How flies keep warm

When the weather turns cold, we transition to warmer clothes and perhaps spend less time outside. Some animals prepare for winter in different ways though. Do flies change their behavior when the weather turns cold?

What You Need: Jar with a screw on lid Hammer Nail Live fly Access to a refrigerator

What to Do: Punch holes in the lid of the jar, using the hammer and nail. Catch a fly in the jar and screw the lid on tightly. Watch the fly in the jar. Note how fast he is moving and any sounds you might hear. Then, place the jar in the refrigerator for a few minutes. After you remove the jar from the refrigerator, keeping the lid secured, what do you notice about the fly's activity? When you're finished, take the jar outside, remove the lid and release the fly.

What Happened: When the fly was placed in the cold refrigerator, his metabolism slowed down. Metabolism is the collection of chemical processes that convert the fly's food into his energy. In this experiment, the cool temperature of the refrigerator slowed the fly's metabolism down. After you removed the fly from the refrigerator, his activity and flying was slower. Once he warmed up a bit, his activity should have returned to normal.