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Ohio

We havnt had this many days in a row of really cold weather since 1976, I think.
Do you think this will put a whammy on the bugs for this year like the cukes, vine borers ect, or do you think it wont have much effect on them because they are under a insulated blanket of snow and are deep enough in the soil to where it really wont bother them? I bet it will put a dent on them lady bugs though?

Brooks

2/13/2007 4:58:42 AM

Billerica,Massachusetts

the snow will insulate the ground, it's when there's no snow and the temps are low that there is a greater kill-off

2/13/2007 8:46:21 AM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

Like in Wisconsin....

2/13/2007 8:54:47 AM

Indiana

Does the cold help with the Japanese beetles?? We didnt have much snow until the end of the cold period so i know the ground got frozen good for a change. Now we are getting the snow Blizzard warning until midnight and its really coming down.
Steve

2/13/2007 11:00:29 AM

[email protected]

Jap Beetles are under the frost line in their third instar (larval) grub stage right now. If it gets colder than normal & the frost dips down deeper then they'll just go deeper. The *length of time* a grub is without food is relevant to mortality. If spring breaks later than usually we could expect lower beetle counts.

Mother Nature is pretty resilient so this bizarre weather will have very little long term impact. Some pockets might see local anomalies though.

2/13/2007 1:30:03 PM

No Place Special

How about disease and such, will the freeze kill it off?

2/13/2007 2:05:26 PM

[email protected]

It helps but like said; Mother finds a way.

2/13/2007 2:21:49 PM

[email protected]

I think you need a longer and colder, cold spell for it to take effect.
We have a bad plague of pine beetles in the neighboring province, and the tree people say we need minus 30 for a minimum of 10 days to make a difference.
Brooks, you mentioned lady bugs, I found about 30 of them under a tarp, (it's been minus 20 here for the last week) and with 6 hrs they were up and around.

2/13/2007 2:27:44 PM

[email protected]

We have had 2 weeks straight of sub zero temps (with wind chill) and not a day above 15 degrees with out the windchill. No snow here yet the entire season, thats right, 0 inches. Tonite that all changes with 2 ft predicted. Hoping the bugs are already frozen dead.

2/13/2007 5:36:07 PM

So. Maine

Some of those bugs are so tough I think they come back from the dead........

2/14/2007 1:33:03 AM

Rhode Island

im sure brooks we have nothing to worry about any longer.

put away the backpack sprayer and insecticides, throw out all fungicides. its all good. lol

just kidding. i do believe though that freezing temps do prove to be somewhat beneficial.

but? we will never be rid of dem dastardly bugs

pap

2/14/2007 7:06:57 AM