects
of the whole family Of bees and wasps
Fully conscious Of this, the males in
the fall of the year take good care to
tuck away the queens in some well
protected home under banks or trees,
where they can hibernate without fear
Oh danger.
Queen bees, wasps, humble bees and
yellow jackets may often be found in
old logs and trees in winter. In split
ting up rotten trees and logs in the
woods the alternating creatures are
frequently brought to light They look
for all the world like dead insects, but
the warmth of a new season will
quickly revive them.
The great insect hosts can be di-
vlded into those which perpetuate their
species by hibernating in winter and
those which die, after having laid their
eggs in the autumn. The first class
includes most of the noXious worms,
bugs and beetles 1t is only necessary
to lift up old boards. stones and trees
on the shady side of buildings in Win
ter months to find whole storehouse
of these alternating creatures In
these quiet places they sleep all winter,
practically freezing stiff, and yet not
suffering therefrom. The only danger
they experience is that Of alternate
freezing and thawing. If they hlber-
nate in some place where the sun could
reach them they would never survive
the winter The warm sun Of mid
winter would often bring them to life
again, and then a cold wave succeed
ing would freeze them stiff the second
time. Such action would quickly de-
strOy their powers OF resistance, and
death would soon follow.
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some shaded place Even the eggs
and cocoons Of insects are attached to
trees or buildings on the shady side,
where the sun cannot reach them.
They would suffer as much as the hi
bernating creatures from the alternate
action Of the sun and frost While
bugs and beetles merely crawl under
!, logs, leaf mold, and stones to hiber-
nate the grubs and earthworms crawl
down into the earth and hide there
below the frost line. They do not
emerge from their underground home
until spring has thoroughly set in, its
warmth reaching down even as far
as their subterranean hiding place. The
ants follow the grubs and worms, and
furnish winter quarters for themselves
and their larvae deep down in the
ground. But the ants frequently wake
from their sleep in midwinter and busy
themselves with their treasures. Their
larvae are placed in the lowest gal
leries, of their homes, and it is neces-
sary for them to keep an eye carefully
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