#winter adaptations

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10 Fascinating Ways Ants Survive the Winter Chill

When it comes to winter survival, ants use a bunch of smart tricks you might not expect. They start by burrowing deep or finding shelter under rocks to keep warm, while entering a state called diapause where their metabolism slows way down so they don’t burn through energy. Before winter, they go nuts collecting food and building fat reserves, storing it all safely in their nests. Ants also cluster tightly to share body heat and protect their queen, plus some species make antifreeze proteins that stop their cells from freezing. They build nests at different depths depending on the species and adjust entrances or cluster patterns to regulate temperature inside. Moisture is super important too, so they haul water to keep the nest humid for their young. On top of that, some ants have evolved thicker exoskeletons and special genes to survive cold better. And they keep communication strong through pheromones to coordinate food gathering and nest protection even in winter. It’s a wild mix of behavior, biology, and teamwork that lets ants make it through the cold season.

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Naturally Curious with Mary Holland Nest Box Residents: Out With The Old, In With the New

“In order to prevent disease or the passing on of parasites, it is a good idea to clean out nest boxes after they’ve been occupied.  In the fall, after the last brood of eastern bluebirds or tree swallows has flown the coop, many nest box owners often clean them out in preparation for the next summer’s residents, but some wait until spring.  This habit of waiting provides white-footed and deer mice (and occasionally flying squirrels) with a ready-made winter shelter and/or larder.

“Feathers incorporated into the pictured grass nest indicate that tree swallows once occupied this nest box.  After the last of the avian nestlings had fledged, mice moved into the box.  After constructing a roof over the nest, the mice succeeded in renovating the former bird nursery into a winter mouse house. The remaining space inside the box served as a larder for nearby high-bush cranberries.”