Hobbies And Interests
Crickets
Crickets hatch in early spring, emerging from the egg as a nymph. At this stage they have no wings and are easy prey for birds, animals and other insects. They will molt eight to 10 times before growing a hard, outer covering called an exoskeleton. Following the last molt, wings appear, and they become adults. Crickets reproduce for the remainder of their lives, four and six months.
Winter Honey Bees
Each bee colony has a queen who is the only bee able to produce eggs. She will lay up to 1,900 eggs every day during the spring. After the eggs hatch, the emerging larvae go through five growth stages in about a week. At the end of this time nurse bees build a cocoon around the larvae. The larvae remain in the cocoon for less than 10 days, during which time they become pupa and then finally emerge as adult bees. Colonies produce summer and winter bees. Summer bees have a life span of 30 to 45 days. Winter bees, on the other hand, live for about six months, and they sustain the hive through the winter. Winter bees survive the cold by clustering together within the colony. Once warm temperatures arrive, these bees die off, and summer bees resume control of the hive.
Common Flea
Fleas are parasites that lay eggs on their host. Flea larvae feed on the droppings of adult fleas. Larvae undergo a complete metamorphosis, which lasts about a week. If temperatures are cool, the cocoon stage may last for much longer. Once the adult flea emerges from the cocoon it can live for up to six months. A flea's life span depends on temperature. Fleas are dormant for long periods in cold weather. In warm weather, when fleas are active, they can have a much shorter life span.
Common Flea