Wooly Bear 3/23/2026

[John Hunn]

[chaff...@comcast.net]

Hey Wooly Bear buddy I have to ask you one question if that's ok?  What in the heck are we doing out when there is still snow on the ground?

 

On 03/23/2026 3:25 PM CDT John Hunn <bigjoh...@gmail.com> wrote:

 

 

[John Hunn]

They have a compound like “antifreeze” in their blood that keeps them from freezing in the winter, kinda like what us humans do with alcohol in our systems in the winter.

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[Reid Carron]

I hope that this post doesn't result in my being viewed as a know-it-all.  (Apologies to John.)  But I happened to remember reading somewhere that equating human alcoholic beverage consumption with wooly bear built-in antifreeze is inaccurate.  Sadly, overconsumption of alcohol can result in death by hypothermia--think college students and unhoused alcoholics.  Here's what the Cleveland Clinic says:  "Here’s what happens when you’re having an alcoholic drink in the cold. When you drink alcohol, your blood vessels dilate, sending more blood to your skin. This dilation brings blood closer to the surface of your skin, which can create a sensation of warmth or flushing.

But in doing so, it’s also pulling heat away from your body’s core. The increased blood flow near your skin’s surface can create the sensation of warmth, but it doesn’t raise your body temperature."

Reid Carron

3100 Hartley Point Road

Ely, Minnesota 55731

cell 218-232-0622

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elyfieldnaturalists/CAL46epgBBsiP0%2BtiCUfsSdfP1asOcnWVZKU4FZV9Oq3z8bfz-Q%40mail.gmail.com.

[John Hunn]

I stand corrected….my comment was intended in jest, as Mike Chaffin and I have an ongoing sparing match, but Reid’s comment should be taken seriously. My apologies if I offended anyone….except Mike.

[Reid Carron]

And I'm sorry that I was too dense to get the joke. But in all seriousness, winter and alcohol have been a fruitful combination for important scientific research. See the following study from the University of Minnesota:

https://theonion.com/report-lake-ice-grows-safer-to-venture-out-on-with-eac-1819576026/

Reid Carron

3100 Hartley Point Road

Ely, Minnesota 55731

cell 218-232-0622