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Will the deep freeze keep bugs and mosquitoes away?

"Those species that hibernate, or are used to chilling down or freezing solid for some species, a cold winter isn't going to bother them."
<p>The Aedes Aegypti mosquito is photographed at a laboratory of the Ministry of Health of El Salvador in San Salvador, February 7, 2016. Health authorities continue their efforts to eliminate the mosquito-borne Zika virus.</p>

ST. LOUIS – As temperatures continue to fall, we've had some of you ask us a simple question: Will the deep freeze keep bugs and mosquitoes away as winter turns to spring and summer?

It turns out, how well they do in the winter really depends on the species.

Ed Spevak, the Curator of Invertebrates at the St. Louis Zoo, said mosquitos will either hibernate or survive in a larval stage, meaning they curl up in a cold water system. Some species of mosquitos survive as eggs, while the adults die off.

For ticks, snowfall actually acts as an insulating blanket and is better for their survival.

Most native bees survive winter as either adults or larvae.

“Those species that hibernate, or are used to chilling down or freezing solid for some species, a cold winter isn't going to bother them,” Spevak said.

He said there are certain conditions that can bother many of these species.

“The biggest problem for them is if the winter fluctuates, if we have warm spells throughout the winter, as opposed to a long, solid winter,” he said.

Spevak said to fully answer our question, we will have to wait and see what happens in the next few months.

“So, if we have a warm, wet spring, mosquitos and ticks can pop up very quickly,” Spevak said.

A consistent cold winter and not-too-hot of a summer are ideal. A dry summer, without much moisture, is when the pest populations start to decrease.

“As it gets hotter and dryer, this is going to be problematic for plants, animals and us,” said Spevak.

Spevak also advised against cleaning out your garden right away. He said, don't cut down the plants and brush or wipe away piles of leaves. That is because insects will hibernate in those little crevices and it's not only good for them but also good for your garden.

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