jack frost nips

Here in temperate England, our county of Nottinghamshire is not subjected to the ranges of temperature that affect other gardeners. Last year was unusually mild and so we welcomed today's ground frost back as one would do a long lost friend!
Frosts, we are told, are the gardeners' friend, particularly during prolonged cold periods when the ground is 'as hard as iron' for days or weeks. Soil pests are killed during this time and the following growing season is better for this reduction in our enemies numbers.
I'm not so sure that our native creatures are such wimps. And if they are indeed, 'knocked back' by cold periods, surely beneficial insect populations are too?
What we can hope is that we do have some prolonged periods of cold, so that creatures carried north by global warming or crass interference by man are hit hard.
Harlequin ladybirds and the midges that transmit bluetongue are two recent arrivals who could do with Jack frosts nip.