Longer lasting winter doesn't bust the bugs

We're all looking for a silver lining from what feels like the never-ending winter.

Unfortunately, freezing out the pesky insects like Emerald Ash Borer and deer ticks isn't one of them.

Insects are cold-blooded and have evolved over ages to handle changes in seasons, whether they occur earlier or later in the year, said Jeff Hahn, entomologist with University of Minnesota Extension. Many of these species have already found shelter for the winter, and will just stay there until it's warmer.

"They know how to deal with this kind of weather," Hahn said. "The biggest impact we might see is we won't see them as early as we have in other years."

That doesn't mean these species are immune to cold weather, but it requires much lower temperatures for longer periods before they're affected. Hahn said it would take temperatures of under negative 20 degrees for extended periods, conditions that Hahn said are more likely to occur in January or February, not in a drawn-out winter-spring season.

"Insects react to temperature. They're not looking at the clock or the calendar. They just wait for the temperatures to change before they go about their spring business," Hahn said.