
Does Sub Zero Weather Actually Kill Minnesota’s Annoying Insects?
We've just turned the corner on the coldest weather we've had yet this season across Minnesota. Thank God! It was -30 below and even colder wind chill in parts of Minnesota. You have to wonder, what could possibly survive that kind of cold?
Obviously wildlife in Minnesota has an amazing ability to adapt to extreme cold, but what about those pesky insects like mosquitos, ticks, and invasive emerald ash borer? I've heard rumors that the cold weather actually kills them. So then why do we still have them around in the spring?
What entomologists have to say
Fox9 TV tackled this question recently with experts and asked what impact the cold weather has on insects. They interviewed entomologist Dr. Mohammed El Damir, and he had disappointing news for us.

While some of the insects will die in the cold, it won't be enough to make a difference. Not yet, anyway. Too few die off in the extreme cold in the winter. But, there might still be hope to bring those numbers down.
Read More: Why -40 Is A Magical Number In Minnesota
Spring weather is more important.
Mohammed says for the insects to be affected or killed off by cooler weather, it needs to happen in the spring. That's when the insects are weaker, and a frost could do some damage.
Take mosquitoes, for instance. Their numbers die down significantly after the first frost in autumn. If we had a cool spring that disrupts their hatching, it could make a difference. The trade off though is having a cooler spring in a climate where we already have short summers. It's really a catch-22.
Besides, there's not much we can do about the weather anyway.
LOOK: 20 of the biggest insects in the world
Gallery Credit: Andrea Vale
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