Many pests will survive being frozen solid. Slugs can withstand 6 weeks in ice. Sub zero temperatures may kill the maggots but the beetles may survive. Nature will make a balance, after a cold winter those that survive will breed more when there is plenty of food for their young.

Sadly - all too true ! They seem capable of coming through prolonged frosts too.
It would seem that those that survive - being the hardiest - will lay even MORE ...so vigilance is essential when the thaw sets in as plants in pots that have been even slightly too damp and thus attract the beetles in the first place - will have their roots eaten alive - literally!

Sadly you are both right... birds die bugs don't!

Too true - it's a pest....LOL

Have you seen what snails do? I find clusters of them in odd places - all together, with a covering almost like plastic over the hole in their shells. They survive all right! Grrrr.....

Yes not sure what the covering is but it obviously works as thy appear in battalions in spring!

The covering is a protein secretion similar to the protein they use in their slime trails, [i think it is called an operculum similar to the name for a fish gill covering as it is permeable to oxygen.] It has a good thermal property and its own version of antifreeze. They cluster together to conserve heat and moisture.

Tell me about it! My massive clematis Montana was blown off my garage wall one winter - and revealed a few THOUSAND snails - all colours and sizes....I always regretted not taking a picture of that wall - it was solid with them. My thrush population did very well that winter as a result..LOL

That almost comes under the heading of t.m.i. SBG lol

Dont let your guard down as you all say they will make it through:(

yet something like bees possibly wont... there is no justice

I shall go on a snail cluster hunt when the weather allows me to - a 'Seek and Destroy' mission! I lob them into the stream.......and wave goodbye to them!

I lob them onto my garage roof.....and the thrush population is thriving...LOL

Do the thrushes prefer deep-frozen snails, though? LOL.

HA HA .....never thought of that.....having never had to deal with them that way!
I would put them in a pail of warm water first....drown the sods - then lob 'em!!

lol you cruel lot :))))
Oh me too I crunch them :(

Chickens seem to enjoy them as a tasty treat...

Do they really! Wow....I could save them up and offer them to my barn-yard-scratching egg laddy who pops a dozen on my doorstep each week!

Thanks - there are several neighbours who keep chickens! I'll offer them....do ducks eat them as well? Our lovely next-door farmer has ducks. We get duck eggs sometimes. :-)))

Yuk to duck eggs - too strong for my liking - except in baking of course - very handy then!

They are rich - but we both like them.

Errr...Do ducks eat snails?

MG - where are you?????

Alz you would have very grateful hens if you did that... They will fight and squabble to get to them and consume.

Yes ducks will eat as well, I love to think of something that we view as being 'nasty' being turned into something we can enjoy.

I love duck eggs but you have to be careful to gather rapidly. We used to have moscovy ducks (which are actually small geese) back when we had the croft in Aberdeenshire. They were such characters! I decided one day that I wanted one for dinner... could I wring its neck could I flip damned thing was too tough! They are seriously messy and would not consider keeping now.

Near Forres Alz. though as I say when we kept all the livestock we were in the Mill House near New Deer. We kept everything apart from cows...

LOL....I meant where were you - when Spritz and I needed you to answer the question about ducks eating snails....I do know where you live!!!!
Serves me right - for being cryptic...;>>>)))