Teresa Robinson, age 10, of Winston Salem, No. Carolina, for her question:

Why don't insects come out in winter?

Insects are cold blooded creatures, which means they have no way to keep their tiny bodies warm. They must have body warmth to keep busy and cool weather slows them down to a standstill. They can't crawl around, fly, or eat or do anything else. And the grown adult insects must keep active to stay alive. Winter is their worst enemy because the weather is too cool for them.

It has taken many millions of years, but the insect world has learned many ways to outsmart the cold winter season. There are at least 800,000 different insects and each type has its own way to survive. In most cases, the adults die off in the fall, but riot before they leave offspring for the next generation. Many of next year's insects get through the winter as tough little eggs. Some survive in hard chrysalises or in silken cocoons