Insects are exothermic. External forces control their internal temperatures. So what happens in winter? How do insects make it through to spring? In this very special Must Learn Thursday, we learn from two experts, Dr. Mike Raupp and Dr. Max Ferlauto. Each will share information on the strategies insects employ and what we can do to ensure they survive.
ACT 1: Dr. Mike Raupp, “The Bug Guy,” will give a short recap of banded woolly bears, which can freeze solid, and other strategies insects use for surviving winter
ACT 2: Back in 2022, an aspiring PhD student, Max Ferlauto, presented on the beginning of his research efforts studying “The effects of leaf litter management practices on overwintering insect communities and ecosystem function: Impacts and applications in residential landscapes,” which you can watch here: (https://youtu.be/Fp4sUEQK5NU). Now, as the state entomologist for Maryland, Max is back to give us a full recounting of the dissertation he successfully defended. Learn best practices to help arthropods successfully overwinter.