Welcome to The Bugs Below Zero Blog!

You have probably seen birds fly south for the winter or maybe friends or family packing up and escaping the frigid Minnesota winters for a few months, but what happens to insects? Most go dormant over winter but some insects become active during the long cold months!

If you’ve ever gone near open, running streams in winter, you may have noticed small insects living on the snow banks. These insects are a vital part of trout winter diets in Minnesota where trout substantially contribute to the winter fishing business. Bugs Below Zero has set out to share the research on winter streams and the effect humans have on the future health of stream environments.

Along with our research and community outreach, Bugs Below Zero is launching our new community science program this year. We are focused on freshwater science communication and providing

Photo by Sarah Karnas

educational resources for the community with stream data that is collected by Bugs Below Zero partners and volunteers.

Join us as we cover each of the winter-active insect groups in our blogs. We will also be using this blog space to share updates, highlight our Bugs Below Zero team, and gain direct thoughts and feedback from our community.

We look forward to hearing your stories as you explore the winter life of bugs, and check back here to make sure you don’t miss anything.